VERY GOOD SURPRISE WITH 2012 VINTAGE
Great Dry White. Very good Red
A rainy spring was welcome after two years of
strong drought. Risks of diseases (mildew ….) have been checked with preventive
works by a very good technique strategy. A long period of flowering created a
serious heterogeneity which was homogenized by precise green works all along
July and August.
Finally we had a wonderful summer after an hesitant July but lightly rainy (in terms of quantity). Growing cycle stopped early August. Ripening period (August-October) was fully sunny without any drop of rain.
Such conditions have been excellent to clean the vineyard. We observed high sugar potential and very good acidity (quality of gravely and clayey soils) together with high level of tannins in red skins.
Our 40 ha white vineyard (All properties) have all been handpicked and selected by lots between 12/09 and 5/10. Climatic conditions were perfect and we get sumptuous different lots. Alcoholic fermentation was mainly in barrels. No malolactic. These several sortings gave more than 65 lots. They are all characterized by: aromatic intensity, roundness, freshness, power an vivacity. Fine lees maturation will increase elegance and complexity. The quantity of different lots permitted us to blend on each property with great precision. Now we are sure of a great dry white vintage 2012.
Our 80 ha red vineyard (all properties) was also handpicked in a short time between 9/10 and 18/10. The difficulty in 2012 was the lack of homogeneity between technic maturity(sugar-acid) and phenolic maturity(skins): Quality of aromas and tannins are fundamental to success a vintage. We had to be able to wait for optimal ripening to get soft skins. High risk of this late date was grey rot but our vineyards were very clean because of summer preparation work. Finally we have picked rich and ripe fruits with very fine tannins.
We have made two wonderful wines: Pulpy, fruity, fresh, rich, tasty, structured and very fine. In late December the malos were almost completed, another qualitative sign of high-quality red vintage red.The result is more than we could expect. R.E.
Yields :
50 hl/ha en blanc sec Pessac-Léognan
41 hl/ha en Bordeaux blanc sec
38.5hl/ha en rouge Pessac-Léognan
It is a rare event in 2011!
The rain that falls in Bordeaux since the weekend is welcome.
We finished the autumn with virtually no rainfall, succeeding summer watered just a little, and a historically dry and hot spring.
The weather in coming days is bad and it makes us very happy!
We began picking grapes for our 2011 white wine on Tuesday, the 23rd of August.
This early date was expected, since the historically dry, warm spring gave the growing season a 15-day head start, which was maintained until the harvest.
Contrary to some impressions, showers in the latter half of July and again week 22-26/08, were extremely beneficial to us: they hastened ripening and kept the vine metabolism at peak efficiency. The danger of grey rot was kept at bay by the even distribution of bunches on the vines, leaf thining, and carefully sorting at harvest to remove any damaged grappes.
Analyses of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes picked in the first wave (only golden-coloured bunches harvested in the morning) are superb and the first barrels are already fermenting.
The first wave of harvesting in every plots of Sauvignon Blanc is completed and a second in certain plots.
Next week's picking will be planned according to daily developments (especially with regard to the weather).
Sémillon wil be harvested after the Sauvignon Blanc.