Diversen Frankrijk

Zonde van de Helium, dat spul hebben we niet zo veel meer van.
En biologisch afbreekbare ballonnen?
Maar een grote hagelbui is toch niet echt te voorspellen?
Komen ze op hun dooie gemakkie aangelopen en dan is één ballonnetje genoeg?

Wijnbouw in kassen, met sterk draadglas, en alles netjes onder controle is misschien toch een betere oplossing?

Beetje zout bij die Champagne stokken, die al decennia in het huisvuil staan?
Maakt geen fluit uit. ><

Wijnbouw in kassen, met sterk draadglas, en alles netjes onder controle is misschien toch een betere oplossing?

Robèrt, dit is in Frankrijk onmogelijk binnen de regels van de AOP.

Dat weet ik maar als de Franse wijnbouw, de nationale trots toch, in gevaar komt dan moet men misschien eens anders gaan denken.
Star volhouden bij het oude tot het schip gezonken is helpt uiteindelijk niemand.

Robèrt, deze discussie hebben we al eens gehad. Nogmaals. Kun je je voorstellen dat alle wijndruiven onder glas staan? Ik zou daar niet tussen op vakantie willen gaan.
Trouwens typisch Frans: niemand hoeft voor ze te denken dat doen ze zelf wel. Ook in andere wijnlanden zullen nooit onder glas wijndruiven geteeld worden.

Zeg nooit nooit. Ondertussen hebben wij aardbeien, kersen, rode bessen, bramen, pruimen, perziken, citroenen, sinaasappelen, appelen, peren, asperges en waarschijnlijk nog wat meer naar de kas gehaald. En wat te denken van de bloemen? Voor een jaar of veertig ondenkbaar. Nu ben je gek wanneer je niet onder glas teelt.

De moeilijkheid zit in de meerjarigheid van de plant. telen zoals bij citroenbomen in kuipen zie ik dit bij druiven niet zo snel gebeuren. Maar olijfbomen staan nu ook in kuipen. Het kan dus wel.

Wat ik een aantal keren heb gehoord is dat men dan gebruik maakt van een afgeschreven kas. Dan is het niet zo'n probleem bij het wortelen van de plant. Een tweede probleem is de oogst van het zuidelijk halfrond. Die is doorgaans in februari op de markt. De koude grond kersen alhier zijn er in mei. En de rest van de bovengenoemde producten komen daarna. Dat zit te dicht op elkaar. Goed de kasasperges zijn er tegenwoordig vroeg bij. Maar wanneer de koude grond komt zijn ze te duur. Aardbeien worden nu jaarrond in de kas geteeld. Met de Kerst Westlandse aardbeien is normaal. Dat gaat goed. De kasaardbeien hebben een voordeel op de koude grond. Koude grond is zanderig terwijl in de kas gebruik wordt gemaakt van hangcultuur en op ooghoogte. Beter voor je rug.

Druiven? Ik weet het niet. Maar wanneer ieder jaar de oogst naar de gallemieze is dan gaat het roer om. Zo zeker als twee maal twee vier is. Frankrijk zal lang tegen sputteren. Wanneer de hele wereld om is denken ze toch eerder aan een vorm van subsidie ipv telen onder glas.

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Mondiaal wordt er niet stilgezeten.

[www.lepoint.fr]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

John, als je via de autoroute du soleil naar het zuiden bent gereden heb je ze wellicht wel eens gezien: Fruitbomen waarover netten gespannen zijn tegen de hagel. Waarom dan kassen?
Het probleem blijft in Frankrijk de druiven. Netten over de wijngaarden veranderen het microklimaat en dus ook de wijn (zie Le Point). Heb je je wijngaarden beschermd tegen hagel (nogal een investering) betaalt de consument de hogere prijs niet voor de wijn die niet meer is wat hij was.

Het gebruik van netten is haast gemeengoed. Niemand kijkt er vreemd van op. Verandering van microklimaat is wel een punt. Maar of wij een smaak verandering over jaren kunnen proeven is iets anders. Die verandering in microklimaat gaat ook niet van de ene dag op de andere.

Investeringen in glas zijn kostbaar. Hier in het Westland hielden wij het ook niet voor mogelijk dat er tuinders zouden komen met 40 Ha of meer. Maar ondertussen zijn ze er.

De kassen zijn tegenwoordig hoger dan 10 meter. En met een eerste verdieping er op ook al. Er worden zware machines bij de dagelijkse werkzaamhen en oogst ingezet. Er is nauwelijks verschil met de koude grond teelt. Goed, de koude teelt heeft de glasinvestering niet en is dus goedkoper. Maar die inhaalslag wordt nu gemaakt. Moeder natuur helpt een handje.

