2021, Fruit forward !
2021 is a late harvest vintage in the context of recent very warm years; the harvest ended on October 9 under excellent conditions.
2021 was a real obstacle course.
Several spring frosts and the pressure due to mildew left us little breathing space. In my view, it’s been the most difficult year we’ve seen up to now.
However, the Cabernet Francs did not suffer much from the frost and offered a generous harvest. The beginning of Summer was complicated because of mildew control, but the berries benefited from moderate rains at the end of the season, with lots of sunshine in late September and early October.
The poor Chenin harvest was rather disappointing as the grapes suffered from the frost: we lost 30 % of the crop even though the canopy had resisted diseases. As a result, we decided there will be no “Croix Boissée” cuvée this year.
The quality of the vintage is quite satisfactory. Considering the difficult weather conditions, the grapes harvested were rather healthy. The berries were full, quite sweet (between 12 and 13 % sugar content, making way for more dynamic fermentations than the richer vintages of 2017, 2018 or 2019.
The wines are supple and fruit-forward with lovely colors.
Though it may not compare to earlier vintages 2021 is a very well-balanced Loire-style vintage. The wines are generous and may probably be enjoyed before the more solar recent years.
Many thanks to my team of workers and to the seasonal staff who did a great job in the vineyard and who remained mobilized throughout many nights to fight the frost and many days to combat mildew. Without them, the harvest wouldn’t have the same consistency or the same flavor.
Congrats !