Hardy’s Easy Drinking 2019
Xaviére Hardy La Chapelle-Glain, Loire-Atlantique, France
Xavière hasn’t taken an easy path. There were no vines for miles around her village – La Chapelle-Glain, about 60km north of Nantes. In fact, planting vines there was officially forbidden. That wasn't about to stop Xavière, who refused to be deterred from her dream of a career change after 20 years running her own business.
Enlisting the help of Ancenis grower Jacque Caroger, she lobbied the local council, who eventually relented and gave her permission to plant her vineyard. After analysing the terroir she chose Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Grolleau.
Connection to the plant is paramount, so Xavière tends her vines by hand. In the cellar she works very delicately, using no sulphur or filtration. She uses biodynamic treatments and herbal teas made from local flowers and honey instead of copper in the vineyard.
Her new 2019 vintages are now in the shop! We've had a chat:
For the 2018 Vin du Pastre we had a huge harvest, and the wine turned out very light and easy-drinking with 10% ABV, it was almost juice like. In 2019 the harvest was more controlled and I have renamed it to Ma Garance Voyageuse because the cuvée has changed a lot compared to last year: it is much more punchy, it has more tannins, and there is also more alcohol: 11.5%. Direct pressing, 8-10 day fermentation in vats then matured in barrels for eight months. I have chosen this name because I became grandmother last year to a little girl called Garance – so this is her cuvée!
The 2019 XH² is softer than the 2018 version, it is elegant and easy-drinking. Ten-day maceration in vats, pressed then matured in barrels for eight months. An elegant wine with subtle black cherry and blackcurrant aromas, slightly peppery. 2019 in general has been a bit of a tough year as we have lost a lot to frost, so this cuvée is of very limited quantity.
It is similar for the 2019 AWA: due to frost losses, I didn't produce big quantities. It is a beautiful cuvée, which is quite similar taste-wise to the 2018 version: dry, aromatic, round. 8-10 day fermentation in vats then matured in barrels for eight months. None of the above cuvées have added sulfites.
The 2019 Osez Josephine is a brand new cuvée and has been created out of my own grapes, as well as grapes which I bought from a friend as I had to supplement due to frost losses. Direct pressing, 8-10 days fermentation in vats with indigenous yeasts then matured in barrels for eight months. A fresh white wine with complex aromas of yellow and dried fruits. I have added 35mg/l of sulfites. I really like the song 'Osez Josephine' by Alain Bashung, so that's where the name comes from.
Both of the whites are in general easy-drinking and aromatic, and with 14% of ABV each also quite powerful. This year has been looking good so far, we didn't suffer any frost or mildew, nor heat waves. The only thing is that the grapes seem to be at different levels of maturity across the vineyard, so I am waiting to see if we will need to do a phased harvest to achieve optimal results.
As for future projects, I have planted an additional half-hectare of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in order to have more wine of these two varieties because I have a very small estate [1.5 ha including this young plantation]. So we should be able to reap the results in about two years time!