Onder glas heb je veel, heel veel in de hand. Bijvoorbeeld, het toepassen van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen in de juiste dosering. Alle ongewenste invloeden van buitenaf kan je voorkomen. Maar het belangrijkste is natuurlijk 2x oogsten per jaar. Ik zie het nog niet 1,2,3 gebeuren. Zeker niet in Frankrijk. Maar wanneer je jaar over jaar je werkzaamheden, en daarmee je inkomen, naar de knoppen ziet gaan ga je er waarschijnlijk anders over denken. Zeg dus nooit nooit.

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Gelezen in La Revue du Vin de France van november 2017.

Fabien Duperray, wijnboer in de Beaujolais. Het heeft hier altijd gehageld maar tegenwoordig wel erg vaak. Niet iedereen zal dat overleven. Ik ga hagelkanonnen kopen. Maar hij heeft al jaren een strategie om de verliezen te boven te komen. Ik heb een kelder en ik verkoop niet alles in een keer. Op dit moment heb ik 90.000 flessen in voorraad. Hiervan ga ik een deel verkopen om 2017 te boven te komen.

Flessen in voorraad houden en wachten op betere tijden klinkt slim.
Maar dat moet je wel kunnen natuurlijk.
Ooit is de koek op of de bewaarde wijn niet meer te verkopen en wat dan?
Dit zijn waarschijnlijk problemen voor een ieder werkzaam in de landbouw?

"Flessen in voorraad houden en wachten op betere tijden klinkt slim.

Nee Robèrt, flessen in goede tijden in voorraad houden om te verkopen in slechte tijden is een soort inkomensverzekering.

Klopt

Why is it Château in Bordeaux and Domaine in Burgundy?
BY IDEALWINE 12 JUIN 2018
There are 10,000 of them in the Gironde, yet the term “château” only became widespread quite recently, in the 19th century. Why do we use this word in Bordeaux but not in Burgundy? History has played a part, but the answer also lies in the fundamentally different way these two types of French wine estates operate.
Châteaux – a recent Bordeaux phenomenon…
In Bordeaux, the concept of the “château” goes beyond the architectural structure to refer to the wine produced from the château’s vineyards. However, this designation only became predominant from 1860 onwards, many years after the French Revolution. Before 1850, the famous Féret Wine Guide only listed a few estates claiming to be châteaux. In 1850 this figure exceeded 500, in 1885 it had reached 1,000 and in 1914 it stood at 2,000. (Source: Philippe Roudié).
16th century
Before the French Revolution, Lords, the only landowners, kept the best plots to themselves. This explains why some Bordeaux vineyards also have magnificent châteaux and why the vines in the surrounding area are so renowned. So why was the word “château” so late to become popular? Before the 19th century, wines were sold by merchants, unbottled. The origin of the grapes was only specified for the finest wines. In the 16th century, Château Haut Brion, for example, was known as « Monsieur de Pontac’s Wine ».
In the 19th and 20th centuries, there was a significant change, and the balance of power between the wine estates and the merchants shifted. First came the Wine Classification of 1855, which established the reputation of 61 estates in the Médoc and Graves and 28 wines from Sauternes and Barsac. Then, in 1924, producers such as Mouton-Rothschild began to bottle wines on their estates. In the time in between, relative economic prosperity in France enabled producers to overcome the phylloxera crisis and spend money on their wine estates. It seems therefore that in spite of the French Revolution, the reputation of wines from the estates of former aristocrats lives on.
In 1857, France introduced its first trademark law. This stipulated that a distinctive feature (such as a “château”, “abbaye”, “clos” or “mas”) should be added to the wine estate’s traditional name. The commercial success of wines mentioning “château” prompted all estates in the Médoc to adopt the word. Some invented special names. Others took the names of their owners, their localities, or combined the two, as in Lafite-Rothschild.
