That's it, the harvest is over.
We finished the counoise and mourvedre in Beaucastel this week-end and the grenache in Vinsobres today.
We believe that 2007 will be a great vintage in the southern rhone and will keep you posted on the wines.

Technorati Tags: 2007, beaucastel

2007 vintage report from the Federation des syndicats de producteurs de Chateauneuf du Pape:

"A very healthy grape harvest following an exceptionally dry summer...

With just 35 mm of rain between the 16th of June and the 15th of September, we can
confirm that the summer of 2007 at Châteauneuf-du-Pape was an exceptionally dry one.
According to the agricultural weather forecast based at Carpentras, it is probably the
driest in the last twenty years. The average rainfall registered at 161 mm (The weather
station at Orange).

The rainfall of these last few days (about 20 mm between the 16th and the 18th of
September) were welcomed. The short spell of rain did not bear any negative
consequences on the course of the grape harvest which starts to draw to an end.

The summer of 2007 had more wind than normally predicted (20 days of strong Mistral
between the 1st of July and the 15th of September) and slight surplus on the level of
seasonal sunshine (1.157 h against 1.145 h on average).

In spite of strong variability in temperatures, marked by 30 days when the minimal
temperatures laid between 10 et 15°C, and only 7 days when the maximum
temperatures were higher than 35°C, the seasonal averages remain in conformity with
the normal (slightly higher in June and September and slightly lower in July and August).

The climate results over the last few months confirm what was visible in the vines : the
summer of 2007 was particularly favorable to obtaining a vintage of quality, endowed
with good aromatic balances and beautiful colours.

In the vines the sorting needed was minimum, the grape pickers advanced with ease,
thus giving the possibility to winemakers to stop their harvesting a day or two in the
week to leave the grapes reach their perfect maturity. Optimizing the potential of the
2007 vintage.

The quantity of this year’s harvest is slightly higher than the decennial average with
yields which should range between 32 and 34 hl/ha, for an authorized maximum of 35
hl/ha.

2007 vintage is situated along the same lines as the four previous ones. 2003, 2004,
2005 and 2006 vintages were tasted on September 15th at a seminar organized during
the ‘Rhône Valley wines festival’ in Copenhagen, and will also be presented on October
22nd in London during a demonstration with wines from Tavel and Châteauneuf-du-Pape."

Technorati Tags: contact, history, philosophy, rhone, terroir, vinification

Well, i think we can start saying that this year we are very lucky.
The weather is still outstanding, very sunny and very windy.
We had about 20 mm of rain last tuesday, and then the mistral started again and the sun came back.
The weather forecast for the next days is the same and we feel really lucky especially when we look at the forecast for tomorrow which shows once again that south-east of France has unique weather conditions this year.

Technorati Tags: 2007, beaucastel, chateauneuf, rhone

The temperature since yesterday are quite cold: around 68°F which is good for grape-picking...

Today Grenaches and Syrahs have been picked; the harvest, which is picked by hand, is carefully sorted out on arrival at the cellar and only the best grapes are vinified. After being destemmed completely the grapes are going into the fermentation vats where they undergo a traditional vinification.

Technorati Tags: beaucastel, contact, millésimes, perrin, philosophie, rhone, terroir, vinification

We started very early this morning to pick our first Syrah in Gigondas for our Perrin et Fils "La Gille".

At the same time an other team of pickers finished harvesting the Syrah in Coudoulet and also harvested some Grenache there.

The mistral stopped blowing yesterday and the weather is beautiful on most of France as you can see on this satellite picture from Meteo France...

Technorati Tags: beaucastel, contact, millésimes, perrin, philosophie, terroir, vinification

In Beaucastel we use all the 13 grapes varieties which are allowed in Chateauneuf du Pape.

We pick each grape variety separately (when we think it's the perfect time) and we do the vinification also separately.

Each grape varieties brings its own 'personality' to the final blend:

· Grenache and Cinsault give warmth, colour and roundness.

· Mourvèdre, Syrah, Muscardin and Vaccarèse have structure, ageing, depth of colour and firm flavours.

· Counoise, Picpoul, Terret Noir, Clairette, Picardan, Bouboulenc and Roussanne provide vinosity and individual bouquet.

Technorati Tags: beaucastel, Beaucastel Rouge, perrin, rhone, terroir

Well, we are really getting into the heart of the harvest now.
First the weather is still amazing, very sunny, great blue sky and always this incredible mistral. I am not sure if we have seen such a string a strong mistral days over the last ten years!
Second the team, we now have about 100 people harvesting so that when we think that a parcel is ready we can pick it quickly.
And things are starting to get ready... we finished picking almost all the whites grapes last friday. We started picking some of the syrah in coudoulet de beaucastel and perrin reserve yesterday. We finished the syrah in vacqueyras and are also starting some of the grenache in perrin reserve...

                   Grenache grape in Perrin Reserve 

Technorati Tags: 2007, beaucastel, vendanges 2007

We had a quite week-end with a lot of sun and wind.

Today we finished harvesting the marsanne and bourboulenc grapes of our Côtes du Rhône white.

The weather forecast is still great with a lot of sun and a lot of wind (see below for todays' wind).