And just 5 days later, today, Daddy is bottling his 2010 wine which is the first to carry the official AB (Organic) label (en conversion). Unfortunately some of the Savagnin hasn't quite completed its malolactic fermentation and so that will be bottled later, but it still means some 6000 additional bottles. Good job Daddy has sold over half his 2009 vintage or space would be pretty tight.
So the good news is that 4,500 litres will be emptied from the vats. The additional good news, albeit with certain logistical complications, is that on Saturday we start the 2011 vendanges, and that is likely to produce 9,000 litres (12k bottles) of what is probably going to be be a cracking vintage with all that early sun, and hence advanced harvest. Lots of extra barrels and two more vats will be brought into action- hope it's enough....
So picking starts on Saturday 3 September and will continue on the Sunday, then a gap of two weeks and a further picking weekend on 17/18th, with some mid-week picking along the way. Still places for both weekends, even with Auntie Vicky arriving in a party of 6 from the UK. As usual Mami is in charge of catering, and as I now have quite an appetite, I am looking forward to it.
In the meantime GP is now an official importer of Hughes Beguet wines, so get in touch if you want to sample some- tjh@ismltd.co.uk
I'll let you know how the picking went later this month. Sorry to hear that the UK hasn't had as good a summer as we have. Our fruit and veg have been very productive, but I suppose that's why we grow grapes in a sunny valley. It's beginning to make sense.
A bientot
Basti xxx
