2017 VINTAGE

Spared by frost, but not by "acid rot"!!!

WEATHER DURING THE GROWING SEASON

After the cold weather of January, the winter progresses in the mildness with some good rains. With a record amount of sunshine in April, the vines grew very quickly and reached the flower bud stage at the end of the month. On April 20th, 27th and 28th, the morning temperatures dropped sharply and the vineyard of Fargues barely escaped the frost. May was sunny and warm, which favored a rapid flowering. June continued with one day out of two above 30° maximum temperature.
We are close to the early conditions experienced in 2010 or 2011 or even 2003. The hundred of millimeters of water that fell at the end of the month will be a good reinforcement to go through two months of dry summer. Mostly overcast but very hot when the sun appeared, July saw the first Sauvignon grapes reaching 9-10 degrees at the end of the month. Dryness and heat in August, with a short heat wave in the last decade, give us hope for a quick harvest in early September. Like in 2011 or 2003?

HARVEST

Patatras, September was cool, constantly humid, in a western regime; the early ripening slowed down. The rot set in little by little, but it is not possible to start a sorting without real drying conditions. The heat returned at the end of the month, and it was now the drosophila that stung the bunches. On September 26, the sorting was launched. We had to save this first generation of noble rot and eliminate all the acid rot, i.e. more than 50% of the harvest.

THE WINE

Production area: 21.17ha Harvest : 3 successive manual selections between 26.09 and 13.10 Fermentation period : 3 weeks Production: 12.000 bottles Vinification: 45% in new barrels Duration of maturation: 30 months