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2006 vintage: Bounty and Elegance

At the end of a hot and dry year marked by large climatic variations, the vines produced grapes of excellent qualitative potential. The key to success in 2006 was to harvest quickly.

Climatic fluctuations...

After a dry winter, the vine's vegetative cycle began with welcome humidity ; March and May were particularly wet. This created water reserves in the surface soil levels that were to prove very useful.
Indeed, June and July were very hot and dry : +2°C for June, +5°C for July compared to the seasonal average. These conditions suited vines in which the development was already two weeks early. Only young vines 4 to 6 years-old on fragile soils stress from lack of water.
In August, temperatures -3°C lower than the seasonal average arrived at the right moment allowing the plants to recover and the rainfall, normal for the month, was enough to prevent the arresting of maturation.
Finally, September (which was +2.5°C above the seasonal average) arrived with two weeks of very hot temperatures and no water which was compensated by a large storm on the 14th. The second half of the month was mild with a few light scattered showers.
Vine diseases were not very serious throughout the season and easy to contain. For this reasons the grapes were in excellent condition.

...favorable for maturation

Sugar levels rose while acids remained balanced. The level of alcoholic potential rose rapidly until 14 September then assumed a normal rhythm. Acidity and pH levels remained good thanks to the stability of the tartaric acid throughout the maturation.
Cloudy skies beginning in mid-September permitted the preservation of aromatic intensity and freshness.

Rapid harvests

Thanks to the performance of wine estates' equipment, the grapes were harvested in record time. Picking was concentrated during the optimum period of 10-12 days : any sooner and the grapes would have been insufficiently ripe and later they would have begun deteriorating. The official harvest period was announced for 11 September for Reuilly, 13 September for Pouilly sur Loire and Quincy, 15 September for Sancerre and Menetou-Salon, 16 September for the Coteaux du Giennois. Harvesting had started in all the vineyards with the addition of picking in Châteaumeillant on 18 September. Harvesting began with the white grapes. Taking advantage of the excellent sanitary condition of the grapes, most winemakers harvested the red grapes last.

First impressions of the vintage

The cuvées having finished their alcoholic fermentation offer some first indications of the style of this year's vintage.
Aromatic elegance and correct balance between fullness and freshness globally characterize the 2006 wines.
The whites release intense, clean aromas. Very ripe, they are simultaneously rich and fine. Floral and fruity notes are very present. The mouth is full, opulent and vivacious.
The reds, ruby to purple in color, display a pleasant fruitiness both in intensity as well as in complexity. Tannins are well-structured, balanced and very fleshy.

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