The 3rd edition of La Boire took place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December 2019 in Nantes. A natural wine fair, organized by Pinards and Jus d'Ancenis with 18 winemakers from all over France.

This is where we’ve spent our Sunday: tasting promising new cuvées and meeting some familiar faces…

Complémen'terre

Le Pallet, Loire-Atlantique, France

Both Marion and Manu were born in Muscadet and have been around vineyards their whole lives. After a long time away working for winemakers in New Zealand (Felton Road Winery) and Chile (Domaine Clos Ouvert), they settled in 2013 in the village of le Pallet and work now with three grape varieties: Melon de Bourgogne (8 ha), Folle Blanche (0,68 ha) at la Haye-Fouassière, and Gamay (0,60 ha). The wines are all vinified by parcel with the aim of showing off the varied volcanic terroir of the region.

What’s new: 2018 Potion Mama | Pet Nat

Manu: “ ‘Potion Mama’ was originally meant to be called ‘Potion Magique’, but this name is already in use within the beverage industry. So ‘Mama’ comes from our names: MAnu and MArion. In addition it also refers to Mother Earth.”

Folle Blanche (20%) and Melon de Bourgogne (80%) grown on othogneiss and silt. Aged for 14 months.

2018 has been a hot vintage and the end result is a dry and aromatic pet nat.

Rémi Sédès

Coteaux d’Ancenis, Nantes, France

Hailing from the Jura, Rémi studied agronomy when he arrived in the area to live with his Nantes-born wife. He worked for a couple of years with Vincent Caillé, and then spent time honing his red winemaking skills in Bordeaux before setting up on his own in 2013.

What’s new: 2018 Samplemousse | Rosé

Hand harvested Gamay, cold macerated for 4 hours and then fermented in cellar in fibreglass for 2 - 3 weeks. On lees until bottling.

Why ‘Samplemousse’? In France you’ve got a drink called Pamplemousse Rosé which has a slightly sweet, easygoing grapefruit taste that is more approachable for entry level wine drinkers.

Remi always found that the wine from his granite parcel reminded him of grapefruit, so ‘Samplemousse’ is his own, naturally farmed version, of the French Pamplemousse Rosé.

Les Terres Bleues

France, Loire-Atlantique, La Chapelle-Glain

Xavière Hardy is a tough, determined woman who makes amazing juice while leaving as little mark on the land as possible. Enlisting the help of Ancenis grower Jacque Caroger, she lobbied the local council, who eventually relented and gave her permission to plant her vineyard. After analysing the terroir she chose Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Grolleau.

What’s new: 2018 Blanc Noir | Red

100% Black Grolleau, grown on blueschist. Direct press then fermented for 8 days in vats with and matured in barrels for 8 months. No added sulfur. The "Blanc de Noir" cuvée has produced a dry white wine, with a beautiful freshness and vivacity.

Xaviere: “I tried by chance the "Blanc de Noir", with a Munster and I really liked it because this wine came to "counterbalance" and "refresh" the Munster cheese which has a strong personality. Overall, it's typically the little white one to enjoy in the late morning, with oysters on the go!”

L es Terres Bleues

France, Loire-Atlantique, La Chapelle-Glain

Xavière Hardy is a tough, determined woman who makes amazing juice while leaving as little mark on the land as possible.

She hasn’t taken an easy path. There were no vines for miles around her village - La Chapelle-Glain, about 60km north of Nantes. In fact, planting vines there was officially forbidden. That wasn't about to stop Xavière, who refused to be deterred from her dream of a career change after 20 years running her own business

Enlisting the help of Ancenis grower Jacque Caroger, she lobbied the local council, who eventually relented and gave her permission to plant her vineyard. After analysing the terroir she chose Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Grolleau.

Les Terres Bleues is the name – reflecting the blue schist that predominates on her 1.5-hectare plot. Her plants (around 8,000 per hectare) are trained in the Albarello style, common on Mount Etna.

With help from family and friends, each vine was individually staked with a whacking great lump of wood. This type of training gives all-day exposure to the sun, very helpful in this northerly location.

Connection to the plant is paramount:

"The vines are grown organically. I work as naturally as possible, I take care of my vines according to the lunar calendar with nettle, comfrey, horsetail, oak bark, willows and many other plants. I also apply biodynamic preparations since the establishment of the vineyard in 2013 [DEMETER certification was requested and obtained in 2019]. The objective is to allow the vine to strengthen its own resistance to disease but also to improve exchanges between soil micro-organisms and its root system. I attach great importance to the vine itself but also to the ecosystem in which it is part."

How did 2018 treat you?
”2018 was an excellent year. The harvest brought great quality grapes thanks to the beautiful sunshine we've had. As every year, the harvest was manual, all the wines were vinified without any oenological inputs and without sulphur.”

What do you expect from this year's harvest [2019]?
”A good harvest quality due to the weather. Unfortunately, the spring frost and the summer drought we've had this year will have an impact on the volumes harvested, particularly for Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. For the Grolleau the impact is less, the harvest should be beautiful and qualitative.”

What is your favorite vintage so far and why?
”I have been producing wine only since 2015, since I planted the vineyard from scratch in 2013. I really enjoyed 2015 (my first little vintages of Pinot noir and Pinot gris) and 2018 which was a great year (2016 = frost; 2017 = frost). For 2019, I start harvesting tomorrow, September 17.”

Which wines do you like to drink in addition to yours?
”The sulphur-free Gamay by Jacques and Agnès Carroget (La Paonnerie in Anetz) and the Muscadet by Stéphane Orieux (Vallet).”

What can you tell us about your plans for the future?
”Invest in a wind tower to fight frost (the order was placed for installation in spring 2020). In 2019 I also planted an additional half hectare of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in order to have more wine on these two varieties because I have a very small estate[1.5 ha including this young plantation].”

Now in stock

White

NEW 2018 AWA - Pinot Gris
"Direct pressing (pneumatic press), alcoholic fermentation in vats with indigenous yeasts (8-10 days) then matured in barrels for eight months. Sulphur-free."

Red

NEW 2018 Vin du Pastre - Grolleau
"From a young vine planted in 2014, which froze in 2016 and 2017 - the harvest was therefore abundant in 2018. Totally destemmed by hand with wicker destemmers that I had made by a basket maker. Vatting for 10 days (fermentation with indigenous yeasts) then maturing in barrels for 8 months. Sulphur-free."

NEW 2018 XH2 - Pinot Noir
"Maceration in vats (fermentation with indigenous yeasts - 10 days). Pressed then matured in barrels for eight months. Sulphur-free."

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