2016 vendanges already

Grandpa (GP) has been very neglectful of his blog responsibilities over the last couple of years, but his conscience has at last pricked and he has put, metaphorically, pen to paper.

Daddy, Mummy, Mami and Papi have all been hard at work recently with 10 or so pickers gathering in this year's harvest after our best-ever year in 2015, much needed after some pretty challenging years, weather-wise. And it looks as though this year will be good too. In fact we had a wine-writer visit last week and here is his glowing report. If this continues I may have to reconsider becoming a pompier and become a vigneron instead! Here is the link.. https://wideworldofwine.co/2016/10/01/jura-week-2-hughes-beguet/
Also an interesting piece written last harvest:
http://www.gmwineimports.com/visit-and-picking-with-hughes-beguet.html

Tessa and I are now aged 7 and 4 respectively and both go to school up the road in Mesnay. We are both keen on cycling and have started this season's competitions with Tessa coming second the other day. I am still looking to become Jura champion! I also play rugby and scored 2 tries last week. Apparently my great-grandfather was a fine fly-half and cup-winner in Yorkshire before the war, so in the genes?

Mummy is very busy with her translation work in addition to her Agricultural workers supply duties, school presidency and of course, looking after us. Daddy is also tres occupe with both the vendanges and getting pallets out, with Caves de Pyrene in England about to be resupplied, with more cuvees this time. http://www.lescaves.co.uk/assets/files/wine-list.pdf

I will get GP to upload some photos and hopefully to up his rate of communications in the future. 
Bisous from Tessa and me. Bastian xx

Back again- sorry about delay

On my Facebook Wine page I seem to be getting more hits now that I have handed over to 2 (proper) UK importers than I did when I was on my own, so I thought I would provide an update for visitors to both FB and the rather dormant blog.

After a few poor harvests, 2015 was for the Jura, and for a good deal of Europe, a splendid year in terms of both quality and quantity. www.lescaves.co.uk has just taken a large order and www.thewinesociety.com may have more stock in due course.

Patrice now has an apprentice, Louis, who is proving invaluable and they have already started to bottle the 2015 vintage in a small way with most of the remaining cuvees to come on stream in early Spring.

In the meantime Caroline, who lunched recently with Oz Clark and Tim Atkin MW, is multi-tasking as vigneronne, translator, school president, mother et al. Bastian spent the summer with a broken arm but has now started cycle races again, but the trophies of last year will be harder to come by as he is now a year younger than most of the others in his group. Next year will be different! Tessa aged 3 1/2 goes to school and like her brother is bilingual and a delightful chatterbox! They are coming over to Kent for Christmas which GP and Granny are looking forward to. In the meantime some pics and I hope to be a more regular blogger in 2016!

Should be looking at harvest but...

First the good news- lots of it.

The London tasting in May went brilliantly with many of the country's top experts there. Jancis Robinson loved the whites giving 2 scores of 16.5 out of 20 with only 4 or 5 2011 wines scoring higher. Raymond Blanc kindly held up a bottle of our wine for the camera and much good feedback from other MWs, sommeliers, importers and writers. Now in discussions with a couple of potential UK importers.

The 2012 vintage has been bottled, albeit not as yet released, and the indications are that it is going to be good.

We now have Japanese and Canadian importers placing orders. Working on Australia and then New York where Jura wines are popular.

Hachette have awarded one or more stars to one of Patrice's red wines- the Guide Hachette des vins is out today and hopefully details will be available later in the post.

Must mention Juliette, Patrice's apprentice who has become very much one of the family, as well as being very capable and hard-working. She is selling wine regularly at an organic market in Besancon where Daddy's wines are going down well.

The bad news isn't really bad but the dreadful Jura weather in May/June (cold and wet) meant that some buds were lost and those that survived have taken their time to mature, with some mildew about. Harvest is therefore likely to be throughout October and at about the 2012 level. Good job 2011 was a bumper crop.

Mummy has been doing her own part-time job as well as providing maternity-cover throughout the summer, which has meant almost full-time work. She reverts to just her own job (providing agricultural relief workers to farmers) next week which will allow her to undertake more marketing and admin for the domaine. Not sure if it will pay as well....

Mummy, Daddy, Tessa and I went on holiday to Lake Chalain 2 weeks ago, where we spent lots of time playing on the beach and in the lake and in the splendid camp-site. It was also quite close so we came back on the Tuesday for the Mesnay market which runs in July and August. Granny and GP came over last week and as the weather was good we went out for a few trips with them prior to me returning to school a couple of days ago. I even got to walk in the procession of vignerons following the biou to church in Arbois- a large bunch of grapes made out of thousands of normal-sized grapes. Bands playing, big-wigs processing- all good clean fun! Mami and Papi came over and we all listened to a number of Jazz bands at the Arbois Festival of Music - very good they were too.

Latest- GP has failed again- this should have been posted a month ago. The latest is that the vendanges are now well under way- a lighter crop than usual, but seemingly good quality. The pickers have been getting wet, but thanks to all who have helped.

Will post this now- apologies for the delay. Hopefully some pics will accompany this- my sister is growing up fast as can be seen. It seems that she may well be keeping me on my toes (or stamping on my toes?) as she grows older. Watch this space. I'm now at school 4 days per week and enjoying it (mostly). Have also started music lessons. Not bad for 4, says GP whose musical career with his violin happily came to an abrupt end at age 15!

More soon hopefully. Looking forward to seeing Granny, Auntie Vicky and Tonton Tee next week.

Bisous

Basti

2013 vintage is taking some time to get going...

Oh dear. Basti here at last- it's an absolute age since I managed to get Grandpa (GP) off his backside and write my blog. He even allowed my sister to write the last one- I ask you.

