Taking stock : the 2017 harvest

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Cahors : a small but complex and promising vintage 
 

The growth of the vines at the end of March was unfortunately stopped at an already advanced stage by a painful and intense frost in the last week of April . This year’s severe damage reached a degree rarely seen in this region.

The few vines that escaped freezing flowered much earlier than the others, and as a result, grape picking began in mid-September. Harvesting had to be done quickly in areas that had frozen, due to the vines’ fragile condition.

This vintage, which is small and difficult to vinify, has required considerable technology, care and precision from oenologists to create fruity and balanced wines that are good to consume when young. There will still be a few vintages with good body and well-developed tannins, aged in wooden barrels, that will find a place among our high-end offerings.

Fronton : a poor harvest, but of high quality 
 

The grape harvests began early: August 29, 2017, and lasted about 5 weeks. Unfortunately, crop losses reached between 30% and 40%, with harvest yields of 50,000 hl due to the April frost and several hailstorms. The crop was healthy and despite low yields, the grapes are high quality. August conditions were quite good with strong summer heat and September remained warm during the day and cool at night. The combination of these factors boded well for aroma development in the grapes. The Fronton cellar met its objectives for a light and aromatic rosé.

Gaillac : the grapes were harvested in a healthy and mature condition and in line with our qualitative objectives

The 2017 harvest started early, as announced. They were quick due to low yields caused by the spring frost, hail and a drought at the end of the growing season. In the middle of the harvest period, rain slowed the grape picking, but despite the constant humidity, the grapes were brought in healthy, ripe and on target with our quality objectives. It should be noted that losses were 20% higher than last year.

The vintage is good in terms of quality; for the reds, phenolic ripeness is strong, while for the whites and rosés, we were able to achieve a good balance of sweetness and acidity.

The reds are quite ripe with a strong phenolic maturity. They are colourful and warm. The rosés are consistent, perfumed, sharp, expressive and well balanced. The whites are well balanced, fresh and fruity. The sweet wines have a strong concentration of sugars and good richness on the palate.