Monday 14 September 2009

Well it’s almost the middle of September and I’m sure some people are wondering how the 2009 Bordeaux harvest is coming along?!

Well I can sum it up in one word – glorious!!!

We’ve had an exceptional summer ... well as far as I can see! I’ve never spent a whole year in France before but July and August have been very hot with hardly any rain. The difference between the UK and here has been very notable. The only downside was we had a large hailstorm in May which wiped out nearly 2000 hectares of vineyard in Bordeaux. Luckily we escaped any serious damage, but many of our neighbours lost up to 80%.

So overall everything is looking exceptionally healthy, and the sun just keeps on shinning. I don’t want to count my chickens yet, but I reckon it’s already in the bag ... whoops!

This year I have focused on looking after all my new vineyards (Verniotte), whilst also taking over winemaking at my father’s place - Chateau La Clariere. Running the two side by side has helped me learn how to look after vineyards with the help of the La Clariere farmer, Olivier. I can also impart some of my experience in their winemaking areas.

So overall we are heading for a fantastic year, and everything is in place to make some exceptional wine!!

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