The First New Barrels Arrive!

The 2010 harvest must be close because barrel-maker Marc Le Grand was here today to deliver his new barrels to the Chai. He has come all the way from Palaçoulo in north east Portugal. The barrels are made with the finest French oak and the climate in the far north east of Portugal is perfect for the storage and drying necessary to make the barrels.

Petit Denis was very excited to see the new barrels; a cellar master likes nothing more than gleaming new oak in the cellar! We all carefully unloaded the barrels from the truck into the cellar – there is something magical to see barrels once again on the quai by the river even if they did arrive by road.

The barrels will remain wrapped up until the last moment to keep them clean and dry. Putting the new barrels in the cellar is a bit like putting presents under the Christmas tree and when the first juice of the 2010 harvest arrives at the Chai, unwrapping the new barrels will be like Christmas Day for Petit Denis!

With that done and Denis briefed on the next couple of days cellar work, I am off to Bordeaux airport for a late flight to Lyon. From there I will pick up a car and drive into Southern Burgundy to the town of Tournus in the Macconais wine region because tomorrow I have big tasting with Bernard Derain at his winery.

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Just Like A Viognier

Woke up to the second day of rain here in Castillon but it’s needed right now as there is a tiny hint of water stress starting to show in the leaves of the vineyards.

Anyhow I am off down to the Midi today to Narbonne to prepare another new wine the Les Anges de Malassan. This is the 100% Viognier I made from the incredible 2009 vintage and for me definitely the star grape of the 09' Midi vintage.

It was raining from the first and quite a cold 16ºC all the way down until I passed Carcassonne which I call the ‘Gateway to the Midi’. Once through the door it’s a different world; it’s like going into Narnia! On the other side it was bright sunshine and a very warm 27ºC and I was dying there of thirst! I made my way to the small bottling plant in Sallèles-d'Aude a small village north of Narbonne which is split in two by the Canal du Midi.

The wine I transported here a couple of weeks ago has been carefully guarded by Jerome the cellar master who's been waiting for my final instructions for the bottling. I spent a good couple of hours tasting and briefing Jerome with what we winemakers call the 'final polishing' and bottling procedures.

It’s a very important time and all the hard work since last September harvest now hangs on this! The wine just tastes like a Viognier and just tastes like the terroir - but also tastes so good now! I have to now make sure the wine has the correct sulphur levels, CO2 levels for freshness, temperature, turbidity, balance and most importantly the actual physical movement of the wine where avoiding air contact is vital during the bottling.

So many wines are ruined at this stage due to oxidation, but with careful preparation I will perfectly preserve the wine until it that bottle is opened and fills the customer’s glass so they too can witness first hand what I have since last September.

After a long day it’s back to my hotel in town and a light bite to eat, happy that we are ready to go go go with the bottling first thing tomorrow!

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The Laithwaites Wine Merchants Arrive!

The five lucky Wine Merchants finally arrived in Bordeaux yesterday and to blazing sunshine and 35ºC heat! After an afternoons rest we threw a BBQ in the evening to welcome them and I did a tasting and explanation of some Chai wines. We tasted through the following:

Grand Chai Bordeaux White 2009
CY 2009
Condrieu 2008
Grand Chai Bordeaux Red 2007/08
St Emilion Grand Cru 2006 Cuvée Elegance
Un Vent de Folie 2008 (red)
Côte Rôtie 2007
Font Del Bosc 2005 Maury VDN

So after a good tasting and half a cow cooked up on the fire by Chai cellar master Petit Denis, everyone was ready and raring to go for tomorrow morning.

It was torrential rain this morning but I think it was just Castillon making the English Wine Merchants welcome! However the Chai was bustling like never before and the Wine Merchant team had changed their BBQ seats for Chai office desks and telephone head sets, and away they went selling Chai wines that they tasted first hand last night!

Meanwhile the 2009 Syrah de Folie was running right under their feet through our overhead stainless steel pipe which starts right of the door in the Grand Chai…..

……and exits to the left of the door in the Dordogne Chai connecting the two cellars together!

The Syrah from the overhead pipe was slowly flowing into the NASA vat from where Denis was rapidly filling barrels to begin the barrel-ageing process.

Today is also my mum's birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! And have a great day!

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