Quick update- I'm now 3 and three-quarters and Tessa is 9 months. I'm at school in the mornings and can count up to well over 20 in both languages and can read some words with encouragement and a fair wind. I am beginning to realise quite how bad GP's French is and am continually having to tell him how to pronounce the words in the stories he reads me from the library in Arbois. He's quite hopelesss at rolling his Rs, but apparently it's a Hughes trait from their days in Wales. And on the subject of Wales, GP was ecstatic when the "boys" taught England how to play Rugby a few weeks ago. Today we celebrated and went to see Arbois thrash the opposition 29-3. Not quite as comprehensive as Wales but pretty d.. close. Not sure what d.. means, but I have temporarily to rely on GP who pretends he knows what he is doing.

Currently GP is here in Mesnay with Granny, Auntie Vicky and Uncle Tee. Daddy is in Clermont Ferrand at (another) wine fair and comes back tonight. Next week he's off to Belgium and is increasingly concentrating on marketing. Most of the vines have been tied and he is very pleased with his apprentice, Juliette, who has been a greta help in the vines and has settled in well. She also reads me stories when she comes for lunch. Daddy now has 6 plots of vines, one more than last year, and so is probably up to 3 hectares.

The success this year has been the "special" wines, which are called Coup de Plous (no idea), a  pink liqueur consisting of grape juice and Marc, the Jura brandy; Straw Berry, a pun on Paille, meaning straw, on which the raisins are dried, vin de paille being the generic term for this type of wine- rather like sherry; Macvin is a chardonnay-based liqueur where the marc is oaked as is the macvin.

In the meantime the various wines have also been selling well, with the Michelin- restaurants regularly re-ordering and new restaurants and wine merchants coming on board.

I'll get this online now, but will write again after Daddy and GP go to London for a Jura Wine Tasting with 26 other vignerons. Will also publish some recent pics.

Lots of love

Basti xx

Move over, Bro- there's a new kid on the block....

Hi


Tessa (Iris) here welcoming you all to my blog. OK, it's not really mine, but my brother has been hogging the limelight for over 3 years and I know he won't mind a quick post from me. So here I am weighing in at 3.6kg, half a kilo heavier than when I arrived on 27 June after a swift, but apparently eye-watering, delivery, sans anaesthetic (ouch).

And I gather that I might be entitled to a share of my brother's wine empire, which is also pretty good news. Not sure about wine, but some say it's even better than milk, so it gets my vote. Haven't had a full tour of the winery and vineyards yet, but I gather there's plenty of wine downstairs and this year's crop is also looking good with just some 6 weeks until picking. Lots of mildew about but Daddy has escaped pretty well unscathed. Fingers are now crossed that we get no hail and that the wild boar which love to roam in Champ Fort just up the road don't manage to beat the electric fence as they did last year.


Was pleased to be introduced to Granny and Grandpa shortly after my birth, and also to Tata Christelle and cousin Alexis. I also see Mami and Papi regularly with many of the family commenting on my likeness to Mami, having darker hair at the moment than Basti, who sends his bisous to all his readers- he'll be back on blog shortly.


The Tour de France was won by Bradley Wiggins and I was there, well at least on the local stage between Arc et Senans and Besancon. Great fun being bombarded with free gifts for an hour before the time trial. Basti enjoyed riding his bike up and down the road with Union Jacks on it and what seemed like most of the police motor-cyclists in France, accompanying the procession and riders, waving at him. During a break he would pedal up and down with the locals crying "Allez, allez". Show-off (but he ain't seen what a girl can do yet!).


Well GP did say that he would reluctantly taste the 2011 vintage and report back- "someone has to do it" he cries. And here is his verdict. "Wow". We all know (OK, possibly not me, but I'm getting there) that Ploussard is a very versatile and under-rated variety, except in the Jura. Well I'm pleased to tell you that despite the heavier-cropping last year the flavour is right up there. Possibly not as complex on the tongue in some instances, but definitely very fruity and more-ish. GP is selling the rosé, white blend of Savagnin and Chardonnay and the red Côte de Feule. Very pleased with the new rosé (good job as the rest has sold out) and he likes the new basic Ploussard so much that he might add it to his selection. He will probably stick with the 2010 white for a little while (his 2010 favourite) before moving onto the 2011 but the new edition is just as good. www.hb-wines.co.uk for details.


Well I think I've done pretty well not to doze off whilst writing this, but don't want to tempt fate so will say adieu, ftb. I look forward to meeting you all soon- no doubt I'll catch up with a few of you in September at vendanges time. As always the more the merrier, so do contact Daddy if you can spare a weekend in the country.


Love to you all


Tessa xxx

My sister's nearly here, with an extra 10,000 bottles to greet her...

Hi- Basti here-and I'm now 3 years old. Had a very enjoyable party 2 weeks ago, and got some super presents including a battery operated Thomas and a collapsing bridge for my (beloved) train set. 

It doesn't seem like yesterday that this blog started although it's over 3 years ago when I was being threatened with the name "Cadwallader". And "Coriander"  is due next week, so Mummy is quite a size, as you can imagine. Not sure what it will be like to have a sister, but as long as she will be able to kick a ball around pretty quickly, I am sure that we will be great friends. Otherwise I don't suppose that my life will change much, or am I in for a surprise? Wonder how I would have got on at school as Cadwallader Hughes Beguet- it has a certain ring, don't you think. See that Bastian Schweinsteiger, the only famous Bastian apart from me, is described today in the Telegraph as a Colossus of the German football team, which I think is a compliment!

Suppose that I may have to share my wine empire with my sister, well, a little bit of it anyway, but I can live with that, particularly as this week Daddy has bottled last year's harvest and so there are nearly 11,000 bottles of the 2011 vintage in the winery. The more observant of you will have spotted that we don't normally bottle until almost the day we start picking the next year's grapes and so this is most unusual with both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations finishing in record time last year. Apparently it is all looking good and I will update you on what it tastes like after Grandpa and I have got together next month and compared notes. I particularly like the Ploussard which is a delicate number and seems to come from a bottle marked R-I-B-E-N-A; I'll probably be able to read soon and then fully appreciate the tasting notes.

