For those of you that were not at Vinexpo, here is a picture of our stand.

All was well at Vinexpo, but on the last day we fell victim to theft , the display cabinets of our stand were emptied of their contents. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the display wines were dummy bottles (as we had filled them with any of our excess reds). The wines in question were:

– 4 magnums of red beaucastel

– 1 homage Jeroboam to Jacques Perrin 2001

– 1 homage Jeroboam to Jacques Perrin 1998

If you are offered these wines at bargain basement rates, buyer beware! 

The flowering at Beaucastel began on the 26th of May with the syrah and cinsault, followed on the 27 by the grenache and finished June 6 with the mourvèdres and counoise. It is said that the period from flowering to harvest is 100 days, we therefore expect the harvest at the beginning of September at Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  In Vacqueyras and Gigondas, the beginning of flowering took place between the 2nd and 3rd June and are expected to end now. (June 15).  Same for Rasteau and Cairanne.  In Vinsobres, the floraison of the syrah are finished (nouaison stage), and all of our grenache is in full flower.  We certainly expect that our harvest for 2005 will by the end of September. 

“La Coulure” is a natural phenomenon, which is particularly sensitive on certain grapes (grenache…), which leads to the dropping of immature fruit, especially of the non fertilized blossom or young grape at its first stages of its development.  This year, we have noted very few incidence, with much gratitude to good weather.  We anticipate that the absence of this form of ‘natural selection' should result in a green harvest closer to mid-july.