Harvest Reports
2005
From Vincent VisseqTwo vintages in one. The first before the storm, the second after it...
Growing season conditions:
The winter started very wet, then, in February, the end of the winter was very cold. The growing season started later. We had good water reserve in our soils; rain was good during autumn and winter.
Late June, we had a good rain, just after the flowering. But the summer stayed very dry. North wind and sun shined are the characteristics of last summer. Very dry conditions. With these conditions, I decided to make a green harvest. The season was too dry, we risked to have too little berries, without juice and unripe.
Green harvest has been making in all plots of Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Viognier, and on one plot of each other grapes: Chardonnay, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. It took three weeks between July and August.
With these dry conditions, we treated our vineyard only once during July. It’s the only advantage of this summer.
But temperature at day and cold temperature at night gave us a quick and good ripe.
Preparing the Cellar:
At the end of August, we prepare the cellar. We did blends for 1C 2C white. The 1C is a Chardonnay with a touch of Sauvignon blanc, about 50% of the Chardonnay was fermented and ageing in barrels for 12 month. The 2C is a blend of our best barrels. To make the blend, we tasted all the barrels, and select the best barrel or each grapes (Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne), and blend in one tank. Barrels were clean, ready to welcome a new juice.
Beginning of the vintage:
Aromas and sugar was already in white grapes end of August. We started the 30th. Early September, all plots of white grapes have been harvested, good whites wines were on the way. Acidity was fantastic this year, with high sugar level and good aromas too. The day after we finished picking white, it was raining.
September the 6th
The storm:
Around 250 liters per meter square was falling in only half a day. There was flooding in south of France, the government declared the red alert and asked everybody to stay at home, all shops were closed for one day!
After the storm:
We visited the vineyard several times to see the damages. Rain did not make damage; we had to wait leave the soil drying. We waited 8 days before restarting the harvest. It gave us time to put white juice in barrels, cleaning the cellar. The cellar and people were on the top of it. The team was impatient to pick the first red grape, and see the quality of juice.
September, the 14th. First red grapes came into the cellar.
We started with Merlot, then Syrah. They were not so powerful like in 2004, but the drainy terroir help us to have no rot at all.
With this rain, we were in late for early red grapes (Merlot Syrah), but early for late grapes (Cabernets, Grenache, Mourvèdre). Ripeness arrived quite together for all grapes. We had to select very well and have a few tasting through the vineyard with Mr Tardieu to decide which grape picking first.
We started with Cabernet Franc, then Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon was the last grape picked. We finished harvesting with the plot of Cabernet, in front of the cellar. It is a habit in Capion.
The quantity of Mourvèdre was very low like last vintage. Vines are young and Mourvèdre is a difficult grape to cultivate. We must produce less than three grapes by vine.
We decide to blend it with Syrah and Grenache in the same tank. This tank will be the best wine of Capion 2005. After the maceration, I decided to run this new wine in new oak barrels. I am sure it will give us a good base for the 2C and 3C.
New Wines
White wines will be fantastic, with a beautiful balance. The quality will be better than 2004 vintage. Passion fruit, apricot and white flowers are the characteristic aromas of the vintage.
Red wines will give the best after ageing, this beginning of the vintage very wet was not the best for Syrah, but gave us good Cabernet Mourvèdre and Grenache wines. With our barrels we use, made by the best French tonnellier with the best French wood, it will be interesting to taste and see the evolution during ageing.
We will age around 60 % of wines in barrels. Syrahs, Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, and the famous blend Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre are already in barrels.
We will put white wine from 2004 in bottle before Christmas. We made blends for 1C 2C 3C 2004, with Mr Tardieu and my assistant Alexis. These wines will be bottling early 2006.
Concerning the future, the youngest vine of Capion, “la Syrah de la Bergerie” was planting last March. It is a special variety of Syrah. It is coming from the north of the Rhone Valley, it gives little and aromatic berries. This plot grows very well; it will give us its first grapes for the 2007 vintage.