You may be able to detect in the photo above not only the pub sign on the front of the winery, but also the organic (Agriculture Biologique) green sign on the side. Already the 2010 vintage shows the "en conversion" statement, as will the 2011, and the 2012 crop this September will be the first to be fully organic. A long hard slog for Dad whose tractor has a habit of breaking down just when another spray is due, but worth it in the end. My Ploussard certainly tastes cleaner and fresher without the additional chemicals applied to non-organic wines, and so does GP's.

Well that's about all the HB news at present, although you may want to see my video from the VE-Day commemoration.

Not sure how I am going to be able to combine life as world-class trombonist with an award-winning domaine, but as you can see I am pretty versatile. Will get sis to say a few words to you in July. Hopefully then I will be able to announce a French or English win at the Euros.....?

Love to everyone

Basti xxx

Good heavens, has it been that long...?

Can I apologise for having a grandfather like GP? He is supposed to be keeping this blog up to date and jolly nearly 6 months have passed in the meantime. Heck, that's 20% of my life so far. Has anything happened in the meantime? Well only a massive harvest, Christmas party, lots of Michelin restaurants, me going to school, and did I mention a new brother or sister? And GP just ignores it. I reckon I'll be taking over by this time next year so there should be some continuity.


So where was I? Oh yes- a very successful harvest last year, more than 50% up on 2010. Thanks as always to all the helpers which included this year Tata Icky and Tonton T. (I can now say Vicky, grandpa!). GP made some excuse about a bad back.... Lots of barrels in the cellar, needless to say, and fermentation all over in weeks rather than the 11 or so months for 2010. Possibly bottling in April to save the last minute rush.

When all the work was over (!) GP and Granny came over with THE sign which was attached to the front of the house above the shop and unveiled with a big party for the village in December, including some magnificent music from Papi. Not many pub signs in the Jura, especially with lion/cockerels (lickerels?), so we'll get noticed! 


We had a very good Christmas with Mami and Papi, Christelle, Nicolas and cousin Alexis before going over to England in January where the weather was better than last July. It will be the last trip before I bring over my brother or sister, due in June when I will be 3. I looked at the scan last week but couldn't really tell. A brother would be good!


In the meantime I have been going to nursery for some time now and am also going to school where there are some bigger boys and girls. I am now the official translator for Granny and Grandpa and frankly I think they are getting lazy knowing that I have the answer. This blog will be bilingual before you know it. On that topic Mummy has been doing a lot of translating and is about to run an 8-week (2 hours pw) course teaching wine staff English so that they can understand and explain their wines to English speakers (which often includes Dutch and Germans).


In England I met another cousin, Ben and we had a good time together. He's got a rather bigger train set than I got at Christmas, but I am trying not to get too despondent and really enjoy playing with mine, even if it is smaller(and already 3 times the size of the photo below)..... I also got a bike with pedals which I had to leave behind but which will be coming over in May.


Daddy has been selling lots of wine and had a very good Percée, if freezing. Daddy is looking forward to having his own vin jaune, but still a few years to wait (6 years in barrel). He was at Orléans recently and we're off to Clermont Ferrand this weekend. Now have 3 restaurants with Michelin stars in France, as well as plenty of other good ones, and an "espoir" in Kent, where GP has just set up a business www.hb-wines.co.uk . Happily the wine is so good it doesn't matter if GP doesn't really know what he's talking about. "An enigmatic little number - rather smoky as the slope is rather more south-westerly than usual - hints of pawpaw and coconut with overtones of syrup of figs". I'll swear he makes it all up as he goes along.

Well I think GP has just about brought you all up to date and he's putting a few extra photos alongside. I'll make sure that he is more timely with our next contribution.


Bisous to you all


Basti xxx

It's all kicking off...............

I'm just back from my hols on the Riviera with Mummy, Daddy, GP and Granny.It was pretty hot, as you may be able to tell from the attached photo, but it was good to get some sand-castling experience, particularly on the destruction side. 


And just 5 days later, today, Daddy is bottling his 2010 wine which is the first to carry the official AB (Organic) label (en conversion). Unfortunately some of the Savagnin hasn't quite completed its malolactic fermentation and so that will be bottled later, but it still means some 6000 additional bottles. Good job Daddy has sold over half his 2009 vintage or space would be pretty tight. 


So the good news is that 4,500 litres will be emptied from the vats. The additional good news, albeit with certain logistical complications, is that on Saturday we start the 2011 vendanges, and that is likely to produce 9,000 litres (12k bottles) of what is probably going to be be a cracking vintage with all that early sun, and hence advanced harvest. Lots of extra barrels and two more vats will be brought into action- hope it's enough....


So picking starts on Saturday 3 September and will continue on the Sunday, then a gap of two weeks and a further picking weekend on 17/18th, with some mid-week picking along the way. Still places for both weekends, even with Auntie Vicky arriving in a party of 6 from the UK. As usual Mami is in charge of catering, and as I now have quite an appetite, I am looking forward to it.


In the meantime GP is now an official importer of Hughes Beguet wines, so get in touch if you want to sample some- tjh@ismltd.co.uk 


I'll let you know how the picking went later this month. Sorry to hear that the UK hasn't had as good a summer as we have. Our fruit and veg have been very productive, but I suppose that's why we grow grapes in a sunny valley. It's beginning to make sense.


A bientot


Basti xxx

Two years nearer taking control of the empire...

Well, next Tuesday anyway when I celebrate my deuxieme anniversaire. I'm pretty grown up now and can play the piano, the mouthorgan, and a large funnel into which I fit Daddy's trombone mouthpiece. All the right notes but not necessarily........

I'm at nursery at the moment so GP who is over here with Granny can get on with the blog- more dereliction of duty, I have to report, but you can't choose your grandparents apparently.

