interview

<p><em>This interview with Fran&ccedil;ois&nbsp;Pinon&nbsp;took place in a bus travelling from Los Angeles to San Francisco in March 2011.</em></p> <p><strong>Tell us about your&nbsp;estate.</strong><br /> <br /> I work about 13.5&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="523">hectares</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It&#39;s stayed in the family and has never changed in size. In the last three years, we&#39;ve focused on highlighting our two distinct&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary><span>:</span></span></span> on our slopes we have a rocky <glossary title="455">flint</glossary> soil, and the rest is&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="301">clay</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In both cases, about 1.5 meters below the two soils is a layer of <glossary title="266">chalky</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="596">limestone</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> So these are our two principle&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;es</glossary><span>:</span></span></span> &quot;Silex Noir&quot;<glossary title="455">&nbsp;</glossary>and the &quot;Trois Argiles&quot;.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> The sparkling wines are produced from grapes on more &quot;neutral&quot; soils as well as our&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1130">youngest vines</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The weather of the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> will affect the amount of sparkling we make each year: if it was a rainy year, we&#39;ll make more sparkling because in drier years, the grapes reach a nicer <glossary title="639">maturity</glossary> and I&#39;ll want to incorporate them into the still&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;es</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> For the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="386">demi-sec</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> we&#39;ve picked out three&nbsp;specific <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> both from the <glossary title="455">flint</glossary> and <glossary title="301">clay</glossary>&nbsp;soils so the wine comes from six&nbsp;different&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="760">parcels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <strong>How did you end up becoming a&nbsp;vigneron?</strong><br /> <br /> Before making wine, I used to be a professor. This led to a career in psychology and psychoanalysis. When my father retired, I took over the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="427">estate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I was 35 at the time. It was a point in my life where I wanted to start over, to fully invest myself in something new.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> When I was 20 year old, I wasn&#39;t ready to work with my father. It was petty teenager stuff. And though we never worked together, I was always able to stay on good terms with him. The year I took over, we worked together so he could show me everything, but after that I was on my own. If I had any questions he would gladly answer them, but it was up to me to get the work done.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <strong>What&#39;s work like in the vineyards?</strong><br /> <br /> We work closely with our soils through extensive&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="810">plowing</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We do our best to not dig very deep, so grass grows back faster and we are basically always&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="810">plowing</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> This is fine during dryer spring seasons, but if it&#39;s humid out, it makes life a lot more complicated. Every year we slightly modify our techniques in accordance to the weather.<br /> <br /> <strong>What about in the&nbsp;cellar?</strong><br /> <br /> In the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> my approach is to intervene as little as possible, or as &quot;nicely&quot; as possible. Before any work can start in the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="254">cellar</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> it&#39;s imperative that we <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> our grapes at optimal&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="639">maturity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> This is easier said than done: a few days could change everything.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> When I&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> my main focus is to not lose any of the juice&#39;s potential. We do everything very slowly and methodically, and make sure that no oxygen reaches the juice. Again, this is easier said than done, and requires a lot of thought and effort. For example, when you <glossary title="843">rack</glossary> your wine, you can&#39;t do it alone. You need another person to hold the other end of the pipe so that he can lift it and avoid any air getting in contact with the juice.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> The wine&#39;s maximum potential comes with optimal <glossary title="639">maturity</glossary> and nothing can be added during the winemaking to make the wine better: it&#39;s already all there. So instead of adding anything I make sure to not detract anything.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> We use <glossary title="310">CO2</glossary> gas tanks to initiate the grapes prior to pressing them into the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1140">vats</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We also occasionally use <glossary title="310">CO2</glossary> to give the <glossary title="538">natural yeasts</glossary> a boost if they need it. Again I do all this so that I don&#39;t have to manipulate the wine later.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <strong>Are you certified organic or biodynamic?</strong><br /> <br /> We started <glossary title="332">converting</glossary> to <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary title="78">agriculture</glossary> in 2003. As of 2007 most of the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is worked <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> and I anticipate having the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> <glossary title="260">certified</glossary> by the 2011&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="521">harvest</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> I&#39;ve always worked this way, but it came to a point where I felt it was time to get <glossary title="260">certified</glossary> so the work would be clear to the consumer. This way, it confirms what I do and avoids confusion or doubt.