Success did not stop there. Many other wine estates adopted the word “château”; first in the South West, then in the Loire and in the Rhône. But not in Burgundy!
“Climat” rather than “château”
So why did the term “château” not take hold in Burgundy? Châteaux only accept grapes from the estate where they are grown. And whereas Bordeaux châteaux only produce from one identical appellation area, a Burgundy “domaine” produces wine from lots of vineyard plots scattered around different villages in the area. The Burgundy-specific concepts of “terroir” and “climat” contradict the geographical unity underpinning the concept of the château.
The Burgundy-distinctive “climats” were granted UNESCO world heritage status in 2015. The concept of climat is tied up in the combination of a plot of land, exposure to the sun, soil type and human input. Records of the very first climat, Clos de Bèze, in Gevrey-Chambertin, date back to 640 A.D. There are nearly 1,500 climats in the whole Burgundy winegrowing area with most of them belonging to the the Côte d’Or region. Even when a Burgundy domaine has a monopoly on a climat (La Tâche and Romanée-Conti are part of the same eponymous domaine) it will often produce wine from a myriad of other appellation areas (Montrachet and Corton for Domaine Romanée-Conti most notably).
Climats began to be classified as premiers crus and grands crus during the Second World War. The occupying forces could requisition wines freely, with the exception of premiers crus and grands crus, for which they had to pay a steep price. In the Free Zone, there was no urgency to classify wines so producers decided to wait until the end of the war. Even today, vineyards in the Mâconnais (south of the Demarcation Line) are still waiting to be classified (source Revue de Vins de France).
Today, wine lovers will seek out a specific climat and wines from a producer they like within that climat. Some large-scale Burgundy wine producers, such as Louis Jadot, Bouchard and Joseph Drouhin market wines from almost all of Burgundy’s wine villages. They also supplement their winegrowing activities with a distribution business, which is far removed from the concept of the château.
There are some châteaux in Burgundy, for example Château de la Tour, Château de Chamirey and Château de Meursault. However, the term remains the exception. Indeed, one of Burgundy’s most famous residences, the Château de Vougeot, no longer produces wine.
Wine Châteaux and the Law
Wine châteaux have sprung up everywhere, to the point that the name has been trivialised. Even in Bordeaux, there can be as many châteaux on an estate as there are wines! Producers in countries such as Spain and the USA have also tried to add the word « Château » to their bottles. France has taken an inflexible approach to this and throughout the 20th Century, its laws tried to shape the meaning of the word. Current law sets three conditions: the wine concerned must have a Protected Designation of Origin; the grapes must be harvested from a plot belonging to a vineyard with a “chai”, or wine store; and finally, the wine must be produced on the estate.
Due to the influence of some brands, case law has established that there does not need to be anything “remarkable” about a “chai” to use the term “château”. And as always in the world of wine, there are plenty of exceptions. Petrus, the most sought-after wine in Bordeaux, has never used the word “château” (there is no château in fact). In the Rhône, Emmanuel Reynaud produces Côtes du Rhône under the name Château des Tours and IGP e Vaucluse under the name Domaine des Tours . And, if you ever visit Château Rayas, don’t try and find the château, because there isn’t one!