On the empire front, loads of good news. Firstly a 1/3 page photo of Daddy in the national edition of Le Point http://alturl.com/ztvcu which resulted in a number of orders from a number of countries. Next an article and photo in Cuisines et Vins and finally a plaque recognising the Cote de Feule (Red) as one of the top 12 Jura wines of the year. Given that an increasing amount of time is having to be set aside for Sales and Marketing, all this publicity helps, but rest assured- plenty of bottles still available. A further feather in the cap is the inclusion of 3 of Daddy's wines on the list of the local Michelin 2-star restaurant- not bad considering that it was only his first year of production.

Which leads us on to the 2010 vintage- officially "en conversion à Bio" and so recognised as being produced organically. The first bottling takes place at the end of the month- 3 reds and some oaked whites from 2009, thereby increasing yet further the choice. As if that weren't enough a semi-macvin, a rather delicious sherry-like concoction of grape juice and brandy or marc as it is called in the Jura (and pronounced mar) is about to hit the shelves. Not officially macvin as that requires the marc to be left another 12m in oak but pretty jolly good all the same. Sounds Scottish but is in fact a shortening of marc-vin and has been around since the 1300's.

Well, I hear you cry, what about 2011? Well the Jura has pretty well mirrored the South of England with little rain and plenty of heat- 27° here on Sunday and Monday. The vine flowers came out 3 weeks earlier than last year and the grapes should be harvested 100 days after that, so harvest is looking like the end of August/beginning of September. At present the grapes are very tiny but the danger of a frost at full moon in May seems to have passed. This was the ruination of many crops in years ending in 1 ranging from 1941 onwards and even this year a number of growers were hit. Why there should seem to be a 10-year climate cycle in the Jura is one of God's mysteries! A thorough soaking has occurred over the last 36 hours which has been much-needed. Hopefully it will have abated by tomorrow, Ascension Day, renowned for storms hereabouts (!) as I am hoping to go on a bateau having read all about them in various books. Not thick on the ground here in the mountains, but apparently some about an hour's drive away.

I have received a number of pressies already including a sandpit and paddling pool which were great on Sunday and Monday. Yesterday Mami and Papi came over to lunch which was fun and they brought over a huge toy work bench with plenty of tools which make authentic noises. My favourite is the chainsaw but my efforts with the small peach tree on the terrace don't seem to be appreciated. Mummy's classes in non-aggressive parenting seem to be working though and so far I have avoided a walloping!

The solar panels are working well and we were all very cosy this winter - there is bags of hot water even with the gas off for the last few weeks. GP and Granny leave this weekend and then Auntie Vicky arrives for a couple of days so plenty of English being spoken. Q "Are you a boy or a girl?" A. "Garçon" gets the Brits confused! The next time I see GP and Granny in August I'll be teaching them French! We hope to have a holiday together in Provence near the sea and so my sand-castle practice will stand me in good stead.

GP has just become an official importer of Hughes Béguet Wines into the UK so feel free to place huge orders or recommend him. He has generously/foolishly agreed to waive any fees and so you are buying at imported prices, unfortunately slightly more than the French price as a result of UK duty. God bless Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs!

à bientôt for now

Lots of love

Basti xxx, nearly 2.

Percée 2011

Well, firstly many apologies for the delay in this post and secondly a belated Bonne Année to my reader(s?). This collaboration has become a bit one-sided with GP needing a good Expletives deleted-Ed. Anyway here we are in 2011 and everything is going swimmingly.

Since I last wrote the 2010 wine is maturing nicely in the various vats and barrels chez nous and Daddy is very optimistic. It's been pretty cold in the Jura but is likely to get worse before it gets better. The pruning was delayed because of snow but D is catching up and Mummy has been doing some tying. Still some way to go what with trying to sell the stuff as well, a problem that didn't exist last year when we had no bottles.

Well, I've now sailed past my 18 months mark and am becoming quite the little man by all accounts. I have discovered technology and have learnt that if I press various buttons on the PC or extract various plugs from sockets, I can make Mummy and Daddy very quickly sit up and take notice. My vocabulary has improved dramatically as a result, albeit I suspect that not all those words will be welcome at Nursery when I get there.

You might remember that I had become pretty good at impressions before Christmas and I have now extended my repertoire somewhat to repeating words (well, they're pretty nearly words), and am apparently bi-lingual in the couple of dozen I have now mastered. I have absolutely no idea what bi-lingual is, of course, but have begun to realise that Closing curtains and Fermer-ing les rideaux are pretty much the same thing. Seems a bit unnecessary all this duplication, but it seems as though it's what they want and so I try to please. Anyway I shut the rideaux or ferme les curtains to order. Another achievement is my Larry Adler impression on Daddy's harmonica, which always has to end in a burst of applause that I usually have to initiate. Carnegie Hall may have to wait a couple of years, but I think that I have definitely got it- absolument!

Visited Blighty over Christmas only to find it even colder than over here. Good to see all the rellies and to get my first taste of turkey and Christmas pudding (not together, you understand). Wasn't allowed brandy butter, but it's on my list for the future given the way everyone else wolfed it down. Granny and GP were very pleased to see us all and I tried not to keep everyone awake at night, largely successfully. Everyone was worried about my hands getting cold playing on the swings and slides in the village, but as I keep trying to tell them, gloves are for wimps.

Brief visit to hospital immediately on my return, for 5 days, which was a surprise and having recovered I then caught chickenpox. Am firmly on the mend, I hope! Rather interrupted the Percée which is allegedly the largest wine gathering in the world, ridiculously held in February, when the new Vin Jaune is released on an unsuspecting public. The crust is ceremoniously pierced and a good deal of wine is consumed. Daddy will have some in 2015 or thereabouts - hope it's worth the wait. This year the festivities (and the arrival of 30,000 people from around the world) occurred in Arbois (previous occasion 1998) and Mummy and Daddy sold a fair amount of wine whilst dishing out nearly 100 bottles to the multitudes. Even got their photo on a blog www.leblogdolif.com/ and a pic, shown at the top.

