Comments on: Huet, Corks, White Castle, Skinnygirl, Quarts-de-Chaume — sipped & spit

By: David Cerruti

David Cerruti — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:43:39 +0000

Re: R&R

Was that a Freudian typo?

By: Jim Budd

Jim Budd — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:19:27 +0000

Tyler. Yes Noël was grooming a successor, who I met briefly last May.

By: Dr. Vino

Dr. Vino — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:00:10 +0000

Jim – Thanks for the prompt clarification; I have corrected it above. It will be interesting indeed to see what comes of the Baumards’ legal challenge. Also, a touch bittersweet since it may fail to give the wines a deserved form of greater recognition.

Do you have any insight on who will be replacing Pinguet at Huet?

By: Jim Budd

Jim Budd — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:50:09 +0000

Great shame if Noël has indeed left abruptly given his long – since 1976 – tenure at the domaine.

By: Jim Budd

Jim Budd — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:48:20 +0000

Tyler: ‘Some new grand cru designations have been approved in the Loire for sweet wines.’

Only one grand cru designation has so far been approved – Quarts de Chaume in the Layon Valley of Anjou. It is now law – was approved by the French prime minister on 22nd November 2011. However, Jean and Florent Baumard (Domaine des Baumard) have mounted a legal challenge to the new act before the Conseil d’Etat (France’s Supreme Court). If they succeed the law will be annulled, if they fail the law will remain as it is.

Whether there will be further Loire grand crus in the future may well depend upon the outcome of the Baumards’ challenge.