Leblanc Vineyard | Heritage vines

(Saint-Anicet) Jacques Leblanc planted vines in the 1990s on a small plot of land bordering his house as a hobby. His daughter Caroline and his son-in-law Bernard Jalbert took the adventure further. The couple cultivates more than 8000 vines in one of the hottest places in the province.

Very close to the St. Lawrence Seaway, not far from the American border, Lake Saint-François is very popular with vacationers because of its beaches and clear water. During the passage from The Press in mid-December the lake was still not frozen. Its blue reflections shimmered in the sleeping agricultural landscape.

The Leblanc family’s grain silo stands in the field bordering the shores of the lake. It is a relic of the last century, during which the family land was used for raising cattle and growing grain. In recent years, the vocation of the place has changed. The old Leblanc barn is no longer used as a hay warehouse, but as a place for making wine.

succession

Behind the counter, Caroline Leblanc feverishly uncorks the bottles.

This project is a small vineyard with 1,000 vines planted in the 1990s next to the family home. When he sold his herd and his milk quota in 1992, Jacques Leblanc was looking for a hobby: he became a winegrower. He first planted Sabrevois, then Petite Perle and Frontenac.

Like most winegrowers of the time, Jacques Leblanc had no training in viticulture, but he had passion, patience and a lot of ingenuity. Next to the barn, the old vines maintained with the means at hand, wires and telephone poles recovered in the village, bear witness to this.

“The wines weren’t always good,” admits his son-in-law Bernard Jalbert with a smile. But sometimes it was really successful, so much so that we felt like going for it! »

When Jacques Leblanc died nine years ago, the family had to choose between uprooting the vines or building a vineyard. Caroline and her husband Bernard, both high school teachers and parents of four children, chose the second option.

A real project

On the small hill overlooking Lake Saint-François, the Leblanc family’s vines are wrapped in a thick white plastic blanket. The plot seems tiny in the immense agricultural land of 71 hectares. However, Caroline and Bernard cultivate 8000 vines, a considerable number for a start-up vineyard.

Under the winter canvases, two pinots, black and gray, are asleep. These European varieties are more fragile and need a lot of heat.

However, the grapes have no problem ripening in Saint-Anicet. The small municipality records heat records every year.

In addition, the proximity of the lake protects the vineyard from spring frosts, an exception in Quebec.

The vines are still young, but the Pinot Gris and Noir already give two fragrant and elegant cuvées.

A little further, rows of hybrid varieties, more resistant to the Quebec climate, grow in the field. Frontenac, Vidal and Louise Swenson are part of the lot. The fruits of these young vines are blended with the grapes produced in the original plot. The wines are thus more complex and finer.

In the cellar, a collection of bottles with photos of children on the labels recalls the beginnings of the vineyard. Like the vines, the children have grown. They now come to lend a hand in the business dreamed of by their grandfather.

Vignoble Leblanc is open by appointment only.

To taste

Not complicated 2021

This white bears its name well. This blend of Swenson White and Frontenac Blanc smells of flowers and pineapple. Its powerful aromas are found in a fragrant mouth, but without sugar. The crunchy and refreshing attack is perfect to awaken the taste buds as an aperitif.

$16 at the vineyard

Frontenac at Laguerre 2021

The scents of cinnamon and nutmeg fill the glass of this pretty red from Quebec. Composed mainly of black Frontenac, the wine is not full-bodied, but it is very fruity. Blueberries, black cherries and raspberries, everything is tasty and will go perfectly with the Christmas turkey.

$21 at the vineyard