Another outstanding vintage!<\/br>
\nWho would have believed it possible after a 2009 vintage praised to the skies?\nThe 2010 growing season started out very well, without the threat of vine diseases, which\nmeant that little spraying was necessary. Although flowering in Merlot vines was upset by\ncold, wet weather that led to low yields, the dry, very sunny weather that followed \u2013 but without\na heat wave \u2013 led to quick v\u00e9raison (change of colour of the grape berries) and the onset\nof ripening. Limited rainfall in early September, coupled with continued sunshine and high\ndaytime temperatures, were conducive to perfect ripening of the grape skins and seeds. The\njuice was highly concentrated thanks to the small size of the berries. Our recent investment in\na new vibrating sorting table proved precious during its first year of use, enabling us to eliminate\nMerlot grapes suffering from millerandage (partial crop failure with mixed size berries).\nThe wines show considerable aromatic complexity. They are also powerful with a velvety\ntexture. Although alcohol levels were very high, this was balanced by greater acidity than in\n2009, which bodes well for excellent ageing potential...<\/p>\n