Loire 2019 First Taste: Anjou & Saumur
As with much of the Atlantic vineyard, including the various Muscadet sub-appellations as well as the Fiefs Vendéens of course, the many and varied appellations of Anjou were also severely affected by this year’s spring frosts. Again, as was also the case further downstream, this makes three frosted vintages out of four here. This must be particularly difficult for those vignerons who specialise solely in the Savennières appellation, where a devastating frost early in 2017 wiped out much of that year’s harvest, but frost was also widespread in this region in 2016.
As with my other reports, before coming to the character of the wines, I first provide some more detail on how the growing season progressed in Anjou, with some insights from some of the region’s most noteworthy names.
Anjou & Coteaux du Layon
Many in this region have vineyards scattered along the length and breadth of the Layon, earmarked for Anjou Blanc, Anjou Rouge and Coteaux du Layon, and some of the leading domaines have also looked across the expanse of the Loire to Savennières. As a consequence some vignerons in Anjou have a very strong awareness of how the entire region fared in any particular vintage. One who has his finger on the pulse in this manner is the dynamic yet tender-spoken Emmanuel Ogereau.
“The frost was significant, and we lost half of our harvest was a result”, Emmanuel told me in a matter-of-fact manner, over a tasting sample of his 2019 Anjou En Chenin. “The first frost was on April 4th, which was my birthday, and then we were hit again by the second frost on May 6th. Along the Layon the damage was worst on Bonnes Blanches, particularly so with the frost in April, and we will produce only small volumes of our Bonnes Blanches and Vent de Spilite cuvées in this vintage. The frost in early May was very damaging on the parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon used for Côtes de la Houssaye, and we won’t be able to produce that cuvée in 2019 at all”.
