Spear Communications

The following report was received from Patrick Jestin, CEO of Dourthe (CVBG Dourthe Kressmann). 

« Picked began during the second half of August of the white grapes allocated to Dourthe N°1, Dourthe La Grande Cuvée and Château La Garde.  Overall the impression is extremely good. Sauvignon Blanc shows typical varietal character, good balance and moderate alcohol levels. The wines are currently ageing on their lees.

“The red grape harvest began 3 weeks earlier than in 2010. Picking was in full swing from 15 September to 7 October, bringing the vine cycle to a close, surprisingly unaffected by the astonishing weather conditions. With record early ripening, summer-like weather in Spring, unprecedented water shortage at the midpoint of the vine’s growth, a summer-like autumn, then tropical weather during fruit ripening, our teams were constantly at hand to support the vines and help them adapt to this unusual climate.

“Strict cultivation practices adopted at Dourthe have proved their worth, although noone can dictate when rain should fall, nor generate temperatures on demand. The vines shrivelled to a lesser or greater degree (end June), depending on levels of ripeness and soil structure. This will inevitably impact on volume, on the consistent quality of the fruit and the grapes resistance to disease.
 
“After a complex process of managing water to each vine, the next challenge was early ripening fruit, given the sudden and aggressive pressure of botrytis. The reaction times of our teams, the right equipment and increased levels of manpower to sort the harvest have resulted in grapes of an increasingly high quality with each passing day, in fantastic weather conditions from mid September onwards.

“During the final week of October, after rapid fermentation and controlled maceration, running off is currently underway. Preliminary tastings of Merlot are pleasantly surprising, counteracting any negativity expressed by some at the start of the harvest. They forecast the potential for later ripening Merlots and Cabernets. »
 
Frédéric BONNAFFOUS, Head winemaker, Vignobles Dourthe
This was not a straight-forward year. We had to constantly adapt the vineyard to the unusual weather and we were on the go right up until the harvest. This is not just the year of the grower - sorting was extremely important.  Given our concern at the start of the red grape harvest, I am relieved and very satisfied tasting the first Merlot and Cabernets run offs. They are fruity, fleshy, with good colour extraction and very well-balanced.