A harvest update from the Guinaudeaus

The récolte is well underway across France. Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau have kindly taken a few moments from their busy schedule to give us an update on the 2015 harvest.

‘On the 5th September we picked the first Semillon grapes from the 'Ambaud' parcel. The crop is of great maturity and the juice possesses a powerful fragrance and precision never before seen within Grand Village Blanc…

We have just finished picking the white grapes. We have taken advantage of the wonderful weather (cool nights and splendid, warm days) to harvest the rest of our Semillon and Sauvignon only in the mornings, which will help to retain freshness and allows the grapes to be transported in perfect condition.

The harvesting of the whites gives the team the ideal preparation so we will be 'all set' for the challenge ahead. 

After a dry and warm summer punctuated with some welcome rainfall in August, the vines are expressing themselves exceptionally. We should be starting to pick the Merlot for Lafleur very shortly…’

Bordeaux 2014: Harvest report from the Guinaudeau

Bonjour,

The 2014 vintage is providing us with so much pleasure… As we told you in the last email on 17th September, we were in a sunny disposition, and we still are. We finished the harvest with the Cabernets Franc plots from Grand Village on the 8th October in excellent conditions…

We worked hard throughout the summer to keep the grapes healthy. We must say that the weather in September and in October has been exceptional. Optimum ripeness was reached in all the different terroirs.

We have to harvest at just the right moment when the grapes are very ripe. It is a key success factor to harvest each parcel at the right time. If the harvest is done too early, phenolic maturity would not be reached, however with a late harvest the result would be too heavy, without enough freshness and precision.

Concerning Lafleur, we harvested:

- The Merlots from the lot A on Friday 26th September

- The Merlots from the lot B on Monday 29th September

- The Cabernets Francs from the successful lot D on Sunday 5th October

- The Cabernets Francs from the lot E and F on Monday 6th October

We have just started the running-off (lot A and B from Lafleur). The Merlots combine power and delicacy, with a mind-blowing balance and freshness. Cabernets Francs from the lot D, are macerating, but we have already achieved a complexity and aromatic intensity we associate with the great millésimes…

The maceration is done for the white; they are now digesting the lees which are particularly rich this year, and we are doing a batonnage every two days. The framework is getting there, the tasting from the barrels confirms our first impressions. The white should be on another level for the 2014 vintage…

We will share our impressions about the vintage very soon.

Bien Cordialement,

Les Guinaudeau

Breaking news: Guinaudeau's 2014 vintage update.

"We have just started the harvest for the Blancs de Grand-Village following a period of glorious, warm, sunny weather. We are happy, because the grapes are very ripe, the aromatic level is amazing, both for the Sauvignon and Sémillon. 

After a tough summer, once again we had to work hard, but the first two weeks of September were brilliant, as a consequence the vendage has a surprising potential… At the moment the grapes are in excellent condition and we can therefore take our time. We have been harvesting in the cool early mornings for the last three days and have collected all of our Semillon and half of our Sauvignon.

Regarding our red grapes, physiological maturity has largely been reached in Pomerol and we are taking advantage of the nice weather to further improve the tannic structure. We may take some secateurs to the very young vines in the parcel of Lafleur called La Sieste this week. We will see… In any case we should start harvesting the best Merlot plots in Lafleur by the following week. The Cabernet Francs grapes have tasted well in the vineyard, and should be ready at the beginning of October.

We will let you know how the 2014 harvest is going, but it has started under excellent conditions. "

Les Guinaudeau.

Harvest report from Voyager Estate - Part two

We have nearly completed our Chardonnay harvest with only one small block remaining. The vineyard team have been steadily handpicking each morning for the past 10 days and, have brought in some of the most outstanding Chardonnay fruit we have ever seen. 

The flavor development and concentration at such low sugar levels has the team very excited by the potential quality of the harvest. The Chardonnay fruit is all hand harvested and whole bunch pressed, with the free run juice being transferred to French oak barrels for natural fermentation.

This season has seen the introduction of some larger format oak barrels in the form of puncheons which we are using on our Chardonnay and Shiraz. The 500 litre puncheons will offer us the textural benefits of barrel maturation with slightly less oak influence on the resultant wine.

