2020 :
It has started to become the norm in the last few years… once again we didn’t get a real winter; lots of water on the other hand, which was good news considering the shortages of the past.
In March, when the pandemic reared its ugly head, the world of man came to a somewhat uneasy standstill, but the world of nature very quickly sprung into life thanks to the warm and sunny spring.Fortunately, the situation changed slightly in May and we were able to resume our everyday activities and a few decent showers of rain spared the vines from the effects of drought but did not slow their growth which was well ahead. We were already expecting the harvest to take place at the start of September.
At the beginning of summer, rainy spells were few and nicely spaced out, so the threat of mildew was minimal. August was hot and dry, which brought the date of the harvest forward a little more.
This year, and for the first time in the Domaine’s history, we started harvesting in August. Then grapes’ maturities develop far more quickly at this time of year than they do when we usually harvest in mid-September or October. The days are longer providing more hours of sunshine and the temperatures do not drop so much at night.
This means that we had to be ready and able to harvest all our grapes within a fortnight instead of the usual three weeks. Fortunately, we were able to do so for this vintage and we would like to thank the excellent team – about a hundred people in the vineyards and in the winery – who made this possible.
The type of maturity we seek has radically changed over the last three years. Even if we still, obviously, want to obtain fruit of perfect maturity, the priority, which used to be obtaining enough sugar and therefore alcohol to accompany what was considered a big aromatic character, is now one of preserving the freshness of the juices while avoiding varietal aromas.
Because of this, 2020 is a very good example of a well-balanced vintage in which the juices are concentrated and fresh. Our ability to preserve both the brightness and ripeness of the fruit is also thanks to our living soils (resulting from the use of composts, and no weed killers, throughout the Domaine for the last 15 years) and the location of our vineyards at a fairly high-altitude amid the varied Morogues countryside (woods, meadows, streams, hills). We are really fortunate to be located in such an amazing place.
As ever, we look to you to share our wines wherever you may be.
And as this somewhat strange vintage is coming to a close, we hope that you will be able to enjoy some time with your loved ones.
We wish you all a Happy New Year 2021.
