This entry was begun at the beginning of the month – but there was absolutely nothing to say. Not a thing. As if our minds were frozen and trapped in the tundra of presidential elections in North America, the alarming growth of Covid-19 cases, and the resulting general air of malaise, misery and mayhem all over the place, and the absolute hopelessness of absolutely everything. Trump tarifs on the one hand, impending Brexit tarifs on the other, no cellar door sales to speak of … when will this all end? But the vineyard continues on its way, unperturbed, making a gaudy, glittering show of gorgeous gold for as far as the eye can see. Why can’t we be like that: just get on with it, doing our own thing, with never-ending optimism and utter brilliance, as the vines do? And shine like a light while we’re about it?
So we go for a walk through the gold, and that clears our head. Things begin falling into place. Elections take place on the other side of the Atlantic, and they absorb us as if this is the final benchmark and ultimate judgement of the world as it is today. One President is dismissed, or seems to be, another stands politely in the wings waiting to be acknowledged. Leaders from the free west outdo each other to be the first the get their congratulations in, and real news of a real vaccine the really can fight off Covid-19 hits the headlines. The world suddenly seems to relax and let its breath out. The sky is blue, the mountains are smiling. The fields are gold, and tomorrow really will be another, better day.
Tuesday November 3
No, it doesn’t always have to be wine! Tonight’s a night especially made for a good Old Fashioned – and we find we rather like it. (The second glass even better). To accompany it: a Delaware Crab Dip (what else?), and they go together rather well. And very well with us too.
Saturday November 7
One wine guide, that written by Patrick Dessert Gerber, manages to get itself published despite all the difficult circumstances ruling all our lives. He gives Rives-Blanques ❤️❤️❤️, which is very kind, even though he does so every year. The general text accompanying his thoughtful tasting notes is the same we’ve seen for about the last 10 years as well, and is wildly out of date. We should be glad that he writes some nice notes about the wines and we are, but … can we forgive him for saying in his introduction to the Languedoc chapter, that ‘no one talks about Limoux’? No we cannot, because it’s simply not true. We can even forgive him for getting some vintages wrong on the wines we sent him, but not this, oh no …
Tuesday November 10
A trimmed-down version of the grandaddy of all wine guides, the Guide Hachette 2021 lands on our desk with the resounding thud of gravitas. This time only wines with special distinction are mentioned, but even so, there are 10,000 of them. Including our two: Dédicace, a ‘vibrant and luminous’ Chenin blanc, and Odysée, a Chardonnay that “seduces”.
And worth noting: the Hachette tasters specifically mention that the ‘dynamic Limoux team of winegrowers sees their efforts well rewarded”.
And Rives-Blanques is one of the good addresses of the appellation, with its well-tended grapes.
Now that’s more like it!
Who says nobody talks about Limoux?
Tuesday November 17
The weather has been amazing. A string of blamelessly beautiful and balmy days. We’ve had a rush of ladybirds, not the usual red ones with black spots, but yellow ones, and black ones, and some in-between colours ones, as well as feathery tiny little mosquitos that bite like a dog.
Jan did his vineyard tour with our agronomists in springlike conditions, and they gave us some statistics:
In comparison with 1981-2010, the lowest temperature this year were 2 C above that period, the highest were 3.3 C higher, and the average was 2.6 C higher. Now that’s sobering.
Rainfall this year was also 9% less in comparison to that same period (and 3% less than last year).
We continue pondering what we should do about the most beautiful field of all, the one called Lessenya, which is waiting fallow for pinot to be planted. Pinot? Is that still such a good idea?
but for the time being it’s a great place to receive tourists.
If we had any, that is.
to be continued next month