Spotty wi-fi and harvest work make for a difficult blogging environment so I have a lot of catching up to do. My apologies for this belated vintage report and about a month's worth of backlogged postings to come in the days ahead. Elizabeth and I have had a great month working in the cellars of the Domaine de La Moussière and have spent the last week visiting producers in the Anjou-Saumur. I have written a short piece for the Sommelier Journal on the nature of harvest work, an invaluable experience for enthusiasts and professionals alike. Look for it in an upcoming issue.

Loire expert Charles Sydney has posted his thoughts on the vintage on Chris Kissack's excellent winedoctor.com to which I might add that difficult conditions during floraison and nouaison have made made for very low yields. Alphonse Mellot is very pleased with the quality, however, stating that the character of the sauvignon is reminding him most of 2002 with excellent balance of acid and fruit.

Alphonse Mellot Jr. (left) assesses the first picking of la Moussière.

The wines of Alphonse Mellot are superb and deserve a separate posting so stay tuned. Elizabeth and I have spent the past week traveling through the rest of the Loire, first arriving in Anjou where we were warmly welcomed by the family of Jo Pithon, and have now made our way to Montlouis-sur-Loire. I'll do my best to get caught up in the week to come and will supply as much detail on the vintage as I can dig up.