Well, cruising right along in wonderful Summer, sunny no rain in my neck of the woods with temps of 24 C or about 74 F. Anyway, always good to bring the best of Wines news of France. By the way for the non Romans LI is no 51, First ,thanks to all my readers and/or followers since November 26 2010 of my blog! Oh yeah, the wines of France are just super simply awesome and a great tradition. Often imitated, some time equaled ,but never surpass! Let me give you some news shall we. Hope you enjoy it as I.
Unless there is a disaster before the harvest, wine production would be between 44 and 47 million hectoliters in 2023, at the level of the average for the years 2018 to 2022, reported Tuesday August 8 the statistical service of the ministry, Agreste ,These harvest forecasts are provisional in view of the uncertainty surrounding the consequences of attacks of mildew in the vineyards of Bordeaux and the South-West , In the world’s top trio of wine producers with Spain and Italy, France had produced more of 46 million hectoliters of wine in 2022 despite the exceptionally dry summer. Nearly 10,000 hectares of vines (out of 110,000) should be uprooted in Bordeaux, after the harvest, to regulate supply and restore prices under a plan co-financed by the State and the CIVB. France will also subsidize the destruction of surplus red and rosé wines (the wine will be distilled into alcohol unsuitable for consumption). The Bordeaux and Languedoc basins, further south, are the first applicants. It’s time for cautious optimism from Alsace to Corsica. In Champagne, the grapes are well supplied and the diseases contained. Burgundy was affected by episodes of hail, but the damage remained marginal
The Minister of Public Accounts, Thomas Cazenave, said last Thursday August 3, that he was “aware” of the “disarray” and “economic difficulties” of winegrowers, assuring that the proposed increase in alcohol taxes was still the subject of “discussions” with the Ministry of Health. The subject is particularly hot for Bordeaux, the leading French AOC vineyard with 110,000 hectares, which is facing a serious crisis of overproduction and an intense episode of mildew. Victim of deconsumption, this wine region is the subject of a plan to help the uprooting of vines which could cover 9,250 hectares The Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, pleaded for his part to take into account the sector’s “signals of fragility” in an interview with the Vitisphere site on Wednesday August 2nd, 2023. In 2023, according to an inflation-indexed increase mechanism, the rates applied to “duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages” were raised by 1.6%, according to the Customs or Douane de France,
The certification, inspection and audit body Qualisud has just unveiled the 2023 break of the Crus Artisans du Médoc. 33 family properties make up this new hierarchy. The wine peninsula has three classifications, the stainless Classification of Grands Crus Classés 1855, retaining 60 Châteaux, the classification of Crus Bourgeois and its 249 estates, and finally the classification of Crus Artisans. In Saint-Estèphe,we have the châteaux Graves de Pez, linot et Marceline. In Saint-Julien, la Fleur Lauga. The châteaux des Graviers, les Barraillots, Moutte Blanc et le Clos de Bigos are in Margaux. There is one in Listrac with Château Dacher de Delmonte. In Haut-Médoc, they are Domaine de la Garenne, and the châteaux de Coudot, de Lauga, d’Osmond, du Ha, Grand Brun, Micalet, Moutte Blanc, Pey Mallet, Tour du Goua and Vieux Gabarey. In the Médoc with Bejac Romelys, Gadet Terrefort, Garance Haut Grenat, Haut Brisey, Haut Couloumey, Haut Gravat, Le Baie de Lalo, La Hourcade, La Tessonnière, and in the Graves with Loirac, l’Évasion, Saint Grégoire and Vieux Gadet. Webpage: https://crus-artisans.com/
According to the magazine Figaro Vins, the milésimes or yearly rating from favorite regions are for the years 2021 and 2020! (high of 5) Beaujolais 3.4 Bordeaux reds 4.5, Bordeaux dry whites 4.4, Burgundy reds 4.5 Burgundy whites 4.5 Chablis 3.4 Champagne 3.4 Languedoc Roussillon 3.3 Provence – Corsica 3.4 Rhône Nord reds 2 .4 Rhône Nord whites 4.3 Rhône Sud 3.4 Sud Ouest sweet whites 4.3 Sud Ouest reds for laying down 3.5 Loire Valley reds for laying down 2.4 Loire Valley dry whites 3.3 and Vallée de Loire soft whites 3.3
In the 2000s, economists from Inrae Montpellier told about the 3,200 hectares of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, the first French AOC obtained in 1936 thanks to Baron Le Roy. Its identity card makes people jealous: thirteen grape varieties authorized in the specifications (eighteen counting the red and white varieties); an iconic bottle, emblazoned with the papal tiara and surmounted by the keys of Saint Peter, to remind us that nectar was the “wine of the Popes”; a vineyard that benefits from exceptional terroirs. The Côtes-du-Rhône inter-professional organization (Inter Rhône) aware that the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a special case in the Rhone Valley. André Brunel, from Domaine Les Cailloux, was among the first to reveal the potential of the King Grenache grape variety with his Centenaire cuvée, made exclusively from 125-year-old vines. This is part of the very closed circle of “super” Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which all saw the light of day in 1989, with Tribute to Jacques Perrin (Château de Beaucastel) and La cuvée du Papet (Clos du Mont- Olivet), made from old vines from 1901. The second wave, in 2010, was that of the Mourre des Perdrix plot cuvées, Les Hautes Brusquières (Domaine de la Charbonnière) The third wave pushes the plot chiseling even further by adding the symphony of single varietals, like Forget Me Not 2016, a pure vaccarèse from the Château des Fines Roches, or pure Cinsault from Isabel Ferrando: F601, marketed in March, will be a first in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Its price too (600 euros) for a young vintage (2019).
