Preparing for the Harvest

It won't be many weeks until the grapes will be ready to harvest. As Jim Budd is fond of saying, it's squeaky bum time now. The weather is warm and wet, which means that fungal diseases are a very strong possibility even in the best managed vineyards. We've been told that the acidity is still quite high in the grapes too, so it may not be as good a vintage as the last few years.

At Château Gaudrelle, like many other vineyards I've no doubt, they are busy making sure the winemaking facilities are clean and tidy in preparation for bringing in the grapes. Old barrels are moved aside so the floor can be cleaned, new barrels are unwrapped and checked for faults.

The big cleanup.

Gaudrelle has barrels made for them by Vicard, a family owned firm based in Cognac who have developed a special system for seasoning the inside of the barrels with heat. They use 75% French oak and are committed to sustainable production.

A brand new barrel.

An old fashioned device for concentrating the sediment
in the neck of the bottle prior to ejecting it.

Susan