Snow here at present which is preventing tying after some very spring-like weather which even I knew wasn't going to last. Roll-on summer.

Well that's all folks, as various cartoon characters used to say. I'll try to catch up with you again shortly. Now back to all this speaking malarkey so that I can have a proper say in this column. Merci and bye-bye -trip off the tongue.

Bisous from Basti xxx

2010 Harvest is in and looks good...

Autumn has arrived in the Jura and so have Granny and GP, and so I've managed to get GP working on the blog. Such dereliction of duty- what an example to set us young folk!

As for my wine empire, well, it's pretty good news. In September the harvest was delayed because there had been much less sun this year. Probably a good thing, because Daddy didn't start bottling his final 2009 bottles until the week before, thus creating some space in the vats for this year's offering. So now we have added to the Ploussard Rosé, Red, and Champ Fort (the larger plot in Mesnay) two whites- Savagnin and Savagnin/Chardonnay, a Red Trousseau, "So True" (it's a French joke-Norman Wisdom would have been impressed) and the final top quality Ploussard- Cote de Feule. A total bottling of 9,500, but now only some 8,000 left, so get in quickly. An order for 150 bottles has just been received and there is some restaurant interest for the spring. GP is looking to take a few cases back to England, "for medicinal purposes" apparently, but all the medicine I have to take tastes fairly dreadful and GP seems to enjoying his tipple -"Jolly good, old boy, but just a drop more to be sure....".


GP and Granny couldn't make this year's vendanges as they clashed with teaching, but Mami and Papi, Auntie Christelle and lots of Mummy and Daddy's friends descended on Mesnay for the two weekends 25/26 September and 2/3 October. A bit damp the first weekend, but quite pleasant the second. Here I am just testing the qualité, Mami is preparing the fondue for the pickers, Papi is picking the grapes, and Mummy is next to

Marie-Laure wearing the Hughes Beguet Team Shirt! GP keeps on telling me that some bloke called Confuscius said a picture is worth a thousand words. Many thanks to all the pickers and helpers.

Here are Daddy and Gilles emptying the grapes into the de-stalking machine. They are then either fed through the large press (think space rocket with chains to break up the grapes) to produce the white wine or kept in a tank to give the colour and tannins for the rosé and reds. The 2010 red grapes, which have been in the vats for 3 weeks, will be pressed next week- Daddy has a new press, about the size of a barrel, for the purpose. The really good news, after losing a fair amount of the crop to odium and badgers, is that the remaining grapes already seem to be producing really good quality wine. GP and Daddy seemed to spend quite a long time checking yesterday- obviously still secondary fermentation needed but apparently lower yields often produce superior wine; there should be some 8,000 bottles of the 2010 vintage.

More news- solar panels have arrived chez HB which will hopefully keep me cozy for the next 30 years or so -will let you know. In the meantime I'm trying not to get GP too excited- he always seems to want to chase me- I have to laugh to humour him; old people- what are they like?!

Look forward to speaking to you all soon.

Gros bisous

Bastian xxx

Ten green bottles - or Ten thousand?

Hi there

Gosh, doesn't time fly when you're having fun? Here we are in the height of summer and the really exciting news is that .... I can walk! It's been about 6 weeks now and I can motor along pretty jolly well- I might even need another pair of shoes soon. There have been a few bumps along the way, but generally I'm a pretty brave soldier when I fall over, and just get up again, keep calm, and carry on.

And the news from my wine empire is that.... it now exists! Daddy has 5,000 bottles of Rosè and two red Ploussard, one from Mesnay (AOC Arbois) and one from Pupillin (AOC Arbois Pupillin). GP can confirm that the final fermentation has worked well and the wine is very acceptable, particularly given that it is Daddy's first year and he had to accept the vines as they were in February 2009.

More important is how the wine is going down locally as most Vin du Jura is drunk here. And the short answer is: very well indeed! Daddy has sold over 20 cases in his first month and the feedback has been particularly good from those in the know. Not for nothing did Daddy go through 2 years at University becoming an oeneologist, with a particular strength in blending, use of oak, control of fermentation etc, quite apart from vine husbandry in all its glory. Piece of info: Louis Pasteur had part of his career in Arbois and was instrumental in identifying the cause and treatment of, in particular, the vine disease Odium, which has regrettably struck Daddy's vines in Pupillin -similar to mildew. It has affected both the organic and non-organic growers and will hopefully not be as disastrous as first thought-potentially the loss of 1,000 bottles plus.

What, I hear you ask, about the white wine (savagnin and chardonnay) and the trousseau? Well that has now also fully fermented and will be bottled in a couple of weeks giving a total 2009 production of just under 10,000 bottles with some in reserve for Vin Jaune and Macvin when the qualifying period of ageing has arrived. Certainly the white wine will extend the current range, despite the fact that the Pupillin Red has got into the list of top French wines (under 8 euros)http://www.larvf.com/,guides-rvf-2010,10408,1109564.asp, and a red about to be bottled will appear in the next edition of Cuisine et Vins de France http://www.cuisineetvinsdefrance.com/. So Domaine Hughes Beguet is very much on the map and, to prove it, above is a picture (taken on patio) of the first three bottles with 3 or more to come. You will note the labels which I think look pretty impressive and which are individually tailored to the wine type with differing coloured bottles for the red, white, and rosè. I was at a village fete/market on Tuesday where Daddy sells his wines and the village has a communal BBQ, and the HB labels looked by far the best of 3 available and sold very well to wash down the pork chops, sausages and trout! I particularly liked the acrobats who seemed determined to kill themselves most of the evening, but surprisingly didn't.

August/early September is when we wait for the grapes to fill out, change colour, gain sugar, (and hopefully avoid disease and hail) and the next really physical task will be the harvest or Vendanges. Last year it started on 12 September, but it probably won't be until the 18th or possibly even the 25th because the weather has not been as kind this year. I hope that most of Daddy's friends will come back to help - they had a good time last year and can now drink the "fruit of their labours" then.

