2017 VINTAGE

A year of extremes producing surprisingly well-balanced wines

This vintage is characterised by extreme weather that caused a major water deficit at harvest time and one of the earliest harvests on record. At the same time, yields were at a historic low. Despite all that, the wines are delicate and well-balanced.

Water reserves were built up over the autumn and winter, having been at their lowest after the 2016 harvest. However, rainfall levels were very low later on, with hardly a drop falling in the summer, and this caused a major water deficit at harvest time. At the same time, temperatures were very mild during the winter (except January) then hot in the spring and summer. This led to the vines showing an advance in growth of around 2 weeks compared to a normal year, and this continued right up to the harvest.

The plant growth cycle was also disrupted, beginning with a very low level of bunch formation (particularly with the Mourvèdre in our vineyards). Later on, flowering was far from perfect and there were frequent examples of “coulure” (poor flower fertilisation). Then, from 20 to 23 April, early-morning frost caused damage, which was fortunately limited in our vineyards. The result of all this was a 2017 vintage with a historically low harvest, the lowest since 1945 (in France and in the Languedoc), and for us the lowest since we started out in 1999. The weather conditions over the year did not cause any plant health problems and, as last year, it was impossible not to harvest healthy grapes. At La Madura, the harvest began on 17 August (a record!) with the Sauvignon, followed by the Piquepoul on the 29th. Yields were very low for the third year running. For the reds, the Syrah and Grenache were harvested between 4 and 9 September (another record!). However, cool temperatures in September delayed the maturation of the late-ripening varieties, Carignan and Mourvèdre. We completed the Mourvèdre harvest on 27 September. The pleasant surprise from this vintage is that, despite the extreme weather conditions, the wines are very well-balanced with good acidity: - The whites are expressive, full and fresh. - The reds are ripe and fleshy with good acidity. However, the concern remains that we have now had two consecutive years with historically low yields. Let us hope that 2018 is kinder to us.

Saint-Chinian, 10 January 2018

2016 VINTAGE

Small grapes, great wines

This has been a surprising vintage. Characterised by a dry summer, it produced small grapes, particularly on the poorest soils (shale). Despite the extreme conditions, our wines are well-balanced, smooth, rich and beautifully fresh.

The 2016 vintage in Saint-Chinian was affected by a serious water deficit, particularly during the key periods. Autumn and winter didn’t provide the rain that was needed to rebuild the reserves in the soil: the deficit was around 50 %. In spring, May was unusually wet and cold. The rain certainly helped the vines to grow but didn’t rebuild the water reserves. The poor weather led to flower abortion (grape fertilisation problems) in the Grenache vines, which are very sensitive, and therefore a significantly lower harvest. Summer was extremely dry (similar to 1981 and 2001) and quite hot. As a result, the grapes didn’t grow very large. Towards the end of the season, the young vines (which have still not got their roots deep down) and the vines planted on poorer soils suffered from hydric stress, which slowed the ripening process. These extreme weather conditions led to the following results: - A reduced Grenache harvest. - A reduced harvest from the young vines. - A reduced harvest from the vines planted on shale soils. - High-quality grapes. Intense colours and an easy extraction, which have allowed us to take the vinification process gently.

The harvest was our smallest since 2009 (a little over 20 hl per hectare) but has fortunately produced wines in the cellar that appear, after initial tasting, to be very promising. - The white wines are fresh but fleshy and offer good aromatic expression. This should be confirmed during the winter. - The reds are very well-rounded and pleasing, with predominant dark berry and spice aromas.

Saint-Chinian, 12 November 2016

2015 VINTAGE

A superb, well-balanced, expressive vintage

Despite causing a lot of tension during the year, the vintage turned out to be a success in the end and was saved and transcended by the weather conditions in August and September.

After a wet November 2014, with a Mediterranean episode that built up water reserves, the winter did not provide its normal amount of rain. May, June and July were then very hot and dry, causing some concern, with considerable hydric stress on some terroirs, particularly the shale. Fortunately, the rains came in August (more than normal) along with reasonable temperatures, and the grapes were able to ripen properly. Conditions remained favourable in September, with light rain and cooler temperatures than normal. This all meant that the vintage ripened more slowly than expected after a historically early flowering and colour change (approximately 2 weeks in advance). During the growing period (April to September), rainfall was 10 to 20 % down on normal, while temperatures were 15 % higher than average (among the highest in the last 10 years). Other climate effects had a major influence on the quality of the grapes we harvested. There were significant temperature ranges in August and September, with cool nights. This helps develop the wines’ aromatic expression and colour. As a result of the weather, we ended up picking some very fine grapes, as the work done in the vineyards had kept them in good health (the wine-grower’s work made the difference). The harvest was not as early as anticipated and we had to wait a little longer than expected to obtain peak maturity. 

At Domaine La Madura, the whites (Sauvignon and Piquepoul) were harvested between 27 and 31 August to maintain sufficient freshness, while the reds were harvested from 15 September, starting with the Grenache and Syrah, soon followed by the Carignan and Mourvèdre, and ending on 30 September. The late-ripening varieties (Carignan and Mourvèdre) reached maturity quickly and are of remarkable quality. Our initial tastings of the wines have confirmed our impressions of the harvest. The whites are expressive and well balanced. The reds are already pleasing to the nose and have a rich, elegant structure for such young wines. We now look forward to tasting the wines after the winter to get a clearer idea of the profile of the vintage, but there’s no doubt about the quality. Saint-Chinian, 4 December 2015