Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Wine & Food of Le Tour 2021, Stage 4: Redon to Fougères

Where are we? Still in Brittany!

Redon:The local tourist site tells me that we should visit an abbey: This beautiful south-facing site between rivers and hills was chosen as the setting for an abbey during the Middle Ages and the town and its port subsequently grew up around it, as described in detail on guided tours and on the Redon history trail.
 The Benedictine abbey rapidly grew rich and powerful, receiving large amounts of taxes. Its cartulary, a register of legal acts, is a precious source of information for medieval historians. The abbey built strong links with the Abbey of Landévennec, the other major religious centre in Brittany. Gradually, over the centuries, the buildings were transformed : the nave is Romanesque, the bell tower and apse are Gothic and the ‘cloitre Richelieu’ (cloisters)  date from the 17th century.  
 The Romanesque tower with its small vaults and columns of red sandstone and granite is an absolute gem. An underground passage, which can be visited with a guide in summer, comes out at the foot of the ramparts on the Quai Saint Jacques (St James). Redon is on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago (St James) de Compostela.

Fougères: The local tourist site tells me that: The main reason to visit Fougères is to see its magnificent castle, one of the finest fortresses in Europe, but this little town on the Brittany-Normandy border also has a lovely medieval district and a lively Saturday-morning market.
There has been a castle in Fougères for more than 1,000 years as this site, on a promontory sheltered by hills and surrounded by marshes, was identified by the Duchy of Brittany as the perfect spot to defend its lands from the French. The current castle dates from the 12th century and consists of three enclosures whose walls are dotted with towers: the most impressive is the Mélusine Tower. The castle, where history is brought to life via images and sounds, is a must-visit for both adults and kids alike and a walk around the ramparts is not to be missed.

Tour Specialties
Redon:  the chestnut, queen of Redonese gastronomy.
Fougères: shoes, glassware, galette-saucisse (sausage pancake), pommé ramaougerie (made from cooked apples) 

Christian Prudhomme says: This journey through Argoat, the beautiful inland Brittany entirely set in the Gallo country and going from one side to the other of the Ille-et-Vilaine area is another fine opportunity for the sprinters. Unless if audacious riders make the best of the hilly forrest roads or windy conditions on the few unsheltered uplands to remain clear of the hungry pack.
The stage: After  a rider protest and a slow start to the stage, our break of the day consisted of Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal) and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Cofidis). After all of yesterday's crashes, the only finisher to not start the stage was Caleb Ewan, though there were some very sore and bandaged riders.  Sixty eight kilometers to go and the gap was at 1:40. They wanted to keep them close, but not catch them with enough time for an attack. Fifty kilometers and it was 1:35. A broken saddle for Cavendish, but he would make it back to the bunch.
Next up on the day was the intermediate sprint. Taking maximum points from the bunch was Cavendish. As a long time Cav fan, I smiled.
An update on green: After the intermediate sprint, Julian Alaphilippe who added 2 points to his account remained in the lead of the points classification with 82 points. Mathieu van der Poel followed with 62 points, Michael Matthews with 60. The other sprinters who could mathematically take the green jersey in Fougères were: Tim Merlier, 50, Nacer Bouhanni, 44, Jasper Philipsen, 41, Sonny Colbrelli and Mark Cavendish, 39, Peter Sagan, 32.

Twenty five kilometers to go and the gap was 1:15. Related, I remain impressed at how well they time the catches, knowing exactly how long to wait to add speed. They are wrong, but it is rare. As they closed in, Van Moer attacked to go solo. Ten kilometers to go and he had one minute. It was looking like he might make it. Four kilometers to go and it was around forty seconds. Two kilometers, twenty seconds.
Wow! I could not be happier. Cav! Yes, reader, I cried.


The wine: Domaine Johanna Cecillon Nerios
The last cider day for this year's tour.
From the producer: Nerios is a Celtic god of gushing springs. This bittersweet apple orchard faces south on a moderately deep granite soil. The high tree orchards are less dense with grass strips, which promotes diversity. There are no added pesticides or insecticides in order to preserve the environment. We are committed to keeping in compliance with organic production.
Nérios is powerful, tannic and surprises with its alcohol content of more than 7°. A copper color, fine bubbles, and slight caramel, licorice, vanilla on the palate with a hint ofbitterness on the finish.

The food: Le Tour suggests goose: Sougéal goose or Couesnon goose
Sougéal, a small town in the Fougères region, is famous for its Goose Festival and for this local breed of goose, which is raised on 300 hectares of marshland fed by the Couesnon. These geese feed exclusively on grass. Two or three weeks before slaughter, they leave the marshes to be fattened on grain. The small goose from Sougéal, with its white plumage, is slaughtered when it is about six months old and weighs between 3 and 4 kilos. It has a firm flesh that can be used for roasts, stews, casseroles, rillettes etc. 
The geese of Brittany were among the great gastronomic products of the region in the 19th century and Sougéal maintains this tradition, which is being lost. 
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