2020 was a special year for our vines, with a very sunny spring and an early budburst which gave us cause for concern when, in mid-April, the temperatures decided to venture below the fateful zero-degree mark. Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our team, working in a very difficult general context, we eventually went into the harvesting period with reasonable optimism.

In our Centre-Loire vineyards, the harvest was very early but was able to take place in good conditions thanks largely to our monitoring of the ripening plot-by-plot. The extremely hot weather required us to pick the grapes very early in the morning to ensure they remained in good condition, thereby preventing the risk of oxidation in the press. With grapes showing lovely maturity levels and good health, the wines look promising. They possess intense aromas and a lovely freshness despite the last few months of drought. However, the drought did have a significant impact on yields, which are lower than we expected for the Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre, and Coteaux du Giennois AOCs.

In Touraine, in the Mesland area, 2020 is our second certified organic harvest, with bioprotection used on all our musts, an alternative that allows us to dispense with the use of sulphur until racking. This year we have observed very good quality in the whites and relatively low alcohol levels, which indicates that we will have a good balance. On our red varietals, the degrees are higher and suggest that we can expect wines with well-balanced and appetising profiles.

Further west, in Anjou, the situation is looking good both in terms of quality and yields, even if the latter are below average. The harvest began at the end of August in dry conditions and ended at the end of October in some autumn rain. At the end of the harvest, water always plays a major role in the potential degrees, especially on our Chenins harvested when over-ripe.

Last but not least, the Pays Nantais for our Muscadet production reports a satisfactory overall result. Here, despite an early start to vegetation and a sustained pace of growth, the lack of water at the end of the season slowed the ripening of the grapes and reduced the yields. However, the harvest is of good quality and the vinification work promises us some interesting wines in terms of aroma and structure.

Arnaud & Laurent Saget