September came to our plateau in October; the weather we wanted for the harvest rolled out and covered the vines in sunshine and light. Only trouble is, the harvest was basically over. And as if they know the game is up, the vines start turning yellow, slowly burning burnished gold over our fields. This promises […]
August closed with a spectacular clash of cymbals and a dramatic drum-roll of thunder; we had asked for 20 mm of rain, but got 23 mm instead, which is nice. A stiff, fresh northerly wind blew September in, just what the doctor ordered for the health and happiness of our grapes and ourselves. This time […]
August sweeps in, in a blast of hot air. The vines react and push the grapes into “veraison”, first the chardonnay, and then the chenin blanc and the mauzac. If they have read the same text book, then this onset of ripening means we can expect the harvest to start in about 40 days or […]
July presented itself on our doorstep wearing an inscrutable face: do you read sunny weather in it, or something scowly and stormy? Either seems possible; both seem probable. However, the growth of the grapes tells us that we are pretty much marching to the tune of 2010, the coolest vintage in a decade for us […]
June is a huge milestone in the cycle of the vine: it is when it flowers. If flowering goes well, then all is well. If it doesn’t, well, then it isn’t … and you may as well get out your fishing rod and go fishing. So that is the important event of this month. Also […]