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> It&#39;s simple: if you voluntarily use <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary> in your vineyards, you might be making your work easier, but you&#39;re voluntarily polluting the ground, water and the air. I see guys in the vineyard wearing space suits to protect themselves from the <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary> they are spraying on their own land. If they&#39;re taking those precautions, then they know it&#39;s bad. Yet they&#39;d still sell you their wine and continue to harm the planet. It&#39;s hypocritical nonsense.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <strong>How do you feel about&nbsp;Vouvray&nbsp;as an AOC, and more specifically do you feel your wines fit in to the notion of &quot;typicity&quot; of a region?&nbsp;</strong><br /> <br /> I&#39;m rather comfortable with the <glossary title="1121">Vouvray</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="108">AOC</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> As long as you&#39;re using&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> anything is possible. We&#39;re the only <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary> in France where you can produce the wine you want on any given&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Sparkling, still,&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="936">sec</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="386">demi-sec</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="389">dessert wines</glossary><span>:</span></span></span> the choice is the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1089">vigneron&#39;s</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> I think that <glossary title="1121">Vouvray</glossary> is an <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary> where if the work is being done right, you will end up having wines that reflect their&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I go back to the example I used earlier about making more sparkling wines some years than others. Because their is no <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary> based specifically in sparkling wine from the area, the <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary> can make a conscious choice to produce more sparkling wines that year and not be reprimanded for quantity.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> As far as the general state of the <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary> system, I think most regions are getting bombarded with paperwork, with rules and legislation on how to make their wine when all anybody should be doing is making authentic wines. When you are being told that your wines need to be this or that way to be accepted as <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary> wines, I can see why some <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> would feel obliged to manipulate them in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> so that they fit a certain profile.<br /> <br /> <strong>What&#39;s your take on the whole natural wine debate?</strong><br /> <br /> This term has become popular because of an excess of <glossary title="279">chemical</glossary> use and <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> manipulation. I think the original point of defining these wines as &quot;natural&quot; was to point out just how many artificial additives were being put in &quot;<glossary title="331">conventional</glossary>&quot; wine. An <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary> will tell you that its goal is to express&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> are somehow legally allowed to use <glossary title="321">commercial yeasts</glossary> that are not indigenous to the area and will modify the wine in a way that <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary> will be lost.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> So to me, &quot;<glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>&quot;&nbsp;is a reaction to wines that are too&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="993">sulfured</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> too&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="324">concentrated</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> over&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="433">extracted</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> over&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="447">filtered</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>.. Over-everything! It makes sense that certain people would want to let the world know that you can make great wine without manipulation.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> I still think <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> is a flawed term. Man makes wine. The grapes can be natural (<glossary title="746">organic</glossary> or <glossary title="160">biodynamic</glossary>) but the minute you decide to make wine, a process of <glossary title="545">intervention</glossary> begins. From the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> to the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="254">cellar</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> human decisions in the winemaking will affect the final product.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> What matters to me is to <glossary title="545">intervene</glossary> but not manipulate. Of course I use <glossary title="538">indigenous yeasts</glossary> because I want my wines to reflect their&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> So maybe we should talk about wines of <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary> instead of&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary><span>!</span></span></span><br /> <br /> <strong>What do you like to drink?</strong><br /> <br /> Locally, I really enjoy the balance of <glossary title="386">demi-sec</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1121">Vouvray</glossary><span>:</span></span></span> the <glossary title="281">Chenin&#39;s</glossary> <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> and the <glossary title="853">residual sugars</glossary> work harmoniously. Outside of the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="602">Loire</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> I&#39;m a big fan of&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="858">Rieslings</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>

