June 23rdWe were greeted at the end of June by a smiling, serene winegrower, as the season unfolded without stress. The vines are growing at a reasonable pace, so there's…
Summer has firmly settled in Provence: this week, temperatures have climbed to 36°C, and the first signs of surface drought are appearing, with cracked soils starting to show. Yet, deeper down, water reserves remain excellent. Thanks to an exceptionally rainy spring, the soils have been thoroughly replenished, ensuring a strong start to the vines' vegetative growth. 2025 is already shaping up to be a highly unusual vintage in terms of rainfall. As a reminder, the average annual rainfall in the region over the past 30 years is about 650 mm. Since the last harvest, we’ve already recorded over 500 mm, and we’re only halfway through the year. This trend toward wetter springs, observed since 2018, is gradually reshaping the water profile of the Mediterranean vineyard landscape.
This week begins with a focus on the Champagne region, where spring is in full bloom in the heart of the vineyard nestled in the Côte des Bar,a terroir more similar to Chablis than Épernay. Guided by Delphine Brulez, we explored her sunlit vines to observe the current viticultural work and closely monitor the evolution of the vegetation. We had the privilege of admiring an exceptional winegrowing landscape, shaped by a remarkable diversity of soils. In 2024, the estate commissioned an in-depth study of its terroirs to better understand the specificities of each plot.
At the start of this week, our vineyard tour takes us to Listrac-Médoc, to Château Fourcas Hosten, which features a geologically interesting vineyard, since the plots are located not only on Pyrenean gravel, as is typical of the Médoc, but also on an anticline of old limestone rocks where the white grape varieties (Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon), some Merlot and Cabernet Franc are planted.
The sun is shining in the Jura at the time we are writing these lines, and the photos make you want to go out in the countryside! Much of the activity is focused on vineyard work, and May is the month of planting. As every year since 2018, it's time for intra-plot replacements or complete plot replanting when the vines have become too old to produce. Each time, these replacements reset the counters to zero and these new vines are cultivated organically, a major shift for Domaine Rolet started in 2018. In the article, we detail these activities and the trend for the 2025 vintage... Enjoy your reading!
After a winter marked by heavy rainfall, spring has turned out to be cool and very dry under persistent high-pressure systems. Water reserves are still adequate, but a dry summer seems likely. To prepare, I decided to adjuste my ground cover management, opting for a very light ploughing to turn the thick grassy cover into a protective mulch. This will help retain soil moisture and delay early drought stress.
The bottling date for the Prières 2024 was set on March 1st, 2025 for Domaine Batard Langelier. Vintage 2024 was a low-yield vintage that suffered from the damp conditions. This vintage produces wines where saline and citrus notes blend with brioche flavors, thanks to the malolactic fermentation that took place this year.
Program 2024 - 2025 The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux has announced their travel agenda, and will be coming to a city near you over the next 8…
A vintage at odds with the last two decades At Domaine Bader, in Epfig (Alsace), the 2024 harvest is in and the wines are quietly finishing their fermentation. Here we talk…
Impressions of Vintage 2024 October 2024Rieux-MinervoisA big smile on the face of vigneron Jean Marc de Crozals of organic Minervois estate Domaine des Homs can only mean one thing -…