Vintage diary
WINTER
December
The temperatures are mild but the clouds are heavy. Rain runs off the pruning secateurs.
January:
the first big freeze of the year
February:
The Dordogne bursts its banks.
SPRING
MARCH
Mostly dry and sunny, with temperatures
above the seasonal average, hovering between 20 and 25°C.
The vines start to bud, we brace for the frost.
APRIL
Night of April 6-7th: first scare.
Night of April 7-8th: frost strikes, with high humidity levels.
Morning of the 8th: the fruit trees froze, and so did a handful of vines, scattered throughout the vineyard.
The damage is minimal, the relief is immense.
MAY
Plenty of showers but the temperatures are still cool, limiting the risk of illness and restricting the vines’ growth.
Flowering takes a while to get going.
25 and 26 may
We spot the first flowers on the vines.
Week of 24 may
The average daily temperature jumps from 17-19°C to 26-28°C.
The nascent bunches are generously-endowed.
MAY AND JUNE
Six horses plod through the vines, chewing on the
weeds which pop up under and between the vines.
We keep an eye out for clear spells and respond rapidly.
3 AND 4 JUNE
The mercury is creeping up the thermometer. Storm clouds gather on the horizon.
SUMMER
JULY
The rain keeps coming, sometimes light and sometimes heavy, but always there.
The vines are now under maximum pressure, but we work tirelessly to protect them.
LATE JULY
The plum trees are generously-laden, in spite of the spring frost.
EARLY AUGUST
The Merlot is changing colour, this year the process will take two to three weeks.
Second half of august
The day-time temperatures are close to the seasonal average, but the nights are cool, averaging 13 to 15 degrees.
That propitious temperature variation helps the fruit to ripen at its own pace.
We soon see the onset of colour change on the Cabernet Franc, a process which proceeds rapidly.
AUTUMN
23 september
First day of picking for the Merlot,
plots B11 and B12
OCTOBER
The grapes have had time to ripen and reveal their aromatic potential.
The Cabernet Franc is particularly expressive this year.
THE WINE
CHATEAU BERLIQUET 2021
2021 is a rich, generous and yet precisely-delineated vintage. The first nose is predominantly floral, with added complexity courtesy of the intense geranium notes, right down to the earthy roots. They soon make way for crushed red fruit aromas, with blackberry and cherry front and centre, charming the palate with their sheer generosity. The depth of character drawn from the clay-rich soils is tempered by a pin-sharp sense of tension and finesse. A high-wire balancing act, showcasing this vintage at its best.