The Official wines of the Rhône (Inter Rhône) : https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/
The Official Châteauneuf du Pape : https://en.chateauneuf.com/accueil
And here are some of my suggestions should be available most everywhere,
Clos du Mont-Olivet, In the glass always flows a lesson in history. That of Clos du Mont-Olivet, a historic house and emblem of the great classicism of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is worth a detour. Property at 3, chemin du Bois de la ville 84230 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, webpage : http://en.closmontolivet.com/
Domaine André Brunel – Les Cailloux the property gave fame to the Centenaire and Les Cailloux cuvées, which take their name from the countless rolled pebbles present in the vines. Property at 2648, chemin de l’Isle de l’Oiselay, 84700 Sorgues , webpage : https://domaine-andre-brunel.fr/
Created in 2000 in a former coach house backing onto the ramparts of old Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Vinadéa wine house (more than 200 selected Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines, free tastings) is dusting off its image by integrating the new wine tourism showcase of the appellation: Vinadéa the wine house, Vinadéa the wine bar and Vinadéa the wine shop, webpage : https://www.vinadea.com/3-vins-aoc-chateauneuf-du-pape-rouge-blanc
Musée du vin Brotte, Created in 1972 by Jeanne Brotte, this museum presents all the professions of the winegrower: cultivation methods, vinification, oenology, illustrated by rare tools, the oldest of which date from the 14C. Nice presentation also of the Rhône appellations. Located two steps away at Avenue Saint-Pierre-de-Luxembourg, 84230 Châteauneuf-du-Pape webpage : https://www.museeduvinbrotte.com/welcome/
Wine-growing Provence is roughly divided into two identifiable areas. The first line from Aix-en-Provence to Draguignan, passing through the Sainte-Victoire and Sainte-Beaume massifs, made up of the Haut bassin de l’Arc, the Bassin du Beausset and a plateau Triassic. This Provence is rather limestone and the vines can climb up to 450 meters in altitude. Below, the coastline, from Toulon to Cannes, is the land of crystalline Provence with a maritime influence by the sea, colder in the Var hinterland. In this quick overview, we must not forget the slopes of Pierrevert on the plateau of Valensole and the vineyard of the heights of Nice, Bellet. One property I always look out for is the Château Pradeaux, Bandol Le Lys, 2020, The tannins of Mourvèdre stand out in a palate that exposes still Jansenist flesh, this is the lot of young Pradeaux reds whose depth can be guessed under a superb balance. Webpage : https://www.chateau-pradeaux.com/vin-bandol-rose-vente-vins-vente-vins/Le-Lys-de-Chateau-Pradeaux-Bandol-Rouge.html
In my earliest road warrior trips in my belle France came on gîtes rental houses in the area and has remained a sentimental favorite, The Vignerons de Buxy, specialist of the Côte Chalonnaise in general and of the Montagny appellation in particular, the most epicurean of cooperatives takes you to the heart of the vineyard to savor its products. Webpage : https://www.vigneronsdebuxy.fr/our-wines/?lang=en
Domaine Chanzy, There is Burgundy famous throughout the world and that known only to insiders. Bouzeron is of this second category. The discreet village of the Côte Chalonnaise dedicates its appellation to Aligoté, a Burgundian grape variety appreciated for its freshness and its ability to translate a terroir. To discover these wines, the Chanzy house is ideal. In the heart of the village, the estate specializes in hospitality and offers various tasting tours, including one in its monopoly plot, Clos de la Fortune. Webpage : https://chanzy.com/produits/nos-vins
Direction the right bank back to Bordeaux! The Château La Fleur de Boüard, With the recent arrival of new shareholders, this 30-hectare property created in 1998 by Hubert de Boüard and his family has revitalized its wine tourism offer, via the opening of a renovated boutique which also serves as a restaurant. guests, highlighting the estate’s wines and local products, an enhanced accommodation offer (soon to be a dozen rooms in total) and a new particularly immersive visit to the cellars thanks to a sound and light animation. Webpage : https://www.lafleurdebouard.com/en/accueil/
Couvent des Jacobins, This Grand Cru Classé nestled in the heart of the village of Saint-Émilion offers a wide range of immersive experiences reconnecting with the past of the vineyard, to discover the geography of the appellation. Tuk-tuk tour in the vineyards, cultural events (Ciné à Couvent, Couvent Comedy Club) complete the very wide offer of visits and tastings. We like the old vintages offered for sale by the property, which allow us to familiarize ourselves with the aging potential of these great terroir wines. Webpage : https://www.couvent-jacobins-saint-emilion.com/en/