Bestel maar alvast een lokale taxi daar in het Franse Bordeaux, want hier wil je als wijnliefhebber gegarandeerd heen. Bij 'La Cité Du Vin' vind je namelijk een breed scala aan Sauvignons, Merlots en Pinot noirs, waarvan je maar al te graag een glaasje naar achter tikt.

[www.msn.com]ét-wijnpretpark-van-frankrijk/ar-AAx4Pwk?ocid=spartandhp

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Ik vraag mij af of dit ooit zal worden gedronken!!!

Napoleon was net droog achter de oren.

[www.theguardian.com]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Franse wijnmakersfamilie veilt laatste flessen uit 1774: "Oudste wijn ter wereld"

[www.demorgen.be]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Vin et politique : le gouvernement met de l’eau dans son vin
PAR IDEALWINE 12 AVRIL 2018
Lundi 26 mars, le Premier ministre, Édouard Philippe, et la ministre de la Santé et des Solidarités, Agnès Buzyn, ont présenté «25 mesures phares» de la politique de prévention à l’issue d’un comité interministériel. En ce qui concerne le vin, statut quo, mise à part le grossissement du logo femmes enceintes.
Les 25 mesures annoncées par le gouvernement ont pour but d’incarner «la révolution de la prévention annoncée par le président de la République», a affirmé Agnès Buzyn. Concernant plus spécifiquement le vin, la principale nouvelle mesure de prévention est l’augmentation de la taille du pictogramme pour les femmes enceintes. Pour le reste, Agnès Buzyn n’est finalement pas favorable à un durcissement des messages de santé publique contre l’alcool et le vin.
Pourtant, souvenez-vous, le discours avait dans un premier temps été bien plus offensif à l’encontre du vin. La ministre, ancienne présidente de l’INCa (Institut national du cancer) avait en effet affiché des positions fermes sur le sujet. Au mois de février, elle avait affirmé sur France 2 à propos du message de prévention figurant sur les bouteilles « Avec modération […] c’est un mauvais mot ; « l’alcool est mauvais pour la santé » serait le vrai message de santé publique ».
Rappelons qu’après plusieurs interventions de ce type, stigmatisant le vin, le président de la République était intervenu au Salon de l’agriculture pour clamer son amour pour le vin, affirmant « Moi, je bois du vin le midi et le soir » ; il s’était même personnellement engagé au statut quo de la loi Evin : « Il y a un fléau de santé publique quand la jeunesse se saoule à vitesse accélérée avec des alcools forts ou de la bière, mais ce n’est pas avec le vin […] Tant que je serai Président, il n’y aura pas d’amendement pour durcir la loi Evin« .
Déjà, dimanche 25 mars, la ministre affichait des positions plus modérées lorsqu’elle avait déclaré, sur un ton pour le coup assez direct, à l’antenne de France Inter « Le Président a raison quand il dit qu’il ne faut pas emmerder les Français. Les Français n’ont pas besoin d’être emmerdés, mais faire de la pédagogie et de l’information, çà n’emmerde personne et c’est ma façon de faire de la santé publique ». Avec la présentation de ces 25 mesures phares, Agnès Buzyn semblent encore avoir mis de l’eau dans son vin, ce qui nous semble bien plus sage !
La ministre n’a pas cédé face au lobby anti-alcool et anti-vin
En réponse à ces « 25 mesures phares » sereines et modérées, un groupe de médecins a également publié un communiqué demandant au gouvernement de durcir drastiquement la prévention à l’encontre de l’alcool, dont le vin. Ils souhaitaient par exemple que la formule « l’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé » soit remplacée par « l’alcool nuit à la santé ». Ce à quoi la ministre a rétorqué que cette formule « peut laisser penser qu’on est pour une action de prohibition, c’est à dire qu’on ne veut pas d’alcool du tout, or ce n’est pas le cas aujourd’hui« . Agnès Buzyn a également ajouté que « C’est une recommandation du Haut conseil de santé publique […] je pense qu’il faut informer les Français sur le fait que l’alcool nuit à la santé de manière proportionnelle à la dose et que chacun doit être en capacité de choisir [ndlr sa consommation d’alcool]. La ministre s’est défendue d’un quelconque infléchissement de sa ligne politique, expliquant qu’ « Il y a un lobby mais ma bataille n’est pas de lutter contre les lobbies, elle est de faire de l’information et je maintiendrai les messages de santé publique que j’ai toujours donnés sur la nocivité proportionnelle »
Si certains médecins ont jugé ces mesures insuffisantes (« cosmétiques »), chez iDealwine nous saluons cette décision de bon sens, qui vise à accentuer la prévention, notamment auprès des femmes enceintes, sans pour autant diaboliser le vin, produit historique et culturel en France. En effet la tendance actuelle qui visait à réduire le vin à une simple boisson alcoolisée nous consternait… Alors qu’il y a temps à dire et à découvrir autour de cette boisson presque aussi ancienne que l’humanité ! C’est d’ailleurs ce que nous nous efforçons de faire chaque jour, au travers de notre Blog notamment : partager avec vous nos découvertes et ce faisant initier les amateurs à la dégustation, à l’œnologie, à l’exploration de nos belles régions viticoles… Tout en gardant toujours en tête l’impératif de modération.

Gezond verstand, niet meer maar ook niet minder.

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Trek u van de prijzen niets aan. Amerika is duur. Hier gelden andere prijzen. En Frankrijk ligt om de hoek. De vakantie komt er aan. Doe er uw voordeel meel.

Wat te denken van de hier genoemde Bandol? Wereldwijn.

[www.bloomberg.com]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Bandol is top en deze twee zeker!

Rijdend op de andere oever heb ik het zien liggen. Staat nog op mijn lijstje. Helaas, dit jaar zelfs niet in de buurt.

[www.bustle.com]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Als je er in de buurt bent moet je er inderdaad kijken.

Understanding Sulphites in WineBY IDEALWINE 25 JANUARY 2018

The debate surrounding the use of sulphites (or sulphur) only came out about 15 or so years ago yet, in this time, it has become increasingly heated and is now a bone of contention for wine lovers and wine critics alike. Vilified by some and fiercely defended by others, this old preservative has come under great scrutiny. But what are we to think?
Look at the label on most bottles of wine and you’ll see those famous words: “contains sulphites”. Today, by law, all wines with more than 10mg/l sulphites must state that they contain them. Sulphites, sulphur, SO2 and sulphur dioxide all refer to the same preservative and there are strict laws in place in Europe specifying the limits that these doses must not exceed:
•150mg/l in red wine
•185mg/l in sparkling wine
•200mg/l in white wine and rosé
Yet, even without the addition of sulphites, all wines contain traces of it: sulphur is a natural by-product of vinification (hence why labels on natural wines specify that there are no added sulphites).