We have commenced the fruit intake of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with the first hand pick of Semillon completed this morning and some machine harvested fruit coming in this evening. This is the point where the vineyard and winery teams split into two shifts, as we begin working day and night  to harvest these varieties. The machine picking is done during the cool of the evening and early morning, to ensure these aromatic white varieties are at their freshest and most vibrant.

The weather conditions are close to perfect with a continuation of warm days and cool nights the norm for the week ahead.

It is certainly looking like one of the strongest white wine vintages for a long time -  I think some really special wines will be made!

Harvest report from Voyager Estate - Part one

Our first harvest of Chardonnay on the 3^rd of February was the earliest start to harvest we have experienced at Voyager Estate.

The Chardonnay vines have been tracking early all season and the very quick flowering in November set the scene for a potentially early start to harvest.

The ripening weather has been warm to mild with no excessive heat and, the nights have been very cool – perfect conditions for the steady ripening of the white fruit.

If the pleasant mild conditions hold, we should see our Chardonnay fruit steadily harvested over the next 10 to 14 days. This nice steady ripening allows us the luxury of handpicking small select parcels at perfect levels of ripeness.

The early flavour development at very low sugar levels has been amazing and, the grapes are retaining excellent natural acidity.

The Chardonnay fruit is all handpicked and chilled down overnight before whole bunch pressing and is then transferred to barrel for fermentation.

Early days, however I cannot recall our team being more excited by the quality of fruit we are seeing at the moment!

Enfin! We waited as long as we dared ..

A few words from Charles Blagden, vine grower and courtier in the Rhone valley, completes harvest at Le Bois Pointu in Chateauneuf ...

Le Bois Pointu 2013. Vendanges Saturday 19th October.

Enfin! We waited as long as we dared (the heavens opened yesterday) & it was all over in just under 4 hours.

One of the latest harvests in the southern Rhone from memory (albeit my feeble one) since 1984 & the smallest that anyone I've spoken to can remember- we'll be lucky to have made 13hl, ie 9hl/Ha!!

At least the grapes were ripe...

Here are a few snaps of the day: 

Loire 2013 Preliminary Harvest Report

Loire specialist Charles Sydney recently sent us the following 2013 vintage report.  Charles and Philippa are not only stationed permanently in Chinon but also very close to many Loire growers. Their intel is therefore excellent….

The note of cautious optimism is a welcome relief. It seems 2013 in the Loire will go down as another tricky, but ultimately successful vintage (for those that put the work in)… 

Jean-Philippe from Domaine de la Taille aux Loups was even carrying the hotte! 

Apologies in advance for the long message - there's too much panic out there and we wanted to put some perspective on things.

Looking out the window at the moment, Phil and I are wondering whether to wander down to the Anjou to watch the picking today, or to leave it till tomorrow. It's misty, there was some rain yesterday (sunshine too) but the forecast is fine. Which sort of sums up the 4 weeks since harvest started here. That's obviously not perfect - but it's also nothing new.

2013 looks to be a perfectly normal (if slightly stressed-out) vintage.

Muscadet : started end September, the guys got hit by some rain beforehand, but in some sectors they needed it. Combined with warm weather, that meant a risk of rot, so it was time to pick.

Where the vines had been properly looked after, that was fine, even if we'd have liked slightly higher degrees. Better still in vineyards that had been grassed through, as the moisture went to the grass and the grapes were clearly riper and healthier.

By the end, the guys were happy to finish, fining some vats to eliminate any potential off flavours. In general, after a good cold settling the juice was tasting fine and the wines should be pretty good!

Sauvignon : started right at the beginning of October, with the same sort of conditions as in Muscadet - basically, if the grower looked after his vines, the harvest is fine, with reasonable degrees and balanced acidity. Again, there's more ripeness with growers prepared to grass through their vines or to cut out (as chez Jacky Marteau) any unripe or rotten bunches.

Also as in Muscadet, there was some rot so producers had to be particularly careful with the juice (inerting vats, fining the juice), but we've tasted enough grapes and enough vats of juice to be happy that the wines will be classically fresh and grassy.

Up in Sancerre and Pouilly, picking generally started a week later - around the 7th - and we're not

convinced they would gain anything by waiting.

