The vintage began well with a mild, dry winter. The fine weather continued into the beginning of spring, resulting in an early bud break.
In April and May, colder and above all drier-than-usual weather slowed the vines’ growth, and they quickly lost their early start. The first flowers appeared on our vines in Pauillac on 28 May. This key stage of the cycle was somewhat capricious with rainy spells in the second half of the flowering period leading to some coulure (flower abortion) and millerandage (mixed size berries).
After a relatively cold, rainy start, June suddenly changed, bringing an early summer heat wave the likes of which had not been seen since 2003. Fortunately, it was short-lived and the vines, which were catching up, seemed better equipped than in previous years to cope with the heat.
Miraculously, some rain arrived on 26 July: 45 millimetres fell in Pauillac, perfect for triggering the véraison when the grapes change colour and start to ripen.
Temperatures in August remained very mild, with no temperature spikes and a few scattered showers, creating a threat of botrytis, but the drier weather at the end of the month, which continued into mid-September, allowed us to start the harvests without any worries.