producers visit

<p><em>This visit with Fran&ccedil;ois Pinon took place in February, 2013.</em></p> <p><em>Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Susie Curnutte and Bonnie Crocker.</em></p> <p>Places like&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1202">Vall&eacute;e de Cousse</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the village where Fran&ccedil;ois Pinon resides, make me question if spending the majority of my time in a New York is really the way to go. I mean, look at this place!</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//87/95/879518f62baddf6e02c4f45350640ac9.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Can anyone argue this DOESN&#39;T resemble something out of a fairy-tale?<br /> <br /> We arrived to Fran&ccedil;ois&#39; house in the early afternoon, where the group was introduced to Emmanuel, the young man who has been working at the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> for a few years now. The guy is full of passion and enthusiasm, and it was nice to get to know him better.<br /> <br /> It had rained heavily the night before, so the vines were soaked. Under the overcast skies, we drove up a nearby hill to visit a vineyard that goes into the &quot;Silex Noir&quot;<em>&nbsp;</em><span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;e</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//79/ef/79ef0798c94b8a596618962378d84f9b.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//bd/68/bd688b6c26c70375f6abfa3b06c77925.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//f3/8f/f38f16cad1e5ad0cbe80c91bc32b0504.jpg" /><br /> <br /> This <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> was originally planted in 1944. Fran&ccedil;ois&#39; grandfather must have been quite the optimist, planting a vineyard before the end of the war and all. <glossary title="1121">Vouvray</glossary> wasn&#39;t exactly out of the line of fire either, confirmed by the fact that an American jetplane gunned down in Montlouis crashed directly into this vineyard that same year.<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;It happens less and less, but for many years, it was totally normal to find bits of wreckage while working the soil.&quot;</em></p> <p>&quot;Silex Noir&quot;&nbsp;translates to&nbsp;<em>Black </em><span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="455"><em>Flint</em></glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and if you look closely, you can spot bits and pieces in the soil.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//0d/ff/0dff2f911f24efa7bb8c728de1568417.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//4e/d8/4ed88a30a5ac66ee3e18300002a04cb0.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//86/8f/868f6f8d9cdfdf6f9714e4a65f1894be.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//64/e8/64e803f8fe903ceb0ef86caf2848282a.jpg" /></p> <p>Kevin also found a piece of (not black) <glossary title="455">flint</glossary> to show the group.</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//45/b3/45b3b061e27c5d5e8e8d9091fe499a1d.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Though the vineyard was planted in 1944, the vast majority of the vines producing grapes today were replanted in <glossary title="941">massale</glossary> in 1981.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;There is not a single </em><glossary title="304"><em>clonal selection</em></glossary><em> in this entire </em><glossary title="427"><em>estate</em></glossary><em>.&quot;&nbsp;</em><br /> <br /> Our next stop was a <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> heavy <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> that goes into &quot;Trois&nbsp;Argiles&quot;&nbsp;(formerly known in the US as Cuv&eacute;e Tradition&quot;). It was really, really wet, so we couldn&#39;t venture too deep into the vines.</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//eb/99/eb998fd7e5d8a9e339c9c8a2945dd775.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//4d/19/4d196be9c02b32c7fcd036c7b14bce48.jpg" /><br /> <br /> You could take a bath in there! The oldest vines here were planted in 1948, and none of them survived last winter&#39;s&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1135">frost</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> The rough winter led to a conversation about the ever increasing amount of dying vines due to&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="425">esca</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//de/4a/de4aa60336178fb6dc98b7a913f9b996.jpg" /></p> <p>Interestingly, according to Emmanuel and Fran&ccedil;ois, the <glossary title="474">fungal illness</glossary> might not be the issue at all: there is mounting worry that the vines were already dying before anyone could tell, and the <glossary title="425">esca</glossary> mushrooms snuck in later. Because <glossary title="425">esca</glossary> does not affect every grape variety in France, very little research has been done up to this point. Fran&ccedil;ois half-jokingly pointed out that:<br /> <br /> <em>&quot;If it&#39;s not affecting </em><glossary title="267"><em>Champagne</em></glossary><em>, then no research is going to be done.&quot;&nbsp;</em><br /> <br /> Fran&ccedil;ois&#39; theory is that the problem lies with&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="741">omega grafting</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> since these mass deaths have been occurring in the 15-20 years since this technique has become the norm. Emmanuel elaborated that with a poorly executed&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="741">omega vine</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the <glossary title="500">graft</glossary> is the equivalent of a clogged or corroded artery: the sap is still flowing, but not the way it should. Furthermore, the <glossary title="500">grafts</glossary> might not be healing properly, permitting <glossary title="425">esca</glossary> to sneak in and finish the job.<br /> <br /> After visiting the vines, we drove back to the <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="254">cellar</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//bf/ec/bfec70cccc55724d91310a062ba24c6c.jpg" /><br /> <br /> 2012 was a very tough year for Fran&ccedil;ois, and he just didn&#39;t feel the quality was there to make a &quot;Silex Noir&quot;<b><i> </i></b>or &quot;Trois&nbsp;Argiles&quot;. In such, 90% of the 2012 production will be made as sparkling, the rest being a small amount of still <glossary title="1121">Vouvray</glossary> reserved for his French customers.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> We tasted the <glossary title="146">base</glossary> of what will be the 2012 bubbles (from grapes that are always used to make sparkling). The alcohol was just 10,5%, but Fran&ccedil;ois explained that this is an ideal level for sparkling production.