Rare is the adjective that best defines this vintage. The juice was rare with an average yield slightly higher than 20hl/ha. Rare was the rainfall over the summer period. Finally, rarely have we seen a vintage with such a level of concentration and freshness in such a context! It seems that none of the winegrowers still in business have ever vinified a vintage with such characteristics… For the older ones, we are still talking about 1959…

The winter was mild and wet with very few days of frost. Records were set in February, with temperatures of 14°C in France and 26°C in the South! The mildness continued but at the beginning of April, when the buds burst, the temperatures dropped and we shivered… The flowering went well, although there was a slight coulure and by the end of May the flower had passed. The north wind, present since the beginning of the campaign, did not weaken until the harvest. June was a very pleasant month, with mild temperatures and just the right amount of rainfall. The grapes are growing and the sanitary situation is very healthy. We are preparing for a very good vintage. The summer was quite different, the rainfall was scarce, barely 20mm between the beginning of July and the 20th of August… And the wind… The vegetation was suffering, the grapes were not filling up anymore… And then the oidium came in late without causing any major damage. The week of August 8 to 15 was hellish, with temperatures of over 35°C in the shade, and wilting and defoliation were observed almost everywhere. The harvest started on August 21st just after a 10mm rain shower… The grapes weighed 30% less than in a normal year and between 5 and 10% of the harvest was lost due to the drying of the bunches.

Fermentation started almost immediately. With the exception of two wines, all the vintages are vinified with 100% whole grapes. Very little extraction, the concentration is enough. The aromatics remain fresh, the mouths are smooth and appetizing, the structures are harmonious, the terroirs are well signed. A great vintage to which a long ageing period is perfectly suited. Probably a very great vintage but in the end, only time will tell…