Jo Landron, 2018 Update
As I reported last year, the 2016 vintage was not a happy one for Jo Landron. With a devastating frost in April, followed by waves of mildew during the months that followed, Jo brought in only 30% of his normal crop. With fruit in such short supply he had to buy in fruit in order to produce a domaine cuvée.
In the 2017 vintage the frost returned, this time with four consecutive nights of sub-zero temperatures. The damage done across the region was sporadic, catastrophic in parts, less severe in others, and happily for Jo most of his vineyards fell into the latter category rather than the former. Jo recorded a loss of 30% which, while bad enough, is better than the 70% loss endured in 2016. The crop on Les Houx in 2017 was close to normal and for Amphibolite, while the yield was reduced, he has twice the volume that he brought in at the end of 2016. And Jo has done considerably better than a number of his peers in 2017, some of whom lost essentially the whole crop.
As a consequence Jo’s position was reversed in 2017 compared to 2016, and he found himself with a much healthier harvest than was expected, while his peers and friends brought in practically nothing. “I really felt for my colleagues”, said Jo, who donated the grapes from 3 hectares of his vineyards to friends and peers so that they can make some wine. I did ask him the identity of the beneficiaries, but Jo was keeping his cards close to his chest, out of respect for those he has helped out. What a magnificent gesture from one of the true stars of the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation.
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