Throughout 2000, the weather was relatively uniform in the Loire - the region was blessed with a sound flowering, a cool, overcast July, a fine August and a reasonable September to bring the grapes to full maturity. Heavy October rains dashed any hopes of any major botrytis & yet the Coteaux de Layon are bright, pure & balanced. The reds from Anjou-Saumur are exceptionally well balanced - " It's an ideal harvest," said Michel Pinard, cellar-master at Domaine Charles Joguet, in Chinon, "Despite a chaotic month of July, complete with attacks of mildew that we successfully treated, we're surprised with the results. The sugar levels were perfect, and the wines are beautiful." In the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé appellations the winter did not dip into the region's normally low temperatures and passed smoothly into an early spring. The spring was warmer than usual, followed by a hot summer, which caused the grapes to ripen rapidly. Harvesting began in the last week of September. The wines are exceptionally pure, ripe and racy and are and more concentrated and better balanced than those produced in 1998 or 1999.