Last Monday the big Cabernet harvest started, which confirms that the harvest will be over by the end of September. We started by picking the young vines on Monday in weather more unpredictable than an England Rugby World Cup performance. On Tuesday we took on more pickers and carriers for the large number of Cabernet vines inside and outside the “enclos” which were deemed ripe enough to be picked.
Merlot Harvest at Château Latour
Last Sunday Ben and I went to visit Denis Durantou in Pomerol at his home, Château L’Eglise Clinet. As mentioned in my previous blog, I have a great fondness for his wines, due to the skill of wine making, and the freshness that all his wines have. We met Denis outside in the vineyard and we went walking through the vines as he was deciding whether it was time to pick the Merlot. This was a great chance to learn from a Pomerol master. The previous week he had picked the grapes for his ‘Les Cruzelles’ label from the younger vines.
This is the first blog from Farr Vintners’ "Boys in Bordeaux". Thomas Parker is, along with eighteen year old Ben Browett (the eldest son of our Chairman), at Château Latour to take part in the harvest of the 2011 vintage. They left London a week ago and, after a week’s preparation, were due to start picking Merlot grapes today, Monday 12th September. We hope to publish more blogs from Thomas and Ben as the harvest progresses.
One of the most exciting discoveries for Farr Vintners this year has been that of Chateau Puech-Haut. We have now sold over 13,000 bottles of their “Cuvée Prestige” 2009 so a visit was well overdue. The property is situated in the foothills of the Cevennes mountains about 40 miles South-West of Chateauneuf du Pape. At the beginning of the 1980’s the land, formerly “garrigue” and olive groves, was purchased by Gerard Bru for whom Puech-Haut is a real labour of love. Indeed, a very long-term labour of love. He planted vines, mainly Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre in a terroir that resembles Chateauneuf with its large stones, known locally as “galets”. Subsequently a small parcel of 60 year old Carignan vines was also purchased. The vines that Bru planted (which are farmed organically) gradually matured, but until 1996 the grapes were sold off each year to the local co-operative. Only then did production finally start under the Chateau’s own label.
