The best of times, the worst of times – and the fastest-paced time of all times … with no time at all to keep this diary up to date. So apologies to myself only, the single recorded reader of these accounts of the times and the wines of Rives-Blanques.
When last seen, we were locked down in splendid isolation. Since then, our ranks have swollen with the arrival of Maia, the most beautiful baby imaginable, born to our daughter Xaxa and her husband Ian in early July, at the very end of lockdown. If ever there was a high point, this was it: all the joy and the wonders of the entire universe held in one single, tiny littLe fist.
At the same time, we took a cautious step into the much flouted digital alternative to selling wine, and invited Jancis 
Robinson’s talented Tamlyn Currin to lunch. Digitally, of course, by Zoom. Six Vinifilles, women winemakers of the Languedoc, chatted with her about wine pairing ideas, the problems that beset winegrowers, and all the usual stuff that women (winemakers) talk about when they lunch with women (wine-writers). It was, it must be said, in professional terms, a high point in a season of many low points.
(The same six Vinifilles put together a case of the 6 wines from that same lunch, which can be delivered all over Europe for a mere €82 – a bold commercial step for a shy, retiring little vineyard like ours! Read about it here.)
And speaking of Women wine writers, how many people in the world get to sit down with the most respected wine writer in the world, Jancis Robinson herself, and taste through the Volnays of Domaine des Comtes Lafon from 2010 to 1991, sandwiched between a Laurent Perrier champagne vintage 2002 at the beginning, and a Comte Lafon Meursault 2005 at the end? We were those lucky ducks, invited by our generous friend Graham Nutter of Chateau Saint Jacques d’Albas in the Minervois. That was a Canigou of a high-point.
Another high point: 90 Parker points for our Chenin blanc, Dédicace 2018 in The Wine Advocate …(too bad it’s sold out), and a fabulous battery of high, hard-hitting points on Jancis Robinson.com for our current vintages, all last month.
And now suddenly our 20th harvest is upon us.
Friday August 21
The physical memory remembers effortlessly: you hear a pause in the night-muffled rumble of the harvesting machine, then the unmistakable sound of the tractor approaching … drawing closer … rounding the corner … entering the courtyard. Without thinking you, plug the trailer into the wall socket, flick the switch to get the conveyor belt going, turn the button that gets the sorting table moving, then pull the lever to lift the trailer that tips the grapes on to the sorting table. The green button starts the vibrator vibrating, and
then down they come: a tractor-load of grapes falling like a curtain rain of rain – and all done in one single, coherent, fluid and unthinking motion.
The grapes look fantastic, and they are still very cool to the touch. This is a great start.
Out in the field, the night sky is beginning to lift, and puddles of gun metal grey light swirl around the clouds. It’s already quite hot, set to get hotter yet. But we’re nearly finished for the day, and the sun hasn’t yet risen.
It’s the earliest start to the harvest in the history of Rives-Blanques, two days earlier than the record-breaking 2017. It’s also one of the lowest yields we’ve ever had as well.
Monday August 24
Bottling day today, of the chardonnay Odyssée, neatly sandwiched into our petite pause café while we put the harvest on hold. Rain is scheduled for Friday, which may save the day. Or may not. But at least the bottling goes off hitchless, and by mid-afternoon, we have 18,000 brand-new bottles of Odyssée 2019 all neatly boxed up.
Friday August 28
Hot, hotter and hottest weather this week. Forecast that has had trouble closing between 20 mm or no rain at all this weekend. Difficult to know what to do. Harvest before the rain, – if indeed it comes – with a low yield and high acidity, or harvest after the rain with potentially higher yield but risk of disease if hot, humid weather kicks back in. It’s a Faustian choice. All our weather forecasts disagree with each other, but I stake my reputation on the Norwegians.
And now the Norwegians are saying we can expect 20 ml this weekend. So that’s what we’ll get. (Or not). And the temperature will fall dramatically.
So we’re on the job at 07h00, but I’m arguing … not arguing, just posing the position, arguing the point, let’s say, that when we get a full press, we should stop and wait for Monday. Jan insists on continuing all day long, arguing his point that we may not be able to harvest on Monday, there was no provision made for a Monday harvest, how would you get the team together? Voices begin to rise, but that’s only because of the noise of the sorting table, of course.