Anjou Rose Ch de Mauny 2016

Perhaps more than any year in recent memory, the Loire was hit with pretty much everything in 2016; a wet early season, early spring frosts and cool temperatures at flowering affecting quantities in places. But luckily a fine end to a challenging season brought huge sighs of relief to growers who managed each new threat with vigilance and patience. Early tastings have shown good, clean fruit in an appealing style which should provide plenty of pleasure in the short to mid term.

The 2016 growing season was one of the most complicated in living memory. Loire vignerons are made of stern stuff and rose to the challenge, despite widespread despondency at the end of August after a heatwave with exceptionally high temperatures that felt like the last straw. Spring was very wet, many appellations were hit by severe frost in April, and it was cool around the critical flowering period, by which time many were already looking at a reduced crop. Severe drought followed and vines – and growers – were ready to give up, when miraculously, a sprinkling of reviving rain arrived, accompanied by fine weather with cooler evenings, and then a little more rain to help to ripen the grapes and boost the size of the crop.