Tagged with "Pithon-Paillé"

Pithon Paillé’s former domaine will be called Domaine Bel Argus, named after the tiny rare blue butterfly that can be found among the vines of Les Treilles. 

Another amazing wine from Jo Pithon, his Coteau des Treilles 2009. We have a few bottles of a few different vintages in our cellar and it’s a while since we tasted the 2009.

It seems appropriate after my recent update on Jo and Isabelle Pithon’s domaine, to open a bottle of one of Jo’s beautiful sweet wines, Belargus des Treilles.

Jo Pithon, legendary winemaker in Anjou has sold his domaine to Ivan Massonnat after 40 years of dedicating his life to wine.

Anjou, the winemaking region around Angers and stretching as far east as Saumur, has been famous for its Chenin Blanc wines since the 9th Century. There are many appellations that fall under the Anjou umbrella

2016 turned out to be a very tricky year for them with miniscule yeilds of around 6hl/ha.

There is no legal definition of ‘natural’ – so confusing for the poor consumer trying to get to grips with all the many approaches to growing vines and making wine.

A few pics and wines of note from the recent Anges Vins tasting held in St Aubin de Luigné in the heart of the Layon valley.

Pickers picking, grapes arriving, press pressing, juice settling, Isabelle cooking, Joseph washing barrels, Jo surveying and Wendy welcoming – it was all hands on deck yesterday at Pithon-Paille. After 2 years with tiny yields (7 and 11hl/ha), there are plenty of smiles in the winery this year as volumes are up to around 25hl/ha (still low but much more encouraging) and grapes are coming in looking ripe and healthy.

Naturally produced sweet wines require lots of hard work in the vineyard. Chenin Blanc is so suited to sweet wine with its naturally high acidity and lovely grapefruity bitterness that comes from sinking its roots deep into the schistous slaty soils of Anjou (its great on limestone too!).

As the back label says ‘vin de fruit, vin de copains, vin de casse-croute. A boire avec quoi? …avec plaisir!’. Bring on the Grololo!