GP and Granny are here in France at the moment but GP seems to have spent most of his time providing his opinion on the various blends. Funny how indecisive he has become, always seeming to need another glass "jusht to make shure...."!

Bisous from Basti XXX

Golly- it's summer already! And I am one year-old tomorrow!

Here's the news from Domaine Hughes Beguet, the name selected after many months of deliberation. Catchy, isn't it? Apparently a number of vignerons who didn't select their own name have regretted the need to establish their own name as well as their domaine and Daddy has heeded their advice. As the major brand in Arbois is "Vin Fou" I think they have a point.

Daddy (he'll probably become Papa soon) has been busy with Year 2 in the vines. He has acquired a new plot of vines near the house in Mesnay albeit on a 1 in 2 slope and popular with tobogganists, which is at the top of a hill and he will be planting the lower field shortly. He has not kept on "Pylones" which was not a quality plot but helped with volume last year. All the vines have been pruned, the dead wood removed, then bent and tied in good time although the weather at the beginning of the year was not conducive to open air activities. The tractor has come into its own with a small plough-like attachment to remove the weeds around the vines (albeit it jammed every 2 hours) and is now into spraying mode albeit with a 40 minute journey to Pupillan where the majority of the vines are situated.

Most importantly the wine from last year's harvest has nearly completed its secondary (malolactic) fermentation which means that it can shortly be bottled, a good job as various stands have been booked at wine fairs where it can be sold. Initially red only with the white later in the season. The good news is that some publicity has already been acquired regarding the quality of the wine which can only help, and it's only Year 1 and the "en conversion" to organic (biologique in France) can only be applied to this year's vintage. So it should get better and better, although the 2010 weather probably won't be bettered in the short-term unless global warming continues to make the Jura tropical like last year.

On the subject of bottling, the distinctive bottles of Jura wine will shortly be adorned with Hughes Beguet labels- watch this space for an example next blog.

Visited England again in May for the wedding of a school friend of Mummy's and a couple of photos appear alongside. As you will see I am now standing and expect to start running about any day now. 5 teeth and counting. Granny and GP are due to visit this week but Great Grannie is poorly and their arrival has been delayed. We wave at each other on Skype regularly which is good.

A longer update when I have briefed my ghost-writer(aka Grandpa) when I see him later this week.

Bisous

Bastian

Happy 2010- Spring is on its way and Daddy is working hard

Hello everyone- sorry that the blog has been quiet for 3 months. We all know who to blame- the sooner I can take over editorial control the better. And so much has happened since we last communicated. Firstly I enjoyed my first Christmas staying with Mami and Papi in Lescheres. It was a super family get-together with cousin Alexis there-hopefully a photograph of the two of us will appear on the right.

At the end of January I made my first visit to England which was good, and I met Mummy's cousin James, along with second cousin Ben who is a few months older than me. Ben's Mummy Sarah provided us with a lovely meal and I was also introduced to Great Auntie Susie and GU Peter in Colchester. Such family get-togethers are rather rare in England because of the distances involved so this was special.

GP, Granny and Auntie Vicky were very pleased to have me staying with them in Kent, and though I say so myself I behaved very well. I was also delighted to meet Great Grandma Hughes- all 4 generations together.

Right- the news. I can tiger crawl (elbows only) at remarkable speed and love opening every door and cupboard I can find. I am now fenced in to stop me toppling over the edge of the lounge into the dining area.(Wait 'til I can walk- we'll see then). I am also now eating everything put in front of me and am allowing my parents much more sleep as a result, sometimes sleeping 11 hours. Everyone is perkier including me!

Last year's wine is progressing well- still some secondary fermentation needed, but jolly nearly there and all agree it's tasting good. Bottling in the summer for some of the reds- GP can't wait...

Daddy has now had his vines for a year and has already nearly finished pruning. Mami and Papi are doing sterling work with the dreaded blue string and removing the death-like grip of last year's vines on the wires. He has also acquired some more vines and some land for planting vines in Mesnay, close to home, except that the land attached is where generations of Mesnayans have enjoyed sledging in the winter. He is probably going to have to leave a reasonable slope for me and my friends to go sledging in the future- you know it makes sense, Dad! A fair amount of snow this year, as everywhere else, and I have been out in my sled which was reasonable fun- suspect that I will be more enthusiastic next year, beginning preparation for the cross-country in the 2030 Olympics! Mesnay is at about 1000 feet with some of the vines being a few hundred feet higher. Plenty of snow every year making Daddy's pruning fairly challenging temperature-wise.

Still no definite news on the Brand Name for our wine. Vins Achentoux is still a front-runner, but will need explaining.Suave Wines might get people thinking it's Italian, Vantage Vins combines advantage with vintage (cunningly, GP thinks...). Now it's the turn of all the blog readers to come up with a minimum of 3 suggestions- patrice@hughesbeguet.com. Winner gets a case!

Will try to get Grandpa to whirl his pen before Easter- and it's only a month away.

Great to speak to you all again

Love from

Bastian xxx

Bastian

Lots of brandy, and I'm not allowed a drop

Hi

Sorry to have been rather quiet for a few weeks. This is, of course, GP's fault- something to do with him teaching, but in fact he only has 6 lessons a week. I ask you!

Life in Mesnay (Arbois) has been less hectic after the harvest. The leaves on the vines have turned brown and the autumn tints look spectacular this year with stunning reds amongst the browns and greens- a few photos appear to one side. The weather has apparently been much better than the UK and during Granny and GP's visit at half-term they both got sunburnt. Apparently this is unusual with snow at the end of October a more usual occurrence than a reading of 31 degrees on getting into a car which had been parked in the sun.