How about sand, beach, and grape variety. The rhyme is not perfect but the association works. Not only at the time of Summer sunset aperitifs but also in the vineyards. Proof of this is (wine) history: the Phylloxera epidemic, which ravaged European vineyards at the end of the 19C, spared the vines planted in the sand. But the proof is also in the glass with wines renowned for their finesse and their lightness , The year 1875.while the South is in the midst of a phylloxera crisis, the resistant vines are all located on sandy soils whose consistency seems to asphyxiate the parasitic insect of American origin. that of the American rootstock, will finally make it possible to reconstitute the vineyard, from France and elsewhere. And to come back to the sand, the rare free-standing and non-grafted vineyards that still exist today are on sandy soils. There is sand and sand. Marine, Rhone, wind, the establishment of the root system is easy there, and despite the relative poverty of these soils, the vine can draw compounds from shallow depths. In addition, the sand remains cool, which will give the wines interesting organoleptic properties and first and foremost freshness and elegance, with fine tannins and aromas. The signature of sand wines… Between Pont d’Avignon and Pont du Gard, the Tavel appellation has long claimed its status as France’s premier rosé. And for good reason, it is the first appellation exclusively dedicated, since 1936, to rosé wine, while the neighboring appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape obtained red and white wines. These are rosés with a deep color and a long maceration time. Although the appellation has 3 terroirs, the historic terroir around the village of Tavel is made up of coarse sand dating from the Pliocene, where wine was already produced in Roman times. If the vines are not planted there, they give on this poor and very filtering soil, elegant Tavel wines characterized by their finesse and their freshness and less structured and less colored than those coming from the terroirs of slate and pebbles. A couple of historical favorites are : Château de Trinquevedel, 32 hectares and 4th generation, thus offers its Cuvée Traditionnelle, 60% Grenache on Astian sands, which blends small red fruits, blood orange and spices even more complexity and depth. The Château d’Aqueria, since 1595 and now owned by the Guigal family, offers a ruby-colored Tavel between raspberry, pomegranate and spices, Also, for a new change of pace the cooperative cellar Les Vignerons de Tavel & Lirac produces a Trésor des Sables (8 grape varieties), ample and harmonious,
And there is other, straddling 3 departments (Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Hérault) and 2 regions, the IGP Vins Sable de Camargue has Aigues-Mortes as its epicenter and fine sand as its terroir of choice. Since 1850, the vines have clung to this coastal strip which has not experienced the crisis (phylloxera) and which still has (and plants) a few francs of vines. They produce a very pale rosé wine, a “grey” blend of Grenache, Merlot, Cinsault, Carignan vinified like whites with this little iodized and saline supplement inherited from the sand of the seaside. Wines to taste on the beach, aperitif to dessert, with these landscapes of marshes, vineyards and pine forests mixed in the background. Pines, vines, sand, ferns, Do taste, the Domaine de la Pointe, on the Landes coast, is in a renaissance. Bought in 2018 by the Laudet family, located in Bas-Armagnac Landes with Domaine Laballe, this unique vineyard is the last witness of the Capbreton vineyard. Adjoining the ocean, it is anchored on the dune and on oceanic sand which will promote vertical rooting and mark the wines with a typicality all in lightness and finesse. Two cuvées are offered: a Pieds dans le Sable cuvée, the white of which combines Gros Manseng, Chenin and Sauvignon or Baroque (a grape variety brought back by the pilgrims from Compostela) born on oceanic sands and tawny sands. Le Clos des Dunes expresses the quintessence of this terroir under the spray. The white, 100% Chenin, with malolactic fermentation, offers a beautiful aromatic and taste palette, pear, quince, toasted, and always this salty and iodized side which surprises and adds complexity. A complexity that combines with the simplicity of the reception at the estate, and makes the experience – visit of the 3.5 hectares in production, aperitif at the estate or ephemeral table , totally atypical and convivial. It’s the vine at the beach !!!
Under the wings of American director Georges Lucas and his company Skywalker Vineyards, Château Margüi and its rosé enjoy the notoriety of a Hollywood star. While the American director and producer George Lucas inaugurated a sumptuous hotel residence in Châteauvert, in the Var, in the spring, for weekly rental from 145,000€ !!, a straw, when we know that the acquisition was raised to some 9.5 million euros !! The Château’s rosé was already flooding the most chic terraces of the Côte d’Azur. Under an Indian summer dress, aromas of blood orange and small wild strawberries, then, in the mouth, the freshness of living of a famous chewing-gum advertisement, delicious rolls of white peach heated by the midday rays , and a sweet finish like the tranquility of duty accomplished. Webpage : https://www.chateaumargui.com/en/
There you go folks, another wine episode of my belle France! The wines news from France that is, superbe, sublime, wonderful, gorgeous, enjoy without moderation but accompanying a meal, family table just perfect. We are in Summer, see you in the vineyards of my belle France
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 