A wet and warm January started off the year, with temperatures 2.5°C above the average for the
past twelve years.
While February was cold and dry, March saw heavy rainfall, reaching 121mm. Budbreak took place
relatively late, from 9 to 15 April depending on the grape variety.
A warm and wet spring encouraged rapid growth of the plants and abnormal threats of mildew.
In line with the usual dates at Château de Sales, flowering lasted from 25 May to 8 June and
veraison from 25 July to 14 August.
June and July were hot and damp, with an average temperature of 22°C and rainfall reaching
133mm.
Only 45mm of rain fell in August and September, and none at all between 5 August and 5
September. However, this did not halt the ripening process in the Château de Sales parcels.
The wide temperature difference in September, with an average minimum and maximum of 10.7°C
and 28.2°C respectively, helped the polyphenols to reach optimum maturity.
The harvest took place from 18 September to 5 October in excellent conditions, heralding a very
fine vintage indeed.