No less than 14 pages for the new report on the 2015 vintage in Rhone Valley from Maison M.Chapoutier ! From Cote Rotie to Chateauneuf du Pape, here are some selected excerpts from this Rhone Valley Report (Full report at the end of this post).
“We haven’t experienced a year of such high temperatures for a long time. The last ones were 2005 and 2003, but there is now 2015 to be reckoned with: a year destined to become legendary and an exceptional vintage in the making. Unlike in these other vintages, the heat was not of the same intensity across all parts of our estates, and on the positive side we were able to benefit from our previous experience, which helped us to cope with the difficulties of managing the heatwave conditions. We now have a year that is coming to an end with wines of exceptional promise.”
It’s hot, terribly hot and suffocating…
“Between 26th June and 17th July, temperatures reach 35°C daily, with no forecast of rain. We sense that the vines are being affected by the heat, but they resist well and the shoots continue to grow, which means that water reserves are still present. In some of the poorer soils, such as at Les Bessards where the vine roots grow in cracks in the granite, we can already see the first signs of defoliation. The teams spray with infusions and camomile and yarrow tisanes at the end of the day to soothe the symptoms of scorching and bring relief to the vines. The first grapes start to change colour at Tain in the week of the 14th July. On 23rd July the potentiometric sensors in the soil begin to alert us…. water reserves are now at zero in the Ardèche, at Ampuis, Condrieu and certain parts of Tain. Paradoxically, it is hot at Châteauneuf, but less so than at Ampuis and Chasse sur Rhône.”
The whites: Tomorrow it will be L’Ermite…
“Welcome rain on 14th August is like a breath of fresh air for the vines. Temperatures drop slightly and things accelerate, with growth starting up again and maturities developing fast. Our first maturity checks are done on 17th August. The degrees are low but we note already that acidities are also low for this stage of maturity, which puts us on our guard. We don’t want the degrees to go too high, or to lose too much acidity, and above all, we mustn’t get caught out by our automatic reflexes, because the heatwave is now compensating for the initial precocity. Precocity isn’t always to be found where we are expecting it. Whilst at Châteauneuf everything is progressing normally, it is Ampuis that creates the surprise with well advanced maturities, not to mention the Ermitages. On Monday 31st August, we begin picking in Tain l’Hermitage with part of Les Murets (De L’Orée) and the Saint Joseph white (Les Granits), a good week in advance of most years.After checking practically every plant, such was our surprise, we set the date of Wednesday 2nd September for the first day of harvesting for L’Ermite white. Once we get over the surprise, we have to acknowledge that what we are seeing here is the unique 2015 effect. A month earlier than normal, a parcel which is usually the latest ripening and the last to be brought in is now perfectly ripe, with superb little golden Marsanne grapes that have perfect balance. In the heights of the hills a certain freshness prevailed and L’Ermite positively benefitted from the heat. Exceptional!”
The Reds…
“While a few shrivelled grapes and some blockages noted on the reds were posing us a few questions, the few millimetres of rain that fell on 24th August and 1st September had a spectacular and amazingly restorative effect on the vines. For these precious drops allowed them, as if by magic, to restart growth and reestablish an exceptional sugar/acid balance in the grapes. This allows us to start picking the reds on Wednesday 9th September with the red Saint Joseph (les Granits). It wasn’t enough this year to rely solely on the degrees and the analyses, and rushing into the harvest would have run the risk of making unbalanced wines. Next, against all expectations, La Mordorée with its two ‘côtes’: blonde and brune, is ready, absolutely ripe with perfectly balanced acidity. It is therefore three weeks in advance, on Thursday 10th September, that we bring in La Mordorée and also the Coteau de Neve. The ambiance is very cheerful at Ampuis because this is proving to be an exceptional year, with the heat largely assisting the maturity of these late ripening areas. The Côte-Rôtie will without any doubt rank among the great wines of this vintage. And at the same time we pick the first Syrahs at Châteauneuf…it’s as if the south and the north were inversed this year: we began in the extreme north and are descending little by little to the south…it’s incredible, freaky, but amazingly exciting to experience such atypical vintages.”
Finally Chateauneuf du Pape…
“It’s not all finished yet and we summon up all our energy to concentrate on Châteauneuf, where a very great year is also in prospect. The Grenaches have ripened very slowly, which is beneficial in avoiding the explosion of degrees before phenolic maturity is attained. We wanted to make the most of the days of sunshine and the week of Mistral to attain excellence, and we have done it. On Saturday 26th September we enter into the vineyards covered in round pebbles to harvest Barbe Rac. Monday 28th September: harvesting continues with Croix de Bois, and we motivate the teams to move fast, because rain is forecast for Tuesday evening. Tuesday 29th September at 15.10 sees the cutting of the final grapes of the season, with 2015 proving to be a
very successful harvest!”
Read the Full Report (PDF Format) here: The 2015 Vintage