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//8a/e7/8ae7e080434b5bdec9013c53a3cb8a05.jpg" /></p> <p>We then tasted from a <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> that would have gone into &quot;Silex Noir&quot;. I thought it was very good, but Fran&ccedil;ois insisted it was lacking depth and complexity. Ah, le perfectionnisme...<br /> <br /> We then walked back to the storage/<glossary title="74">aging</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="254">cellar</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which is adjacent to Fran&ccedil;ois&#39; house. Like many <glossary title="427">estates</glossary> in the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="602">Loire</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> is built into the region&#39;s famous <glossary title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="596">limestone</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Here, you can easily spot the many large chunks of black&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="455">flint</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which is unique to this particular area of&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1121">Vouvray</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//86/6e/866ef51e085619db35375a1f8749b3d5.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//93/4e/934e9b88012e7d256f1a7f1c4611e857.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Kevin aptly pointed out is the exact <glossary title="991">subsoil</glossary> of the first <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> we visited, since Fran&ccedil;ois&#39; <glossary title="">cellar</glossary> is directly underneath it.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Everyone got to check out some old bottles of bubbles.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//e3/a0/e3a090d6515046d181b145528ab4b903.jpg" /><br /> <br /> We then returned to the main tasting room, where Fran&ccedil;ois broke it down with a geological lesson on the region&#39;s soil composition.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//96/66/96668f5e977300925da8c1f1aea61af3.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//07/bc/07bce9a4deefe2e86027fe659cbb4ed2.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//09/e2/09e20ce32fef53e8bbb6e83a91468b3c.jpg" /><br /> <br /> As you could see in the pictures above, the <glossary title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> in Pinon&#39;s area contain layers of black&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="455">flint</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Just like&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="596">limestone</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="455">flint</glossary> is a <glossary title="">sedimentary rock</glossary> left by ancient seabeds. Millions of shells and other organisms made up deep layers of <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> (or <glossary title="266">chalk</glossary>), while more complicated chemical interactions between <glossary title="955">silica</glossary> (contained in seawater) and organisms such as sponges created nodules of hard&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="455">flint</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which embedded itself into the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="266">chalk</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> In the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1202">Vall&eacute;e de Cousse</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> these <glossary title="455">flint</glossary> stones vary from very dark brown to black. The &quot;Silex Noir&quot;<em>&nbsp;</em><glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;e</glossary> comes from vineyards where erosion has crumbled the softer&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="596">limestone</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> leaving the harder stones on the surface. Some of Pinon&#39;s other soils contain&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="455">flint</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but the layer of <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> (i.e decomposed <glossary title="266">chalk</glossary>) is too heavy, so they remain in the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="991">subsoil</glossary><span>.</span></span></span>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> After our informative lesson, it was time to taste currently <glossary title="185">bottled</glossary> wines. Fran&ccedil;ois had them all <glossary title="381">decanting</glossary> outside for us.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//bf/58/bf587d3ffe285b6fd4c12b88d0ec3918.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Before tasting, Emmanuel made sure we had rillettes to munch on.</p> <p><img src="http://louisdressner.sfdevserver.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//a0/3a/a03a97b823b894af7d3eadc9205f3ec6.jpg" /><br /> <br /> We tasted all of the 2010&#39;s and 2011&#39;s, which were unsurprisingly great. What WAS surprising was a 2011&nbsp;<strong><glossary title="778">PET&nbsp;NAT</glossary></strong>&nbsp;attempt!!! That&#39;s right, you heard it here first! Emmanuel convinced Fran&ccedil;ois to give it a shot for fun. This, plus the fact that we saw Mr. Pinon at the <glossary title="395">Dive Bouteille</glossary> and that he has the best collection of ascots in France = Fran&ccedil;ois giving Williamsburg&#39;s finest a run for their money!&nbsp;<br /> <br /> The <glossary title="778">PET NAT</glossary> itself was pretty austere, and they both agree they let the sugars go too far into&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> They might add a little <glossary title="694">moelleux</glossary> to even out this current batch, and will try again in the future.<br /> <br /> We then did a flight of &quot;Cuv&eacute;e Tradition&quot;, which for many years was the only <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> wine Fran&ccedil;ois produced. 1997 was rich and honied&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="723">nose</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> with a candied finish. 1993 tasted &quot;older&quot;, but still had a fresh <glossary title="723">nose</glossary> and great&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="71">acidity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> At just 11,5%, it was holding up very well, and had a bit of <glossary title="181">botrytised</glossary> grapes in it. A 1993&nbsp;<glossary title="694">mo&euml;lleux</glossary>&nbsp;was delish.<br /> <br /> We ended with a 1953 <glossary title="694">mo&euml;lleux</glossary>&nbsp;made by Fran&ccedil;ois&#39; father that was lip-smacking jolly good.&nbsp;<em>Average American Consumer</em>&nbsp;Joe Dougherty was able to correctly guess the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> before it was announced.</p>

