Harvest continues with our last Merlots

We feared high alcohol levels caused by the lack of water. In the end, no vat exceeds 14% potential alcohol. However, the volume is not quite there. We could have done with a spot of rain this September, and we are still waiting for it to finish the ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignons. The sorting table is doing a great job and allows us to send magnificent, intact berries up into the vat. With these temperatures, fermentation kicked off very quickly, and that is always good news. Now it is time to harvest the earliest forgotten grape varieties (Castets and Saint-Macaire); the Jurançon Noir and Bouchalès will wait a few more days. The Mancin grapes are not yet ripe. We will also be harvesting the Cabernet Francs on Monday.