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Vintage 2022
u n a n n e r s s è c e , s a u v é e i n e x t r e m i s p a r l e s o r a g e s "
The vintage pendulum
Like the pendulum of a clock, vintages seem to alternate between hot and cold, dry and wet, powerful and delicate. Like a good even vintage, 2022 began under the best conditions : fine autumn rains and a harsh winter. Not quite enough water to refill 2021’s depleted reserves, but 2022 started with the good signs of a great vintage, with a wet, cool vintage.
Dry January …
On the right track … but the train stopped pretty fast Not a single drop of rain in January, and a winter that seemed never-ending. The vines timidly showed their first leaves in April, but the morning temperatures were still too cold for vegetation to explode.
Spring is warming up, time is speeding up...
From May onwards, this delay turned into an advance, thanks to particularly warm temperatures but still too little rain. The vines were in full bloom at the end of May, 10 days ahead of the schedule, suggesting an early harvest. The train of the “cool” vintage seemed to have changed his path for a hot, dry and early vintage.
One hoeing is worth two waterings
In June and July, these conditions intensified : soils showed a water deficit 40% below normal, temperatures, sometimes canicular, were 4°C above seasonal normals, and vines were 15 days ahead of last year. As we do every year, we had to adapt our cultivation methods to the climate : one hoeing is worth two waterings, as the farmers’ saying goes, so we buried the winter grass and scratched the soil to try and limit the effects of the drought.
Vines in top shapes despite the extreme drought
Thanks to this, the vines have adapted perfectly to this hot and dry summer, maintaining their beautiful foliage in the middle of a landscape that has become totally dried. Exceptionally, by August 11, we were taking the first samples to see that the Grenache grapes were already almost fully ripe.
Water, in extremis !
On August 17 and 18, the situation changed completly ! The sky gave us as much water in 2 days as had fallen in the previous 6 months ! An 80 mm thunderstorm was to reshuffle the cards in extremis, just as the vintage seemed set, and buckets and pruning shears were ready to fire.
A poisoned gift !
A gift from the heavens for most vines, who took advantage of the opportunity to swell their grapes a little and unblock ripening. But it was a poisoned gift, as it was accompanied by hail in a small part of the vineyard, which affected both leaves and bunches.
Early and fast harvesting
Harvesting began on August 22 with Grenache, quickly followed by Cinsault and Mourvèdre for the rosé. We went quickly on the reds, with a short 4-day break needed to wait for optimum ripeness, which took its time on the estate’s clayier terroirs. Despite a second storm on the night of September 7, we continued harvesting the following day, finishing on September 9.
Faithful to the alternation
Far from making up for the very low yields (not as bad as last year), the rains totally changed the profile of the vintage, bringing a great deal of smoothness and elegance to the juices of both red and rosé wines. Faithful to the alternation of vintages, like the pendulum of a clock, 2022 will be a fresh, delicate vintage, in line with previous vintages !