Why do we use sulphites?
Sulphur dioxide is the most widely used chemical additive in wine production and also one of the most controversial due to how it affects the taste of the wine and also our health. Sulphur dioxide is an antioxidant that slows down the oxidisation process and is also an antimicrobial. Winemakers use it to inhibit or kill undesirable yeasts and bacteria and to prevent oxidisation. Sulphites can be added at various stages throughout vinification or can occur naturally during fermentation. Note that the powdery yellow sulphur you often see sprayed onto vines to keep powdery mildew at bay has nothing to do with sulphur dioxide and is accepted under organic growing methods.
Sulphur has been present in winemaking for centuries. The first mention of its use was in 1487 when German law decreed that winegrowers could burn sulphured wood chips in barrels destined to conserve wine. This effective method of disinfection, called méchage, is still common practice today (with the use of powdered sulphur rather than woodchips) although winemakers generally tend to favour the steam cleaning method.
Sulphites are used, above all in winemaking, to control fermentation and keep them stable during the bottling process. There are four crucial stages in wine production where sulphur is widely used.
During harvest: Sodium metabisulphite is often used to inhibit wild yeasts as well as prevent oxidisation and premature fermentation. It is mainly used here as method of disinfection to stop burst grapes from turning bad and, therefore, is totally unnecessary if the grapes are picked carefully and in small batches so as to not to get squashed under their own weight.
During pressing: Sulphur can be added here to stop fermentation from wild yeasts so that the winemaker can choose which yeasts they wish fermentation to happen under: so that the wine can ferment under specially selected yeasts.
During fermentation: Sulphur can be added at any stage of fermentation although winemakers often add it towards the end so as to prevent malolactic fermentation (the transformation of tart tasting malic into softer tasting lactic acid), mainly in red wines.
During bottling: To prevent the wine oxidising in the bottle winemakers often add sulphur in the bottling process.
These are considered the ‘classic’ methods used by those who want to eliminate as many risks as possible in the winemaking process.
Why is the use of sulphites criticised?
Any serious and passionate winemaker knows that if they want to make a commercially successful wine that is a true expression of its terroir then they must try and avoid adding sulphites where possible. This is for a couple of important reasons. Firstly, some people react badly to sulphur; it can be the cause of (often very nasty) headaches, wheezing and flushing. Secondly, sulphites can affect the taste of the wine and often weaken aromatic expression (it has a distinct toasty, struck match aroma when used excessively).
Is the addition of sulphites necessary?
As discussed, sulphites are widely used in certain instances, but whether they are totally necessary is another matter. In reality, a well-managed vineyard that is allowed to ‘fend for itself’ will produce healthy grapes without the need for chemical products. The same can be said for the use of sulphites in a well-kept chai: using sulphur as a disinfectant is unnecessary, except for perhaps a small amount during the racking process to avoid any risk of oxidisation. Finally, to ensure that the wine keeps well once in the bottle, small doses of sulphites can be added during the bottling process.
Interestingly, red wines don’t ‘need’ as many sulphites added to them as white wines because of the natural antioxidants present in the grape skins and tannins. White wine, not having any contact with the grape skins, does not have this same benefit. Note that the use of a small amount of carbonated gas can be used just as effectively to prevent oxidisation. Sweet white wines, on the other hand, that are high in sugar, need a large dose of sulphur to prevent them from continuing to ferment.
Conclusion: sulphites, yes, but in small doses! Sulphur, in very weak doses, is a friend to wine. It prevents oxidisation and stops the wine from turning into vinegar (a problem that some diehard zero-sulphur winemakers experience from time to time). It also helps to conserve wine destined for far away destinations. When used in excess (around more than 40g for a red and 60g for a dry white), it is harmful to a wine’s flavour profile, not to mention to those who are allergic to sulphur.
Unfortunately, many winemakers overdo it on the sulphur unnecessarily but, overall, we are heading in the right direction as sulphur levels in wine have decreased in recent years.

The 2016 vintage in France (part 2)
BY IDEALWINE 7 FEBRUARY 2018

Bordeaux
Left bank reds: 19/20
Right bank reds: 17/20
Dry whites: 16/20
Sweet whites: 16/20
2016 was a vintage of contrasts in Bordeaux. Many different climatic conditions came together to make this vintage all in all quite difficult. The weather in the first part of the year was (too) humid and the region saw 850mm of rainfall during this period, a stark contrast to the 400mm that fell in the same period in 2015. As a result, powdery mildew plagued many vineyards during the spring. Luckily, like most other regions in France, the summer drought in June helped to chase off the disease but this drought nonetheless outstayed its welcome and nearly three months without a drop of rain caused water stress in many vines. Cool nights were Bordeaux’s saving grace and allowed the grapes to mature slowly (which is always the best way for grapes to mature). Another blessing came in the form of some moderate rainfall on the 13th and 30th September which helped revitalise the somewhat tired vines after a long, hot summer. These wines will therefore mature slowly and develop great depth which suits the local grape varieties perfectly. Despite the far from ideal weather, 2016 will certainly go down as an exceptional vintage, particularly for the Cabernet Sauvignon led wines from the left bank. 2015, a powerful and sunny vintage, is a tough act to follow but 2016 has stepped up to the occasion, displaying balanced wines that are more elegant and fresh in style than their 2015 counterparts. The 2015/2016 vintages are reminiscent of the famous 2009/2010 pairing.
The left bank appellations (Médoc and Graves) have come out on top this year, with excellent wines coming out from big name and small name domains alike. The best Crus Bourgeois will prove a sound investment for the savvy collector. Right bank Merlots are also very good but with a higher ABV the balance will be ever so slightly compromised compared to the left bank reds. Wines form the Côte de Bordeaux and the Fronsac appellations will also be very good. The particularly savvy buyers will want to consider some of the more ‘generic’ Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur bottles that have come out of this vintage as there are many superb everyday wines to be had at good prices.
Overall the whites have also done well and show good depth and ripe aromas (even a little exotic at times). The 2016 vintage won’t be a particularly memorable one for Sauternes: with not quite enough noble rot developing on the grapes the wines are lacking some power. Nonetheless, there are many delicious, albeit more delicate, white wines to be found in this vintage: they should be drunk young and enjoyed for their fruit.

