Tuesday 26 October 2010

The last grapes:

In fact we did not start harvesting the Cabernet Franc again until 20th October, finishing them the following day including the Cabernet Sauvignon.
On the 22nd, we organised our end-of-the-harvest “Gerbaude” celebration with the 58 people, who took part over a lunch-time buffet. It was a relief and great satisfaction to have been able to wait for the grapes to ripen properly while being able to already taste some wines in the making in the tanks with the characteristic tenderness of the ripe tannins just as we like them to be.
We have a great vintage in our hands with outstanding colour, good acid levels and tannins just at the right point of ripeness. It’s up to us now to craft a truly great wine!

Friday 15 October 2010

Cabernet franc.

We finished to pick the merlot grapes last wednesday 13th and will start to pick the cabernet franc next monday oct 18th. The last year we finished to pick the cabernet franc late was in 2008 from 14th to the 16th of october with a very good result. We had picked the cabernet sauvignon at the same date but this year we are going to wait them a bit more as long at the leaves of the vignes keep healthy (it means before automn makes them yellow of frost burns them). Don't forget that we are on an early soil and that most of our neighbours have finished the picking.
The temperatures have dropped at night down to 5°C and the maximum during the day is 17 to 20°C, so the maturation is slowed but there is plenty of light during the day with a beautiful blue sky so the vignes still work and the maturity is still progressing. The grapes are very healthy with no botrytis.

The first tank of 2010

We started picking the Merlot on 8 October and we will finish on Wednesday 13. We will see on Wednesday if we start the Cabernet Franc of if we wait a little longer. They have improved noticeably since the last rain we had. The 10 mm of rainfall this weekend will do them good.

This morning, we tasted the juice from the first tanks of Merlot, which are just starting to ferment. They are already full of colour, which is a sign the grape skins were extremely ripe and the aromas are really top quality to make a great wine. We are clearly in the range of ripe fruits. This is very promising, but the yield of fruit is low.
In the photo you can see the grapes sliding gently into the tank.