Despite a late bud burst, the vines had grown enough to be frozen on April 7. In a cool and rainy May, the vines fell behind and suffered repeated attacks from cryptogamic diseases. The flowering started on June 4 and spread out until the end of the month. Fertilization being badly done it is not long before we noticed a heterogeneous sag, mainly on the old merlots. Veraison did not begin until August 1 and lasts until the end of the month when mildew was omnipresent, prompting us to continue with enhanced protection. July was ok, but without a warm weather, August had reduced sunshine with low temperatures and high rainfall.
Everything seemed to be there to condemn the vintage, but the Indian summer, from September 14, gradually reversed the situation. The north wind, daytime temperatures above 25 ° C and cool nights blocked the development of the fungi, raised the degrees and advanced the phenolic maturity. This fine weather allowed us to wait as much as possible to achieve very long harvests from September 24 to October 10. The clusters presented all stages, from green to perfectly ripe and our sorting table was a major asset in eliminating quality-damaging abortions. The yield was very low, but after the second malo-lactic fermentation, the smoothness and complexity of the tannins were revealed.