The Languedoc
Reds: 16/20
Whites: 14/20
You guessed it, 2016 also proved to be complicated in the Languedoc. A cool and humid spring encouraged disease and a horribly dry summer prevented the grapes from maturing well. Unfortunately, the Languedoc really drew the short straw as it also suffered badly from water deficit in the winter of 2015/2016. Terroirs that were fortunate enough to be situated at higher altitudes survived best as they managed to escape the drought and the heat. Generally speaking, 2016 was kindest to those appellations situated farthest from the sea, such as Pic Saint-Loup and Terrasses du Larzac, with some even having a better year than 2015. Wines made from old Carignan vines did well in 2016 as this grape variety tends to handle drought well. Be warned though, the Languedoc will certainly produce some harsh wines this year with under ripe tannins (due to water stress). The higher altitude vineyards where the grapes have managed to reach optimum maturity are a safer bet and will deliver fresher tasting wines. As is often the case in difficult vintages, the more established and trusted winemakers have come out of this troublesome 2016 the least scathed.

Roussillon
Reds: 15/20
Whites: 16/20
Like the neighbouring Languedoc, Roussillon also witnessed a severe drought that had its repercussions: the region was plagued with low yields and grapes often struggled to reach good maturity. The resulting grapes were often small, thick skinned and excessively concentrated and produced less than fresh wines. Strangely, the whites have come out on top and are dense and powerful but with good structure that will profit from some years in the cellar. Once again, in such a difficult year it would be wise to stick to the most trusted producers whose experience and savoir faire will have certainly helped them navigate this tricky vintage.

Provence/Corsica
Reds: 16/20
Whites: 15/20
2016 in Provence will be marked by the unprecedented drought that gripped the region. While the climate here is generally quite dry, 2016 saw record breaking water shortages. White wines (not that this region produces very many) and rosés were particularly affected, especially those made from younger vines whose roots could not bury deep enough into the soil. 2016 was therefore a somewhat dismal year that brought with it water stress and badly matured grapes.
As for the reds, wines made from (the often old) Mourvèdre and Grenache vines fared better than the whites, especially in Bandol (the only area in the region that produces an important amount of red). The reds from Bandol will be fresh with some acidity and good concentration but will not keep as long as they would in other vintages.
Corsica managed to escape the worst of 2016’s excessive weather and, on the whole, the reds, whites and rosés are of a good quality and fairly consistent throughout the appellations. The wines here are generally well-balanced and somewhat fresher and more delicate than their 2015 counterparts. This is especially noticeable in the reds and you would do well to drink these young.

The Northern Rhône Valley
Reds: 17/20
Whites: 18/20
The northern Rhône valley received its fair share of bad weather in 2016. Once again, a cold and humid spring, a hot and dry summer and a good spell of pre-harvest weather was the order of events here. Luckily for the northern Rhône however the climatic misfortunes weren’t too excessive and, all in all, 2016 was a very good vintage. The reds were lighter and fresher in style than 2015 while the whites were of a noticeably higher quality this year, especially in Saint-Joseph and Saint-Peray. Although the reds are not as consistently good as the 2015 offering, there are nonetheless some very good wines to be had from some of the finest terroirs in the Côte-Rôtie. Hermitage has also produced some beautifully concentrated reds and Saint-Joseph boasts wines with beautifully balanced maturity and freshness. Crozes-Hermitage, as usual, offers the most consistency. Be sure to stock up with some of the bigger name producers as they are certain to be excellent.

The Southern Rhône Valley
Reds: 18/20
Whites: 16/20
After an outstanding 2015, 2016 follows suit in the southern Rhône valley but in an altogether different style: the wines are less sunny but show elegance and a delicate maturity with quite remarkable tannins. Much like the left bank Bordeaux, many critics think that the 2016 offering in the southern Rhône is one up on the already excellent 2015 vintage. Châteauneuf-du-Pape in particular has succeeded in developing grapes to a good maturity that has produced fresh reds with plenty of depth and finesse. These beautifully balanced wines will age well. Gigondas is another appellation outside of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that has done well out of 2016 but good wines have also come out of Ventoux, Vacqueyras, Cairanne and, particularly this year, Beaumes-de-Venise.
In general, the whites of the southern Rhône don’t live up to the reds this year. However, whites from Châteauneuf-du-Pape are the exception to the rule and have had a hugely successful year. Grapes here reached good maturity which has given the many different and interesting white grape varieties a chance to step out from behind the shadow of the big-name reds that dominate this wine region.

