Loire: the forgotten of Robert Parker

 In 5 years, this is the first year that I'm not going to wine fare in Angers. This winefare was a must from the beginning of the year.I met in 1997 Mr. Claude Courtois rebel  and natural winegrower  in  Sologne. At first we were very few to love and defend the organic wines. With some books or movies (such as Toxic of William Reymond published by Flammarion or the movie “Our children will accuse us”) have opened the minds of our fellow citizens. Then the organic winegrowers begin to master these wines. From 2006, sales of natural this wine increased. Indeed, there are more and more wine cellar and restaurants that offer natural wines

In 2004, a stand of organic wine was present in this wine fare .... This stand was small, and there were only 30 bottles to taste. Today, eight years later, the stand is very large and has over 100 references. Simultaneously, there was the advent of “Renaissance des Appellations “at the initiative of Nicolas Joly, Mark Angely  and Guy Bossard . Initially in 2002, there was only 20 winemakers in the first edition in  Savennières. This year the winefare had 120 biodynamic winegrower at Grenier of  saint-jean in the city of Angers. Years passed, and professionals were more curious for wild wines that conventional wines ....


The future of organic wine:

Two months earlier in Paris, I was invited as 'wine blogger' for  biodynamic winefare. It was the end of a marathon over 72 hours of tasting in Paris. I found my future customer, Raphael from Chateau St. Anne. He asked me "We are 60 biodynamistes and how from the association natural wine -AVN." Three, I replied: Pierre Frick, Château Lassolle and Chateau St. Anne. .. the role of the winewriter is to tell the truth. Even if you do not like the wine of the winegrower

. Biodynamics is a method. But it must be  developed together in  the vineyard and in the There are biodynamic wines that I do not likeWhat should do we do? The example comes from the CAB of Angers (loire), it follows the new winegrower for winemaking and farming.



Interview with Jacques Carroget (la paonnerie estate)

"- Your role now in the Loire? (JCB)
- I am president of the association of  organic wine from (AIVBL) the Loire Valley. (JC)
- Are there any natural wines in the Loire Valley? (JCB)
- It is clear, it lacks the regulation for natural wine is missing. it exists in the United States (organic wine at less than 10 milligrams of total sulfur. But it accepts the use of exogenous yeasts. The appellation “ from the organic vines” corresponds to between 10 and 100 ml of total sulfur (A ). In France, we do not have specifications of winemaking but that will come for the vintage 2012 (B). Then, the AVN (natural wine association C) including myself, must fight for a regulation for natural wines. For good success they must come from organic farming. The Grapes must be in good health. Of course we have a long way to go because there are wines that are complicated (I think of those with residual sugar.) Most wines is possible without input. In the Loire, we seek to make natural wines with no added chemecal yeast, with nothing.
We must find ways to make natural wines. We will succeed together. at the CAB (D) we have a consultant holds an  Diploma of oenology,  Nathalie  d’Allemagne (she worked  at Marcel Lapierre and Pierre Overnois) which advises growers on agriculture, the harvest date and winemaking. "

Note

A/ for american  wines  from organic vines , it possible for winegrowers to have 25% of vines in conventional agriculture. In France the vines are 100% organic.

B/ the term organic wine (in france) will be presented from vintage 2012. But the winegrower can:
- Use exogenous yeasts
- Use chaptalisation
- Acidification
- Reverse Osmosis
- And many inputs for me
C/ AVN : natural wine association
-    doses of sulfur: less than 30 ml for the red / less than 40 ml for white
no other inputs (no sugar, no chemecal, no acidification)
handpicked harvest.
Renaud Guettier is part of avn

D/ The missions of the Cab are divided into actions:
- Organizations organic chains (milk, cereal, wine)
- Support for conversions
- Technical support in viticulture
- Interventions in watersheds to promote organic techniques
- Defence of organic producers (regulation, fighting against GMOs ...)

Joyful meeting:

Meeting with an iconic winegrower of Loire: Olivier Cousin has  7 hectares in Anjou. He  produces wines without  sulfur, without chaptalisation and  without chemecal yeasts. This farming is in biodynamic Demeter and he is part of the AVN (Association of natural wines).
Olivier Cousin "We  are told to be graduated;  at the age of  seventeen I built a boat and I went around the world.  Studies do not teach you or make you become a man. I came back in the 80s, I starded making  natural wine without input   in 1985
40 years  ago  in  Martignié briand, there were 120 growers with 800 hectares. Now we are just 40 growers. Do you think we can do a good job with more than 20 hectares 
I prefer to miss a vat of wine  rather than putting  chemicals in my wine.
. I do not expect the government subsidies. I stopped paying dues Volunteers Required (1). I had several lawsuits. In 2005, I decide that my wines are becoming wine of France because I am against chaptalisation but I keep the word “ Anjou” on labels because I am  a son of Anjou and proud of it. As result, the fraud department came and asked me for € 30 000 in fines and accuses me of doing harm to the Anjou appellation. "
That the critics like it or not, this man is a pillar of the Anjou appellation (several articles in the United States have been writing about his adventures). Man with a big heart, the “ horse winegrower” of the gave vineyard  for young winegrower. "We must stand together in this   more and more selfish world. Sharing and giving of oneself is very important. ". Indeed, they have worked for years with several horses.
 
(1)They are collected by professional organizations. They help promote and develop the wine industry

What is “bio-electronique”?
A technique using physico-chemical, at a given temperature the pH measurements, and the rH2 of the electrical resistivity (ro) aqueous solutions. http://www.bevincent.com/

Interview with Pascal Lambert:
" In biodynamic I work with some plants like elderberry, aquiline, nettle, nasturtium, peppermint With  bioelectronic, I know exactly what my soil needs. I understand the acid soils of the terroir “les perruches”. If I had not touched bioelectronic I could not have done as fine wine than that. This technique was taken forward in the understanding of soil processes and plant. "Pascal Lambert, winegrower at Cravant-les-Coteaux (near to chinon)


conclusions
The Loire region is changing. During 'the day of bio' organized by the CAB of Anjou I tasted 40 red wines. Two were not good, 6 were not my style and the rest were very good . I would be happy that other regions may progress along the lines of the Loire. I repeat: it is not enough to own organic vineyards to make good wine. The winemaking  should evolve, it must become natural (just a little sulfur and without chemicals yeasts ). The winemaker must take the  living seriously ...

The Wine Advocate Robert Paker has forgotten the Loire. Pascal Lambert Chinon have 92 out of 100. But ever tasted rebels Loire (making wine without adding sulfur such as Cousin, and Desplats or Chaffardon). There has been much criticism of Robert Parker. All tastes are in nature. This is not Robert Parker to be criticized, it is indeed the winemakers who have 'made' the wine-tasting Parker.I think  he is honest .   I'll be  happy  the day  when he   come s  to taste  in the “ Renaissance” or the “dive”. Not to taste of Nicolas Joly or Pascal Lambert, but many  unknown such as Jacques Carroget (The Paonnerie), Michel Augé (les maisons brûlées ) or Joel Mesnard (Domaine des Sablonnettes). The ball is in your court Mister Bob!