The smiles say it all...

Our recent sojourn in Bordeaux has been quite enlightening. Chateaux owners are positively beaming at the prospect of their 2009s. Our time in the Medoc included engagements with two of the most influential Chateau directors, Frederic Engerer and Paul Pontallier (right).

Chateau Margaux has enjoyed a wonderful summer, with hot, exceptionally dry conditions. The harvest was the longest on record, starting on the 8th of September for the Pavillon Blanc and finishing today! (15th Oct). Paul was deliberating over which vintages to pour at `la gerbaude`, the traditional end of harvest party. Sugar levels are historically high in 2009, with some parcels of Merlot hitting 15.5% and 16%. Cabernets are a more modest 13%. If there's one problem with the vintage, it's that the dry autumn has resulted in smaller yields than we had hoped for. 36-37hl/ha, slightly below 2008.

Frederic Engerer explains that 2009 is an 'extreme vintage' at Chateau Latour. It is undoubtedly a great harvest, but he expects a `tumultuous` time during vinification. 'Everything is so extreme - concentration, alcohol, even acidities'. Alcoholic fermentations will certainly be lengthy. Cabernets look 'fabulous', but alas the yields are low. Frederic recorded temperatures of 28 degrees on the 28th of September. This extreme heat in September has resulted in tiny, concentrated berries with very little juice - he expects a crop slightly smaller than 2008 (itself a very small harvest).

Piedmont 2009 : "Harvest is finally over"

We were very worrried about the rain we had in the middle of September, but we soon got happy again seeing as afterwards the sun started shining and we had warmer days. Even today, while I write this, I'm wearing a t-shirt sitting outside and it's 25°!

The last few grapes were picked by our crew without any hurry or overly stressful selection - the grapes were healthy and fully ripe.

It looks like this is going to be another (!!) great harvest for Barolo, perhaps with a little too much alcohol, but definitely with good acidities and balance.

The last tank of nebbiolo was pressed on Sunday. For the first time we fermented longer than usual, we left it for a week on the skins..."just a week" some might say, but for us it's a "record". We tried to keep the temperature lower than usual, about 28°, and for longer. We will see the results soon as the juice is almost dry now.

Luckily this year we haven't had any arrest of fermentation, all tanks are turning dry naturally and some have even started their malolactics already.

We never inoculate with powdered yeast, preferring to create a "mother yeast" that we carry on for the whole vintage. I think that is a very good natural way of working and of giving your wines a special "familiar" taste every year.

Now that the crazy action is over we start to realise just how much work we have done and how many hours we have worked. Sleeping till 7,30am now feels like a total luxury!

This morning we racked the Dolcetto from one tank to another. It has such a nice aroma of violets and cherry that you almost want to eat it!

Just a few more day of moving stuff around, racking, then putting the new wines in barrel, turning the heaters to help malolactic fermentation and.....finito!!!!!!!!

Wines in the Press: Mas Doix, Salanques 2005

It might not be outrageous to suggest that Spain, the country with more land under vine than any other, is also the country that is pushing winemaking boundaries faster than anywhere else. Whilst Rioja has its new wave of modernists , Toro, Rueda and Priorat have all seen considerable investment of late and are producing world class wines that don't necessarily cost the earth.

It is no coincidence that Spain happens to be one of the fastest growing areas on our list.

One such wine that has recently been featured in Decanter Magazine's in depth look Spanish wine's exciting new hotspots, is the Mas Doix, Salanques 2005.

Five Stars - 18.5/20

"This is a small, family winery harvesting individual plots at just 500-1000kg/ha (versus a legal maximum of 6000kg/ha). Salanques is made mainly from Garnacha and Cariñena with 15% Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah. It has lovely dark, concentrated fruit aromas, big (but not excessive) extraction and generous fruit and tanin balance, with a long, rich finish. Drink now-2015."