Whilst less hectic Daddy has nevertheless had plenty of work to do. Nearly all the primary fermentation has finished and there is now some malolactic fermentation where the slightly more acidic malic acid (think green apples) is converted into lactic acid. This makes the wine rounder and more buttery. Alongside this D has various wine varieties in a dozen oak barrels which he will use to add some flavour and roundness to his eventual blending.

Slightly disappointing at harvest was the quantity of wine achieved from his Savagnin grapes, at the lower end of expectations, whereas the other varieties had produced better volumes than anticipated. This was put down to insufficient pressing at the time. The upside of this was a greater quantity of grape skins which were placed in various plastic tanks. The largest of these did not, unfortunately, have a lid and despite valiant efforts with a plastic tarpaulin the fruit flies attacked it (in their thousands) and it turned to vinegar. Or so we thought... Not for nothing did Daddy spend 2 years at Montpellier University becoming an oenologue.

With some input from fellow vignerons in Arbois, D took off the top layer of liquid and brought forward the next activity - distillation of the grape skins. Expecting only a modest amount of 60% spirit- called marc in the Jura - lo and behold nearly 4 times as much as expected has been produced, without a hint of vinegar. So perhaps not pressing all the juice out was the right thing to do. Unfortunately D will have to pay about £10 per litre duty on the spirit when it is sold in 2011 as Macvin, blended with 70% wine and some oaking,- a sherry-like aperitif, and jolly good too.

The current plan is to produce the first bottles in May/June next year with aromas of raspberry, redcurrant and some pepper, if GP has got his translation of D's email correct! GP is getting excited....

My news hot of the press is that I can now move, an achievement which has not been entirely positive in that I roll over, always on my left side, with the result that several gyrations will often leave me further away from my intended destination than I was when I started. This has led to a certain degree of angst and so I propose to explore other methods of transference over the next few days. However it has precipitated a trip to Besancon for Mummy and Daddy to purchase rails to prevent my imminent demise over the ledge down to the dining room!

I am apparently still a bonny baby, which is good news, and have more than doubled my original birth weight. Mummy is reluctant to give me solids until 6 months old and so it's now 14 days and counting to my first Morteau sausage and Comté cheese. What? Baby rice? You must be joking! After all this time waiting for a Jurassic specilality. I ask you.

Oh well, Christmas soon. I'm looking forward to playing with the wrapping paper and my first Xmas pudding................

Still no decision on the Wine Label name... www.hughesbeguet.com with suggestions. Bastivin?

Love from

Bastian xxx

How exciting was that?!!!

Well, readers, it's been a roller-coaster since I last wrote. At that time Daddy, Papi and Uncle Gilbert were plastering the garage, installing RSJs, and a team was sandblasting the cellar below the garage. Since then a dozen Vats of various sizes and various oak barrels (£500 new!) have arrived, piping has been installed connected to a former milk-cooling tank, concrete has been flowing, an enormous press resembling a rocket launcher at 20 degrees has been installed on the patio, a de-stalker acquired and two pumps with some 100 boxes/trays/buckets/secateurs, 6 tons of gravel has been spread about the cellar which now has a concrete pathway, and so much more!

During the first weekend of September after some unwanted rain, Daddy had to make the decision whether or not to stick to the scheduled 3 picking weekends when friends from all over France would descend on Mesnay to help with the vendanges. After testing grapes from the four plots for sugar levels it was "all systems go" for the weekends 12/13,19/20 and 26/27 September.

And so it was on a glorious 12 September that some 20 souls set off to the vines just up the road to pick some Chardonnay grapes later moving on to Pylones (an unofficial name describing the proximity to electrical conductors).

Despite up to 20% loss through hail, the grappes de raisins looked good and tasted good. These were collected in buckets by the pickers and transferred to bins which were then transported in a pick-up truck driven by the indispensable Patrick who enjoyed it so much he came for all 3 weekends. The Winery team then poured the grapes into the crusher/press with the resulting juice then pumped into one of the Vats.

At 2pm each day the team returned from the vines to a splendid sit-down lunch with starters, main course, cheese (£70 worth per weekend!!) and dessert/coffee/wine beer. Praise must go to Jacqueline/Mami who planned and executed the meals assisted by Mummy, Granny, Papi and Grandpa. A good time was had by all but everyone was willing to return to the vines for another 4 hours thereafter before another feast. Fortunately chairs and tables for up to 28 were available and there was room to spare.

Daddy allowed the "gang" to sleep in on Sunday morning as they were fairly shattered but it was back on Sunday for another round. Worst aspect was the bending and back pain was fairly common, albeit the 30 new secateurs were sharp and sometimes cutting a bunch resulted in fingers being lacerated alongside the supporting stalk. Plasters were on hand!



Unfortunately the second Saturday saw the fantastic weather change and the pickers were subjected to two thunderstorms of cats and dogs proportions. Nothing to do but carry on and feel slightly damp and depressed. The sun came back out (twice) to dry us out and spirits had returend by dinner time and the Vins du Jura.

Following the Chardonnay the Ploussard and Trousseau were harvested and finally the Savagnin last weekend, possibly the only disappointment volume-wise. A pity as this is the premium grape with the Vin Jaune kept in barrel for 6 years and selling for, we hope, some 25 Euros for half a bottle.

The work doesn't finish once the pickers have left as the red grapes need macerating, with regular pige-ing (stirring to ensure breakdown of skins and no drying out). The red grapes actually produce white juice and it is the maceration which introduces the colour and the tannins. Apart from this, the white juice needs drawing off the sediment, the speed of fermentation needs checking, with temperature controls introduced if necessary, top grapes are picked out for the Vin de paille (straw wine), cleaning of the press etc. The straw wine grapes are dried over 3 months before pressing when just a third of the orinal juice is availble, though in concentrated form. After fermentation the wine is fortified with brandy or marc as it is known in the Jura- beats sherry, I can tell you (although I am relying on GP here!).

