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Chateau Margaux -
Paul
Pontallier
Harvest
Chronicles at Chateau
Margaux
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Margaux
Chateau
Margaux, August 2003 - September 1st, 2003
The first
Sauvignon blanc juices have shown, as we would have expected, very high levels of sugar,
with a potential alcoholic degree approaching 14°. We are now somewhat used to this level of
sugar, since it has almost become the general rule over the last few years.
At Chateau
Margaux, the primary aromas are fine,
delicate but discreet; on the whole typical of a hot year. The total
acidity is very low. The first figures, based of course on our grape
samples taken over the last two weeks, are both baffling and exciting
(..)
Chateau
Margaux, September 8th, 2003
(..) But what do we mean by the ripeness of the grapes? We ask ourselves this question over and again every year, and invariably, (dare I say it?), the answer changes...
At Chateau
Margaux, this year, anyway, it is neither the concentration of
sugar, which has been at very
high levels for several weeks now, nor the acidity of the must, which is at historically low levels, which are the best parameters to take into account. It is not even the
taste of the grapes, whose vegetal character (generally an excellent indicator of the ripeness of
Sauvignon Blanc grapes)
disappeared very early this year, perhaps burnt away by the scorching
sun of the first two weeks of August (..)
Chateau
Margaux September 16th, 2003
What a fantastic weather! The
Merlot is an absolute joy to pick and will be finished tomorrow. The grapes are coming in baked by the sun at record
sugar levels and -pleasant surprise- with good
acidity. Will we ever understand the subtle physiological mechanisms at play during the ripening process? Even the colour, which some gollmy forecasters said would be poor, has turned out to be good (..)
Chateau
Margaux September 18th, 2003
Today, we have something of a dilemma at Chateau Margaux, albeit a pleasant one. The Cabernets are magnificent, and all the known analytical parameters (sugar,
acidity,
anthocyanins, tannins) show an optimal level of ripeness; even their
taste, full of flavour and free of any
vegetal character, seem to confirm what the figures, which we never dare trust
completely, are indicating. And yet... in the way they look, in their consistency, in their insolent good health, they seem to have something about them that suggests they are, as yet, unfinished,
hot ready, perfectible.
Chateau
Margaux September 25th, 2003
Since Monday, at Chateau
Margaux, we have been picking the
Cabernet
Sauvignon and the
Petit Verdot, which have both reached a state of ripeness that we had not dared hope for just a few days ago. At this rate, which is faster than usual (but understandably so, with the very low yields), we should be finished by next Monday (..)
Chateau
Margaux September 29th, 2003
The harvest will be finished today
at Chateau
Margaux. We have finally arrived at the last Cabernet grapes, which are still very healthy, even riper and maybe better (..) This morning we tasted all the
Merlots, which have now finished their
alcoholic
fermentation. As in 2000, the yeasts had a little bit of trouble digesting (in the strict sense of the term) the last few grams of
sugar. There is no doubt that the high
alcoholic degree, up to 14° and 14.5°, affects their metabolism, The incredible
richness of
tannin, which was even greater than in the 2000
vintage, perhaps also had an inhibiting effect. In any case, these
Merlots are simply fantastic! They are so
rich, so complex and have great finesse, too. Who would have believed that such an atypical, hot summer would produce such fabulously classic wines?
Paul Pontallier - Director of Chateau
Margaux
http://www.chateau-margaux.com/
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