Vine
Following the cleaning up at the end of the previous campaign, the staples and severed links have to be fixed. The vine-stock has to be fastened to its…
Vine
Following the cleaning up at the end of the previous campaign, the staples and severed links have to be fixed. The vine-stock has to be fastened to its marker which is deeply sunk at a right angle in the soil. The astes kept by the pruner have to be bent until they twin with the main wire, then both guiding wires have to be stapled to the top of the post. The vine is about to spring up and the pruner has to be ready.
Leaves, hoisted by the astes, appear suddenly and grow quickly. The still thin boughs, made heavy by the leaves, bend within the row, thus creating a compact green surface, swaying in the mild wind. One can catch sight of the hats of the women winegrowers above the tops of the high and dense vineyards while they tame the stems by sliding them between two guiding wires so that they stand upright.. Later a device will shorten the treillis in order to minimise its shadow.
The blooming period is anticipated with concern. The sky is constantly and helplessly scrutinized, but in a hopeful way. Rain is not welcome. Depending on the berries’ pollination level, the weight carried by each vine-stock can be lightened: a process known as thinning.
Cellar
Comings and goings between the last two vintages. The former vintage is put back in the vat in order to homogenise products prior to bottle-filling. Wine clarifying using…
Cellar
Comings and goings between the last two vintages. The former vintage is put back in the vat in order to homogenise products prior to bottle-filling. Wine clarifying using egg white is performed, the protein of which contributes to flocculate impurities in suspension, is performed. These impurities are suppressed and the wine gains in limpidity and brilliance. The latter vintage is blended as planned. Every single vat contain the exact same solution, selected to produce the great wine, that will then complete its ageing within new one-to-two year old barrels.
Shouts echoing thoughout the long underground cellar signal each time a barrel is completely filled: one cannot use a phone in the oldest Médoc underground cellar… There is an undeniable tension, and mistakes are forbidden…
The bottle-filler’s massive lorry settles in for three weeks. On it’s trailer, a sterilized box is crossed with a long chain of bottles, each bottle enters empty and comes out full. The clinking of bottles is the soundtrack to this particular time. Pallet after pallet fills up in strata of laid down and close-knit bottles.
RP
A quick slip away to Düsseldorf for Prowein, one of the main European professional events, then the last vintage presentation in Bordeaux. Brokers and merchants are invited exclusively…
RP
A quick slip away to Düsseldorf for Prowein, one of the main European professional events, then the last vintage presentation in Bordeaux. Brokers and merchants are invited exclusively to discover the new-born wine. This is not an easy task, and it is aimed at highlighting a trend and some qualities that will reach potential buyers, all over the world, as well as showing repercussions regarding the future price.
Then the range of the privileged expands to the distributors, importers and to all theopinion makers worldwide, during the acclaimed “semaine des primeurs” (the nouveau wine week). Four thousand professionals, the guests of the “Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux”, drive all over the region, especially over the Médoc roads. Bordeaux becomes a very cosmopolitan area, with parties and meetings following on. Producers compete with their individual appeal to grab the flow of purchasing-advisers. The last trip of the season is towards Asia, where Vinexpo takes place every other year (in Singapore or in Hong Kong).
The high-life viticultural catharsis remains “la Fête de la Fleur” which marks the end of the season and at last we are allowed to rest. The released energy turns us into Kings of the dance floor. Back at the Château, some unknown cars park and relaxed people wearing casual clothes, stroll about in the park and within the buildings. The underground cellar, its perfect alignment of barrels, its feeble-light and its coolness always make a good impression.