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Bordeaux 2013 Vintage Report by Château Palmer /
The winter of 2013 will remain in the memory of our wine artisans as one of the wettest in recent years, considerably complicating their working conditions.
Average temperatures between April 1 and May 31 were the lowest in the decade. At the start of the season, our observations showed a delay of around ten days compared to the 2012 vintage, already considered late.
In May, rainy conditions caused a significant amount of coulure in our older Merlots, also affecting the Cabernet Sauvignons. The risk of mold was, as in 2012, particularly fierce.
The summer weather was more favorable to us then. The month of July was the hottest in the last fourteen years, without being marked by a heat wave. The development of the vines remained stuck in a late growing cycle and we planned to start the harvest at the beginning of October.
But the month of September had an unpleasant surprise in store for us: rain, humidity and hot temperatures were our daily due. Coping with botrytis pressure has become the determining factor in harvest planning.
We started the harvest on Friday September 27 with some of the young Merlots. The next day, we increased our pace and, on Sunday September 29, we collected
10 hectares in a single day. The Merlots, so important to the identity of our wines, were picked on time and showed a level of phenolic and aromatic maturity that exceeded our expectations.
We continued the harvest at a frenetic pace with the Petit Verdots and Cabernet Sauvignons. The sugar concentration was somewhat lower than the Merlots, but the aromatic palettes were clean and precise, showing no vegetative odors. This confirmed the admirable reaction of the estate’s terroir in such difficult climatic conditions, also reflecting the positive influence of the beautiful month of July.
During vinification, the must was handled carefully to avoid the extraction of potentially rustic tannins. We have carefully preserved the silky and velvety identity of the estate’s wines.
To find the right expression of this difficult vintage, we organized many different tastings, each giving rise to numerous debates. Finally, only a third of the total production was retained for the final assembly of Château Palmer.
Harvest dates: from 09/27/2013 to 10/11/2013