Carruades de Lafite 2013 – 75cl

The very wet and cold winter caused a major delay in all the work in the vineyard; bud burst was late, flowering also 3 weeks later than the average of the last 50 years, in a capricious climate, which led to coulure and millerandage, announcing a smaller harvest than usual. Then at the end of June, the climate changes suddenly and we pass in the middle of summer, without transition, but with a strong local stormy tendency (July 27 and August 2, according to the sectors).

The situation becomes “sporty” from September 15: rain, sun, long maturity to obtain although part of the delay has been caught up, then more delicate and more risky when we notice, at the end of September, the “explosive” development of botrytis! It is therefore a race without a trial gallop, and the hunt for the pickers to go as fast as possible. Fortunately, the sorting teams are very efficient despite the difficulty of the harvest. The usual timeline for picking up parcels of red is modified somewhat depending on the impact of botrytis and the potential to make first or second wine.