Another harvest is upon us, although not as near as usual! Due to the abnormally cold spring the vineyards are approximately 20 days behind; unheard of. But quality is there. Beautiful set on the Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne, but strangely some of the reds like Pinot Noir are more advanced than the whites? It’s going to be a backward harvest but we are watching very carefully to get that perfect picking date.
I spent the last week with fellow winemakers: Richard ‘Aussie’ Osbourne in Carcassone; Thierry Cazach and JC in Maury; James ‘Kiwi’ Graham in Beziers; Patrick and Bernard ‘The Bear’ in the Corbieres; Vincent in Limoux; Katie Jones in Fitou; and Joseph Bousquet in Montpellier. With these talented friends and wonderful characters I managed to get a good idea of what the vintage was looking like.
With winemakers twiddling their thumbs a bit on the picking front, it means we have been getting stuck into the cellar preparation. I can safely say vats and new barrels are ready and gleaming … normally it’s all such a rush!
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