harvest report

<p>It is an amazing year, a crazy&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>!</span></span></span><br /> <br /> At our&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="427">estate</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the grapes were really great and we have <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> of 53&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="528">hectoliters per hectare</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> which is a lot for us. We are very happy. We began the 17th of September, two weeks earlier than usual. <glossary title="521">Harvest</glossary> lasted almost four weeks, with one late <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> on October 25th.<br /> <br /> Normally we make three&nbsp;<glossary title="1144">passes</glossary> of the grapes: one in the <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> by the pickers, one over a sorting table and a last one before the <glossary title="827">press</glossary> on a conveyor belt. This year everything was so good we used everything.<br /> <br /> The wines are going to have a lot of <glossary title="853">residual sugar</glossary> but won&#39;t have a lot of <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> because of the<strong>&nbsp;</strong><span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1167">drought</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> For now, the <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> are good. This year, we made all our <glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;es</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span>(<glossary title="936">sec</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="386">demi-sec</glossary><span>,</span></span></span>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="694">moelleux</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> sparkling) and with good quantities.<br /> <br /> The whole country has known a great September and lots of winemakers are very happy. In <glossary title="1121">Vouvray</glossary> -after five years of climactic disasters- the <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> is terrific. The grapes were very good, very ripe and very healthy; no bad mold at all. The were also a lot of grapes, so great quality and quantity.<br /> <br /> In the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="602">Loire valley</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the Spring was very rainy, with a lot of&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Because of this, we have lost about 15 % of the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="521">harvest</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Fortunately, the summer was beautiful. In September, the wind has turned east, which is like miracle. Normally the wind comes from the west (the ocean) and carries humidity. But with the eastern wind from the continent, the air is dry. Therefore there was no mold, no <glossary title="181">botrytis</glossary> but a lot of shrivelled grapes (<glossary title="763">passerillage</glossary>), which is rarer here.<br /> <br /> A lot of old winemakers say that the 2018 should be at the same level as the 1989.</p>

