François et Julien Pinon, 2023 Update
I had spent the morning exploring the Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir appellations, before stopping off for lunch at a beautiful spot overlooking an undulating expanse of golden vineyards. The sea of vines billowed in the autumn breezes, the leaves gently oscillating in broad ripples, on what was a surprisingly warm November day.
Although having said that, this was November in 2022. Every day was warmer than expected, and in truth I had long given up being surprised by it.
What did surprise me, however, was the sheer beauty of the slopes of Jasnières. That is a story for another day though. Time was marching on and I realised I had better get moving if I was going to arrive on time for my next appointment in Vouvray. So I hit the road, striking out cross-country, heading south through the communes of Reugny and Chançay, corners of the Vouvray appellation which even today remain for me largely untrodden ground.
Resisting the temptation to explore more, I arrived on the Rue Jean Jaurès, in the Vallée de Cousse, bang on time. Waiting for me there was Julien Pinon.
François et Julien
The last time I saw Julien’s father François Pinon was in 2020. His passing in early 2021 was a shock to all and the beginning of an annus horribilis for the Pinon family. At the time, one of Julien’s sisters was also seriously unwell. And in the midst of it all came the frost of 2021. Understandably the response to the frost was not all it might have been, and most of the 2021 crop was destroyed. Coming after the other serious losses to frost and hail in 2013 and 2016, it was a disastrous year for the domaine.
It would appear, however, that Julien is carved from the same resilient stone as his father. In 2022 the domaine bounced back, with a successful vintage and bountiful yields. Julien has achieved this through his own stoic attitude, but he has also been supported from within the appellation, by the likes of Vincent Foreau of Domaine du Clos Naudin, Vincent Carême and Jean-Bernard Berthomé, now “retired” but once of Domaine Huet. I write “retired” because as it turns out Jean-Bernard puts in a few hours each week working for Julien; I imagine this provides Julien with some much-appreciated experience out in the vines, as well as a useful sounding board when difficult problems crop up. I hope this fruitful arrangement continues for as long as Julien benefits.
