And harvest madnes begins ...

Heard a few rumours about rain in the Midi and I had mixed conversations with local growers over the phone; most of them in over-exaggerating farmer mode! So only one thing to do: get down to the Midi, which is exactly where I have been for the last two days. And of course, it’s not as bad as they make out, just them being farmers!

I started early in Carcassonne at Domaine Lalande to check the Chardonnay. My mate and Lalande winemaker Richard 'Ozzy' Osbourne was there to greet me and raring to go for his now-20th vintage here!


The Cailloux Chardonnay vineyard is in great shape. No mould and small bunches made up of clean crisp berries. Needs another 7 days I reckon, but I'll keep a close eye on it.

Viognier for the VC also clean, but a little behind in maturity. So this year, patience and risk will be the name of the game here I think!

Next was a bit of a drive across the Languedoc to deepest Bezier wine country. I had to check firstly Roussane with the Baron de Bertier, then Vermentino with no other than Madame F herself!


All looking very good indeed as long as any rain stays away for the next week.

With the panic over, I went back to the winemakers’ 2011 Midi base – a gite in beautiful Peyriac Sur Mer – to freshen up before heading back into vineyards for the Pinot Noir harvest tonight! Back to Bordeaux early tomorrow as the Sauvignon Blanc comes in. And so the harvest madness starts!

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