harvest report

<p>The winter was long and colder than usual in&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1036">Touraine</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> with snowfalls in December and January. The spring was dry and cool, with frequent eastern wind. <glossary title="1179">Flowering</glossary> occurred between June 20th and 25th, the future crop was quite small. The summer was cool, the only high temperatures were in late June through mid-July. Our last <glossary title="328">treatment</glossary> of the vines was done on July 15th.<br /> <br /> In September, two rainfalls helped the grapes to ripen, with 42mm on Sept. 8th and 24mm on Sept. 24th.<br /> <br /> We started our <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> on Tuesday Sept. 28th, picking grapes for our sparkling wines until Oct. 5th. From Oct. 5th to 8th, we <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> the grapes of the &quot;Silex Noir<strong>&quot;</strong>&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;e</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and continued with the&nbsp;&quot;Tradition&quot;&nbsp;<glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;e</glossary> from Oct. 8th to 13th. Beautiful sunny weather was back by then.<br /> <br /> We had&nbsp;a large team of 22 pickers and&nbsp;had&nbsp;to work fast because the grapes evolved&nbsp;quickly&nbsp;due to the heat and humidity. I don&rsquo;t believe that they&rsquo;ll be able to take over ripening for much longer. Also, the potential alcohol levels are comfortable, around 14% these days, with lively&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="71">acidity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Touches of <glossary title="181">botrytis</glossary> on the grapes meant for &quot;Silex Noir&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;Tradition&quot; promise good matter and complexity.<br /> <br /> Back to the vines this week to pursue the&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="521">harvest</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>

harvest report

<p>Here&rsquo;s a sunny pre<span class="zalup"><span><span>-</span><glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> </span></span>report: we have enjoyed three weeks of eastern wind since late August, cool temperatures in the morning and sunny weather all day, which is sheer happiness for our <glossary title="281">Chenin</glossary> grapes after the sad, humid, cloudy summer they had to endure.<br /> <br /> Our battle against <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary> was fought almost daily, but thanks to passion and energy, we managed to keep our vines sheltered from the disease, so nefarious for <glossary title="1184">foliage</glossary> and&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> We now have a moment of calm and we can think about our <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> organization and how to deal with this very particular&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> We have the grapes, the weather forecasts for September are good, all we have to do is to transform this crop into a beautiful 2007&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> We cannot wait for the next installment of this saga.</p>

harvest report

<p>Here are a few lines before we start the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> proper.<br /> <br /> We had a lot of sun and heat in June and July that made this <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> quite early. August was cloudy and cool, and the grapes ripened while retaining their&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="71">acidity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> High temperatures returned in early September and promised a wonderful&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Alas, rain around Sept. 15th started to spoil our hopes and expectations. Mother Nature is playing with our nerves!<br /> <br /> This <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> may very well become a winemaker&rsquo;s year, at least here in the <glossary title="602">Loire</glossary> with <glossary title="281">Chenin</glossary> grapes.<br /> <br /> We started the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> for the effervescent wines on Sept. 21st, and I have grapes to <glossary title="827">press</glossary> tonight.</p>

harvest report

<p><u><strong>Part 1:</strong></u></p> <p>We started <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary> the <glossary title="281">Chenin</glossary> grapes after a year without any major weather concerns (neither <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary>&nbsp;nor <glossary title="1135">frost</glossary>) but with chronic lack of precipitation (very little rain last winter and even less this summer), a cool dry spring and an early&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> Cool nights, lots of sunshine and high temperatures in the summer sped up the ripening of the berries (two weeks earlier than usual) while still maintaining good&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="71">acidity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> Right now, the grapes have a deep golden color, good sugar levels and are in good health. But with the first mists of autumn, some <glossary title="181">botrytis</glossary> has begun to appear.<br /> <br /> Excellent potential and high hopes for this&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p> <p><u><strong>Part 2:</strong></u></p> <p>It looks like we are going to be done with our 2005 <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> in a few days.<br /> <br /> We did two first <glossary title="1144">passes</glossary> to pick the highly <glossary title="181">botrycized</glossary> grapes, with high sugar content.<br /> <br /> The third <glossary title="1144">pass</glossary> was a <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> of normally ripe grapes for the <glossary title="736">off-dry</glossary>&nbsp;&quot;Cuv&eacute;e Tradition,&quot; and these days we are picking the last grapes, turned golden by the October sun, to make a promising cuv&eacute;e of&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="694">Mo&euml;lleux</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> Less extreme than 2003, with no spring <glossary title="1135">frost</glossary> and no excessive summer heat, 2005 has offered us an exceptional&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> close to my ideal&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span> <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>

