NOTES FROM A WINEMAKER - CLOS DU TUE-BOEUF

Das Weingut Clos de Tue Boeuf liegt in Cheverny am östlichen Rand der Touraine-Region der Loire. 

Louise, Zoé and Thierry haben uns einen Bericht über das vergangene Jahr in ihren Weingärten und ihre Ernte geschickt. Das Wetter hat sie dieses Jahr leider nicht verschont, aber die Ernte verlief gut und auch die Gärung läuft soweit gut.

Lest selbst:

"2021 is coming to an end, the pace in the cellar and in the vineyards is slowing down and we wanted to make a comeback in the past months here, at the Tue-Boeuf.

It has been a special year. The damages are notable and the cellar is rather empty for this period.

This phenomenon is not only part of an isolated vintage, but also in a context of global disruption, which pushes us to change and reinterpret the temporality of our work in the vineyard.

Aware of the risks of spring frost, we pruned as late as possible and put a lot of energy into the thoroughness of this job. Despite this, the ensuing frost completely wiped out the efforts put in place at the end of winter.

We are fortunate to work on plots of vines which are, for many, nested in woods and wasteland. The biodiversity of this environment is essential for the health of our vines but complicates the fight against frost.

Like many others, we suffered from a cold spell in April that lasted almost a week, with temperatures reaching - 8°C. We lost all of the promising buds. No matter what was put in place, our equipment to fight this phenomenon was ineffective. And despite the sleepless nights to fight the cold, the losses were estimated between 80 and 100%, depending on the plots.

The summer season and the weather conditions did not leave us unscathed either. 13 treatments were necessary (compared to 4 in 2020) to preserve the little that the frost had left. Despite this, the mildew further reduced this micro harvest.

The estate’s harvest was sadly rapid and we produced, with no surprise, far fewer grapes than in previous years. To end this cycle, we suffered from the rain during the picking, forcing us to harvest early in order not to lose anything more. We reached an average of 7HL/ha against the 40-45HL/ha expected. The red Cheverny plots of La Gravotte, La Caillère and Rouillon were blended in order to be able to fill a vat. There will therefore only be one red Cheverny cuvée without any mention of the plot. The other plot cuvées are maintained but in meager quantities.

The relationships of trust that we have nurtured for over 15 years with our winegrower friends of the Cher valley allowed us to compensate for the frost that affects our estate more and more frequently. And although this area has been impacted by climatic hazards, we still brought in beautiful grapes from their vines. On the other hand, some winegrower friends helped us to get organic grapes from their region. Thus, we entered into the cellar some Grenache and Carignan from Roussillon, Gamay from Beaujolais and Chenin from Vouvray; this last grape started its first year of organic conversion during the 2021 cycle.

In total, our meager harvest and grape purchases amount to about 50% of our usual production.

With a significant percentage of 2nd generation grapes (after the frost) and a rushed harvest due to the rain, we cannot say that 2021 shines with its excess of maturity, which suits us well after the series of solar vintages that we have just experienced. The alcoholic fermentations went perfectly and the malos are ending quietly. The wines are straight, clean and lively, with degrees between 11 and 12%. We don't yet know how these ‘new’ wines will be blended. For the moment, new wines from Chenin of Vouvray and from Gamay of the Cher valley will be bottled next week and mark the start of 2021."

Hier findet ihr die Weine von Clos du Tue-Boeuf - Louise, Zoé and Thierry.