Domaine des Forges: Vineyards
The vineyards of Domaine des Forges are this spread over 47 hectares, and speaking first in generalities the majority of the estate is planted to Chenin Blanc, which accounts for 27 hectares, while the other 20 hectares are planted to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The Chenin Blanc is by far and away the star though; this is a domaine where the reputation rests on the many sweet wines produced, with dry wines from Anjou and Savennières, and from other varieties, taking second place at best.
In the vineyard the overall philosophy is viticulture raisonnée. The vines are pruned using the double Guyot or cordon de Royat methods, and there is grass planted between the rows to provide competition with the vines. The Branchereau family believe in hard pruning to control yields, and the work in summer involves the usual processes of leaf-plucking and green-harvesting.
There are two basic philosophies in existence when it comes to picking for Anjou Blanc; the first is to take an early picking from vines in the Coteaux du Layon, and fermenting the fruit to a state of dryness, while leaving other fruit out on the vine in the hope that the vintage will see the right conditions for botrytis attack. It is, in a way, a sort of insurance policy against the potential for the complete failure of the hopefully sweeter, later-picked crop.
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