The 2016 vintage in France
It’s here! The long awaited 2016 vintage is starting to appear on the shelves and, apart from having to endure a few freaks of nature, it was another good year in keeping with the excellent 2015
This week we are focusing on how the northern French regions fared from Alsace, Jura, Savoy and Burgundy to Beaujolais, Champagne and the Loire Valley.
Alsace
Dry whites: 16/20
Sweet wines: 14/20
Reds: 15/20
2016 will go down in history as an as unusual year, particularly concerning the staggering of the harvest from mid-September until the beginning of November in most Alsatian vineyards. This made it one of the longest harvesting campaigns of recent years and certain producers delayed picking until, wait for it, January 2017 so as to try and produce some late harvest wine in a less than ideal year.
After a very humid Spring and a hot start to the Summer, the drought during August meant that some winemakers suffered water stress which affected grape ripeness, particularly in Rieslings. However, thanks to an Indian summer during crucial periods the overall health and condition of the grapes were good. Throughout most of Alsace, it is without doubt the Pinot Gris that has had the most success, producing rich, well balanced wines with good structure and acidity. The other Pinots (Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc) come in just below the Pinot Gris but are nonetheless of a good standard, as are the wines made from Sylvaner. The Muscats are also of a good standard with crisp fruit flavours but sometimes lack a bit of body. The Gewurtztraminers are perhaps a bit more unremarkable this year and lack some acidity. For once, it is the Rieslings that have suffered the most from under ripeness and it is the domains producing organic wines have come out of this the best. Some other interesting points to note from Alsace are that the crémants made from Pinot Blanc will be of a very good standard this year while late harvest wines won’t be so great, with many domains deciding not to produce a 2016 cuvée. If they do it will not have much aromatic intensity.
Jura/Savoy
Reds: 16/20
Whites: 17/20
The frost may have spared the Jura in 2016 but the rain did not. Huge amounts of rain fell between April and June that put a dark cloud over this vintage. It caused an outbreak of powdery mildew that led to the loss of about 25% of the total crop. Looking on the bright side, this rain helped the vines survive the summer drought and the small yield (caused by the powdery mildew) produced grapes with good concentration and, by the end of the summer, there were plenty of healthy grapes to be picked. The Chardonnays and the Savignins are more delicate this year and have a lower ABV than the 2015 vintage while the reds are overall quite soft.
The Savoy region also received a lot of rainfall at the end of spring that saw an outbreak of powdery mildew. Similarly to the Jura, however, the dry summer helped them reclaim some grapes. The 2016 vintage is rather mixed and, as is always the case in difficult vintages, the best terroirs had the most success. The Mondeuses from Arbin and Saint-Jean-de-Laporte are well balanced wines. Wines from the Roussette de Savoie (made from the Altesse grape variety) are, overall, not as full-bodied as usual (the same can be said for the wines from Chignin-Bergeron). The best Jacquère cuvées are from terroirs in Chignin, Apremont and Abymes terroirs but also in areas suchs as Saint-Jean-de-Laporte. These are excellent and have a style that is both fresh and ripe.
Burgundy
Reds: 17/20
Whites: 15/20
Like many other regions in France, adverse weather caused chaos in Burgundy and saw winemakers having to battle with all sorts of problems. The frost at the end of April was Burgundy’s biggest undoing and, from Chablis to Côte de Beaune, a lot vines were destroyed. In just one night Burgundy lost 30% of its total crop. The rest of the year wasn’t plain sailing either. A very humid spring saw powdery mildew thrive while a hot summer meant that in many areas vines suffered water stress. Some welcome rain in September meant that this wasn’t too disastrous and sunny days and cool nights helped the grapes reach a good ripeness in time for the vendange. Paradoxically, these difficulties meant that the small amount of grapes that were produced were very healthy with thick skins. The difficult weather conditions throughout 2016 may have caused Burgundian winemakers many sleepless nights but, in the end, it proved to be a good, albeit very small, vintage (particularly for reds).
Starting with the reds, Côte de Nuits had a very good year and wines were generally superior in the southern appellations such as Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Romanée. The Côte de Beaune also produced some good wines with delicious, crisp fruit flavours. They are more delicate in style than the year before and therefore should be drunk a bit younger.
As for the whites, Chablis will be hard to come by due to the frost but of excellent quality thanks to the grapes achieving a good ripeness over summer. The Grands Crus that managed to escape the frost are also of a very good quality. Whites from the Côte de Beaune haven’t been quite so successful and have suffered because of the very dry summer: Meursault, Puligny and Chassagne, in particular, have been affected. Of course, the best producers have managed a good vintage despite the dramatic weather but it’s worth trying before you buy with some of the lesser known producers. The Mâconnais is without doubt the appellation that has produced the best wines in this complicated vintage, especially those from Pouilly-Fuissé.
