2015 Harvest Highlights

Despite some heavy showers from the 12th to 19th of September, thankfully the rains weren’t strong enough to shake any grapes from the vine. It’s as though the stars aligned to create just the right elements to make an excellent vintage for Bordeaux wines. Many have gone so far as to say that it will be one of the best vintages of the century!

But before we jump to any conclusions, here’s a run-down of the harvest’s timeline and thoughts from the winemakers themselves! Early September: the start of the Sauvignon Blanc harvest 21st September: the first of the Merlot harvests began Early October: the Cabernets harvest began Mid October: Start of sweet white grapes

Here are a few testimonies from our winemakers:

Gavin Quinney, Château Baudac

“We’ve never seen such clean-looking, healthy white grapes as this year’s crop. That’s not to say that they’ll make the best wine we’ve made (we’ll have to see) but, every vintage until now, we’ve had a small team of trainees and wannabe winemakers who are put to work in the vines at last minute, trimming off any rot or blemished grapes. This year, there’s been nothing of the sort, so to speak.”

Youmna Asseily, Château Biac (Cadillac)

“We saw the last Semillons for the sweet wine into the winery yesterday a week after picking the last red grapes (being the Petit Verdot). Although the harvest pattern was a bit like a tango rhythm, 2015 is proving generous, plentiful and promising. The grapes were at their healthiest throughout; aromas are very opulent, voluptuous and rich in energy. We will now strive to translate this harvest into the best possible expression of the vintage and the Biac terroir.”

Tom Davey, Château Gaby (Fronsac)

“We have just finished picking the last of the Cabernets at Château Gaby. The winemaker Damien Landouar chose yet again to favour optimum ripeness, so we picked from the 5th to 15th October. Both vineyards finished with lower yields than expected, however the quality and flavour of the fruit are exceptional. The Gaby winemaker and his team are full of enthusiasm for the vinification of such a promising harvest. Tasting from vat at Gaby over the last few days has proved that the intense heat of August ripened the fruit to leave it rich in sugar and full of flavour. Damien expects the 2015 to be a vintage to remember at Gaby and furthermore sees it as the continuation of a euphoric bounce back from the difficulties of 2013.”

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more insights on this year’s vintage!