Here you'll really see the difference between growers, with special benefits coming with growers who grassed through their vines and who were prepared to 'tri' the grapes either in the vineyards or in the cellar. 

Chinon and the reds : Some people have started picking, harvesting machines were out yesterday. They run the vineyards to get the best possible ripeness in a late vintage - grassed through vines, de-budding to keep bunches apart, high foliage for maximum photosynthesis, de-leafing around the bunches.... we've been there before!

Chenin starting to concentrate 

These growers have no need to panic - the grapes are healthy and ripening gently. This won't be a hyper-ripe 2009, but, well, more anon!!!

Chenin blanc : No idea yet - apart from seeing some first pickings to bring in some 'baby' moelleux with a potential of 18° and others to clean up the harvest to let the grapes ripen more.

With a bit of luck, we should see some pretty good dry chenins and maybe some moelleux, but that's guess work. we're off to see the grapes now (the mist has lifted) and we're off to Vouvray and Montlouis tomorrow.

More anon!!!

Best!

Charles and Phil

PS cliché time.... looks like this is (yet another) année de vigneron...

Uccelliera - a view of the 2013 harvest through film

Dear friends - Cari amici!

We have started the harvest with good dry and sunny weather.  Andrea is looking forward to bringing  healthy grapes in the Uccelliera cellar to produce on other fantastic vintage.

Annarita is already involved and is checking the ripe berries!

Andrea, Paola, Annarita, Dina and Agnes from Uccelliera

Duemani: A quick update on the 2013 harvest

We started on Monday 23^rd September with all of the Merlot grapes and also proceeded with the first harvest of Cabernet Franc until Tuesday, then we stopped.

We say the first harvest, for the Cabernet Franc because we took only the weak plants and those part of the vineyards for the CiFRA and Altrovino wines.

At the moment we keep all the different grapes and parts of the vineyards divided that are fermenting in separate cement vats. Even some small quantities are fermenting in very tiny plastic vats where we can push down the cap by hand. It is very funny! 

It's been a great harvest so far that's started with sun and warm temperatures. The grapes are rich in sugars and flavors, with good aromas and acidity thanks to the fresh temperatures of the nights.

We had some rain during the past weekend so we will wait a few more days to start picking the Syrah grapes, but it will be sometime this week!

Elena, Duemani

Mas Martinet: A glimpse into the 2013 harvest

A beautiful day to start the harvest

Let the picking begin!




Priorat harvest is very slow as all the vineyards are in different locations and different climatic zones.



To introduce the harvest stages it is tradition at Mas Martinet to make paella for all the team as a great start to a new season!



A well deserved break enjoying paella and Mas Martinet wines of course.



Only the very best grapes are selected.



Grenache from Pesseroles going into the Fermenation process.



So far quality this year seems to be really good but not much quantity!

- Magi Batllevell, Mas Martinet, Priorat

Voyager Estate - Harvest News Feb 2011 (III)

Steve James updates us with news from our benchmark award winning Margaret River Estate. Despite the cyclones on the horizon, things seem to be looking promising.

"Fairly hectic in the winery at the moment as we are in the middle of harvesting our Sauvignon Blanc with our first harvest of Semillon due tonight. The weather has been warm to hot averaging around 32 degrees Celsius during the day, with very mild evenings. Unusually for Margaret River the humidity has been high, with our weather being heavily influenced by the presence of tropical cyclones well to our north - thankfully!The Sauvignon Blanc fruit has been very impressive, with plenty of lovely tropical fruit flavours such as passion fruit, lychee and melon, whilst the Semillon component of the blend is showing the classic citrus flavours we look for with excellent weight and intensity.

The Chardonnay is fermenting beautifully in barrel, and the early signs of an exceptional wine look very encouraging indeed. Our use of new wood on Chardonnay is down to around 30%, as our vineyard is maturing and we are gaining more texture and complexity from the grapes. I expect we will complete the Semillon fruit by early next week, and spend some time walking the vine rows tasting the Shiraz which is also ripening quickly. Early tannin development on the reds looks fantastic, which will give us the luxury of harvesting the fruit with the flavour profiles we look for.

Currently 32 degrees and I can hear the Indian Ocean calling for a late afternoon swim!

Cheers Steve James."