NEWSLETTER
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2011 Vintage report
Spring 2011 was warm and dry.
Early flowering led us to believe the harvest would be 3 weeks early.
However, cool weather in July slowed growth down somewhat, and this was followed a wet, hot month of August.
In the end, the harvest started 2 weeks ahead of time. The first day of picking was on Thursday, 25 August for the dry white wine.
The month of September was ideal, with warm, sunny days and cool nights. Conditions were optimum for the spread of botrytis, which concentrated aromas while retaining good acidity.
Thanks to a north-easterly wind, this concentration was very rapid, and we were able to start first and second passes in the vineyard as of the 2nd of September. The latter produced extremely fine grapes and was soon followed by a 3rd and even a 4th and 5th pass in certain plots until 10 October, the last day of the harvest at Château Guiraud.
Picking took place for a total of 25 days (for the Sauternes) and was done by nearly 100 people. The crop was small – barely 9 hl/ha this year – but of superb quality. A hail storm on Easter Monday (25 April at 6 pm) led to the estimated loss of 40% of the crop, and as much as 80% in certain parts of the vineyard...
All the wine has finished fermenting by the 20th of October. Everything went very quickly this year, incredibly quickly! The cool night-time temperatures are beginning to clarify the wines. They already taste remarkably good: concentrated, aromatic, and complex. The speed with which the grapes became concentrated preserved magnificent vivaciousness. The wines are truly brilliant. My neighbours are saying “it's like 2001”... but this remains to be seen.
An initial tasting with the associate owners will be held on Monday, 24 October
Xavier Planty, 21 October 2011
Château Guiraud: Natural Privilege
Château Guiraud, a Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification, has just obtained organic farming certification. It is the first and the only one of the Premiers Grands Crus Classés in the 1855 Bordeaux classification to obtain such certification, which was initiated by director, Xavier Planty, in 1995. Guiraud’s decision to adopt organic viticultural methods is shaping the new style of the property’s wines, putting greater emphasis on purity, intensity and elegance...
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