Beaujolais
Reds: 15/20
It is difficult to pass a sweeping judgement on Beaujolais’ offerings as 2016 proved to be a contrasting year in this region. For many appellations, not least Fleurie, Morgon and Chiroubles, this vintage will be marked by the hailstorms of the 27th May and the 24th June that wreaked havoc in the vineyard. Some domains (particularly in Fleurie) lost 50% to 90% of their crop. In other parts of the region, however, winemakers celebrated one of the most abundant harvests in recent years. August saw plenty of sunshine, as did the first 15 days of September which provided healthy conditions for harvest. However, producers who left too many bunches on the vine came unstuck as grapes did not achieve satisfactory ripeness.
The small amount of wine that places ravaged by hail have managed to produce is of good quality, the surviving grapes being very concentrated and of optimal ripeness. Winemakers with large yields have perhaps been a bit too lax as their offerings prove to be somewhat diluted and without great character.
Morgon is, without doubt, the most qualitative cru in the region, both in terms of the quality of its terroirs and the number of important winemakers currently at their peak here. It’s safe to say that their 2016 contribution is wonderful: more delicate and also more ‘classic’ in style than the very rich wines of 2015, they will age gracefully.
Thanks to their sunlight favouring aspects, Brouilly, and Côte de Brouilly especially, are another two appellations that have seen success with the 2016 vintage. The grapes here were consistently of an optimal ripeness and produced more elegant wines than their 2015 counterparts, with brilliant fruit flavours.
As for the other appellations it would be wise to exercise caution and try before you buy particularly with blends and wines from regions affected by hail.
Champagne
Blanc de Noirs: 16/20
Blancs de blancs: 17/20
Sweet wines: 16/20
It’s worth remembering that it’s always more difficult to establish the success of recent vintages in Champagne since they generally don’t appear on the market until a few years after the vendange. All we can do for now is give a provisional roundup of 2016 based on climatic conditions throughout the year and tastings of the wine before champagnisation.
Ice, hail, rain and disease: Champagne has had it all in 2016! If it weren’t for such a good September it would have been an absolute disaster. Initial tastings seem to suggest that Pinot Meuniers from the Vallée de la Marne valley and Pinot Noirs from la Montagne de Reims will be very good but perhaps more delicate in style than usual. Chardonnay, on the other hand, has not been as successful but, having been harvested a little later than the Pinot Meunier and the Pinot Noir, has generally managed to reach a satisfactory ripeness. Yet this is all speculative and we won’t truly know how Champagne has fared until the finished products are available to taste. Champagne often improves considerably during the maturation period so we will have to wait and see.
The Loire Valley
Reds: 16/20
Whites: 17/20
Sweet wines: 16/20
The Loire Valley has had a very difficult year indeed. The Loire’s misfortunes are mainly due to two big frosts at the end of April that destroyed a fair chunk of crop, mainly in Montlouis, Chinon and Bourgueil, not to mention in the neighbouring appellations of Sancerre (Sancerre itself got away pretty lightly). Some vineyards saw as much as 90% of their crop destroyed. Apart from the frost, the Loire experienced similar weather to the rest of France: a humid spring that caused powdery mildew, a summer that was slightly too warm and a sunny September with cool nights that helped the surviving grapes reach a good ripeness.
The most successful wines from the Loire come from some of the best appellations. Starting with the reds the most successful were: Chinon, that produced some excellent and fresh cuvées; Bourgeuil, with its fruity and crisp wines; Saumur-Champigny and Anjou, with reds that are very fresh yet also nicely ripe. As for the whites it was the up and coming Muscadet appellation that had some of the best offerings, albeit in small quantities. Sancerre also had a successful year having missed out on the frost, producing beautiful wines with intense, fresh fruit and lots of energy. As for sweet wines, production was small this year but with some wonderful offerings from Vouvray. Sadly, Montlouis was decimated by frost.

IdealWine 27.02.2018



1 keer gewijzigd. Laatste wijziging: 27/01/2018 13:39 door Guill.

Bij elkaar opgeteld is het een indrukwekkend verhaal. Bij al die losse verhalen over slecht weer in de verschillende gebieden dringt het niet zo goed tot je door. Wat mij opvalt is de aandacht voor water stress. De laatste keer dat daar zoveel aandacht voor is geweest was bij mijn weten in 2003.

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Als het in juli niet regent is er sprake van water stress regent het in augustus wel dan is de stress opgeheven en heb je kans op een goede oogst als het in september niet te nat is. In augustus heb je dan wel weer problemen met schimmels.

Man wat een suiker .......
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Zie meteen weer waarom ik die site nooit bezoek....