harvest report

<p><u><strong>Part 1:</strong></u></p> <p>The week of April 8-11 was very cold, and in the early hours of the 11th, a severe <glossary title="1135">frost</glossary> with temperatures of -5 C killed the new <glossary title="206">buds</glossary> and <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary> of the &ldquo;Haut Mortier&rdquo; <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1133">plot</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> always an early starter.<br /> <br /> A <glossary title="1136">hailstorm</glossary> on June 25, with an avalanche of hailstones (measuring 25-30 mm in diameter), destroyed this year&rsquo;s crop and seriously injured the vines themselves in the &ldquo;Boissi&egrave;res&rdquo;&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1133">plot</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br /> <br /> A summer of heat waves especially affected the <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary> with South/South-West&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="430">exposures</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> They spent many an afternoon in temperatures over 50 C: and often the most beautiful September grapes&nbsp;were &ldquo;toasted&rdquo;.</p> <p>But even after all this, our morale is still good because all the other <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> kept their <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary> and actually seem to be shaping up for a historic&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The heat of the Mediterranean has reached all the way up to the <glossary title="602">Loire Valley</glossary>; this happened in 1893 also.<br /> <br /> The only really dry month was August, with 3mm of rainfall. It rained on a regular basis in May, June and July (60mm each month). All the soil on our <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="810">plowed</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> so the vines have been able to withstand August&rsquo;s dryness without any problem and are still in good shape to nourish their grapes through this final decisive stage.<br /> <br /> The&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="827">presses</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> and the <glossary title="1140">vats</glossary> are all ready for the new crop and, 20 days earlier than an average&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="521">harvest</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> our team has been scheduled to start work on September 15. We have our fingers crossed.</p> <p><u><strong>Part 2:</strong></u></p> <p>We have been <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary> from September 16th to 30th with beautiful sunny weather worthy of the C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Azur. The <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> were, as I had predicted, quite small. I would estimate that the crop will be about half the normal size, but WHAT A CROP! The grapes were bursting with sun and sugar.<br /> <br /> On September 8th, 60mm of rain &ldquo;blessed&rdquo; the grapes and then the following day, the sun and the east wind came back. In our <glossary title="810">plowed</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1133">plots</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> not a drop of water was lost and from that point on, the ripening process, which had been hindered by the <glossary title="1167">drought</glossary> having caused tough skins and pulp, began in earnest.<br /> <br /> During the first&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1144">pass</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> we picked the least ripe <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary> which will be used to make a small amount of &ldquo;<glossary title="936">sec</glossary>&rdquo;, then later went back and picked the overripe grapes with <glossary title="721">noble rot</glossary> which will make great raw material for the &ldquo;<glossary title="694">moelleux</glossary>&rdquo; wines.<br /> <br /> One last <glossary title="1144">pass</glossary> through the sloping <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> provided us with magnificent grapes, perfect for the<strong>&nbsp;&quot;</strong>Cuv&eacute;e&nbsp;Tradition&quot;.</p> <p>Today is October 1st and all we have left to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> are the <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> of the Mortier and Vau Chevreau&nbsp;<span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1133">plots</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> They should be ready in about two weeks.<br /> <br /> No more anxiety, we are in very good spirits.</p> <p><u><strong>Part 3:</strong></u></p> <p>We took up our clippers again in the third week of October when the grapes had reached a perfect degree of ripeness.<br /> <br /> We <glossary title="1380">sorted</glossary> the grapes on a table in the vineyard and were able to pick out the overripe grapes which we hope will give birth to a lovely <glossary title="363">cuv&eacute;e</glossary> of &quot;Premi&egrave;re Trie&quot;.<br /> <br /> As I write, the <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> are progressing well and we are getting close to the point of balance for the different batches of &quot;Cuv&eacute;e Tradition&quot;.</p>