Needless to say the aroma in the winery is "formidable". GP is going to try to upload a video clip of the winery activity at the end of the first Saturday . First you see the grapes being de-stemmed, then being put into a vat, followed by a quick trip around the winery passing the yellow press.

So it's all been very exciting for a 3-month-old, I can tell you, with 20-odd people sharing my house. I have been trying to grow as quickly as possible so that I can start trying out this wine stuff, and have been succeeding quite well. Indeed as Mummy and Daddy can testify, I am also about to produce some teeth so that soon I can try some of the Comté cheese the region is famous for. I have already been introduced to a Montbeliard cow which is the only breed that can produce Comté- they're very attractive brown and whites. Again some photos should appear- needless to say GP could see the difference after 2 months.

I'll report on the progress of the grape juice turning into wine in my next blog. In the meantime many thanks to all the pickers, who were great.

Love and bisous from Bastian

Oh, hail......

Hi everyone

Sorry that I've been a bit quiet of late, although my parents probably wouldn't recognise that description. I blame Grandpa and his golf, not to mention the Ashes. Not sure the Ashes are as popular in France, even if England are winning (ftb).....

Anyway, I've been growing well and becoming quite used to life in Mesnay as hopefully the photos will reveal; after all I am 8 weeks old now.

Quite a few adventures since I last wrote. Granny and Auntie Vicky came over by Eurostar (first-class on way out - very civilised, Granny thought) a couple of weeks ago. They had a good time with A.Vicky going to two wine-tastings and visiting our outdoor pool every day (our being 500m away, not the back garden!). See pics. Last weekend David and Geraldine got married nearby, with lots of friends staying here. Quite noisy but good fun. Geraldine looked lovely. This weekend one of Mummy's school friends from Ashford came to visit. She's a doctor but only just realised that she was pregnant after three months. Hope I didn't put her off with my "singing" (well that's what I like to call it).

Exciting times here in the house. No, still no banisters (they are promised), but in the meantime Daddy has had the cellar sand-blasted ready for all the vats which he has ordered along with presses and barrels and tubing and pumps. He discovered some marc (brandy by any other name) in one barrel in the depths which will help with some of his fortified wines.

Bad news however in the shape of hail which has damaged some 10/20% of the crop. It happened last year as well and hopefully will have got it out of its system. As it struck quite early in the season when the grapes have not developed too much sugar, the damaged grapes don't look as though they will rot and ruin the bunch and hopefully will just shrivel and die, so fingers crossed. Agriculture is always at the mercy of the elements as daddy is becoming to appreciate.

I think that's about all the news for present. Mummy and Daddy have managed to persuade some of their friends to sign up for the grape harvest 19/20 and 26/27 September. Feel free to join us -mailto:-patrice@hughesbeguet.com

Love from Bastian xxx

20 days and counting..well, smiling anyway

Hi

Thought that I'd update you on progress which has been pretty much according to the book; in other words, quite unpredictable. Some days I'm hungry and tired, other days I'm hungry and not tired. The latter has caused a few sleepless nights, but Mummy and Daddy are still smiling (most of the time, anyway). I'm putting on weight - now 3.7kg - and have been smiling occasionally which is pretty neat at my age, I think.

I met my cousin Alexis last Sunday who was supposed to be two weeks younger than me but turns out is a week older. Seems a nice chap, with a full head of black hair(unlike mine which is similar in quantity to GP's). I expect we'll be great mates. Also met Auntie Christelle and Uncle Nicolas who live in delightful Annecy which I look forward to seeing and peddalo-ing on the lake there.

As to my inheritance, the vines are also growing- Daddy had to spray again last week as the rain had washed off his previous application. He put 1.5 litres of Yarrow soup, made by Mummy, into the mix which is apparently for water management of the vines. GP isn't entirely convinced yet about the organic (biologique)/bio-dynamic methods, calculating, fairly roughly admittedly, that that means about a molecule per vine leaf, but time will tell, and if there are less noxious chemicals being used, so much the better. It does mean extra spraying for Daddy as the applications aren't systemic like the non-organic vintners'. Thank heavens for Daddy's tractor, which he hasn't modified this week, although he gave a couple of vines a bit of a headache.

The good news is that the dreaded blue string has been deployed, mainly thanks to Granny and Papi who seem naturally gifted in the unwinding of string, unlike GP who will be walking down the row and then suddenly disappears, pole-axed as he finds himself lassooed around the ankles. Now all the vines in Mesnay (6000'ish) need to have clips inserted at every post to draw the left and right strings together and then the shoots brought up in between them. Then all 20,000 vines need trimming manually to reduce leafage, the weeds attacked (manually of course, being biologique), spraying every 2/3 weeks depending on rainfall, and Robert's the brother of your mother. Picking volunteers still sought for the last 3 weekends in September............. patrice@hughesbeguet.com

The bad news is that Daddy slipped in his new shower this week and aggravated his tennis elbow which will make his shearing of the vines even more painful. Along with a raging toothache and my reluctance to sleep last night, he wasn't a particularly bouncy bunny this morning, but he has picked up during the day as the antibiotics have taken effect.

Granny and Grandpa are back to Blighty on Monday- seemingly they have had a good time seeing me; Granny is back in 3 weeks with Auntie Vickie (who is seeing Neil Young and The Pretenders tonight, and Bruce Springstein tomorrow, in Hyde Park- it's a hard life!) GP may not be back until harvesting- I expect that I will have changed by then. He'll be putting up some photos when he returns. They do like this area- the people are charming, Bonjouring all the time. A couple of young lads were ruuning by the side of the local stream the other day about to jump in and yet they stopped to Bonjour us all, depite being complete strangers. The Post Office assistants even bonjour everyone when they merely walk in the door. Doesn't happen at Tesco!

Oh by the way, I like my baths. In fact I am really a jolly good little fellow, all things considered. I'm off to my first wedding in July-looking forward to it. Daddy's at the stag night now, very sorry that he's on antibiotics, and orange juice!

Love from Bastian