2017 HARVEST REPORT FOR M. CHAPOUTIER

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1 > 2017 HARVEST REPORT FOR M. CHAPOUTIER RHÔNE VALLEY Nature delivers an outstanding vintage for laying down! The 2015 and 2016 vintages owe their fame to their exceptional quality both in the north and south of the Rhône Valley, but what about the 2017 vintage? This year, it was the climate and its extremes that gave us an incredible and very surprising vintage. This was a year in which the elegance and balance of the wines and the softness of the tannins contrasted with a growing season of extreme weather phenomena and an exceptionally small harvest in the south. A quiet winter Preferring to wait for the cold to set in, we started pruning our vineyards at the end of January and a few days later the wine growers had moved on to Le Méal (Ermitage) to remove last year s shoots. January was cold, as it should be, with an average temperature of 2 C, and it was dry, a dry cold. As we felt the temperatures rise in February, the winter work continued (rebuilding crumbling walls, changing the pickets for stakes) and we took the opportunity to continue digging soil pits in the different areas in order to understand better what is happening down below, i.e. the life in the soil. Even on the 100-year-old terraces, there is still so much to learn! An upset spring In Le Pavillon (Ermitage), the almond trees were already flowering in March! The landscape was still wintry, yet the apricot trees were already starting to flower. It was too early in the season and the wine growers and farmers, were starting to worry about the risk of spring frost. At the same time, there was heavy rainfall in the Northern Rhône Valley, which would come in handy for the months ahead (nearly 100mm in Ampuis and nearly 200mm in Tain). Meanwhile in the south, in Valliguières and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, at the end of March, we saw the first signs of bud burst, then the bleeding of the vines. Seeing the vines and cistus in flower indicated that the plants were already at an advanced stage, equivalent to a month of May. This wasn t normal Bud burst began around 25th March in the early ripening parts of L Hermitage. 21th April 2017, 6:15am: the air was sharp, we went along the rows of vines by torchlight to take the temperature in the middle of La Combe. We had been on the alert for two days, a spell of freezing cold weather was forecast and the risk of frost that could harm the vine s growth came with it. We were still at a critical stage when the plant was between 10 and 20cm high and when the shoots were still tender therefore very sensitive. 6:35am: sunlight was beginning to break through the darkness C, we instructed the helicopters, which was ready, to take off. 1

2 In less than 10 minutes they were flying over the curved outline of the Hermitage hill, and back and forth over the plains of Crozes. The sun s rays were now lighting up the horizon, the temperature rose slowly above zero, and we had narrowly avoided the frost. This operation has been repeated over several days, as long as the freezing air remained in the area. But while we were busy escaping from the frost in the Northern Rhône Valley, down in the south, and particularly in Valliguières, we were hit by an exceptional frost on Saturday, 22th April, which destroyed about ten hectares. It took several days into May before the weather turned more spring-like, bringing warmer temperatures. Then we saw the cherry trees start to flower and the vines start growing again very, very slowly, as if they were still numb from the freezing weather. Then, with 150mm of rainfall and the return of the heat it all got moving. At the end of May, the first flowers began to appear in the Southern Rhône Valley and, in parallel, we started the work of tying up the vines in Tain. The calyptras fell from the inflorescences in Les Greffieux (Ermitage). As we went through the vineyard parcels from north to south, there was an intoxicating smell of pollen rising through the air. At the same time, the vine started to grow extremely quickly, a growth that was far too fast during the flowering phase It was mid-june in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and the coulure (poor fruit set) on the Grenaches was at its worst. This was an unusual coulure the fruit just would not set while the vegetation continued growing. By the end of June, we just had to accept it the coulure was bad and the harvest potential was reduced. A blessed summer The vegetation in the Mirabel vineyards was showing good balance and harmony, but it was the lack of rain in this drying basalt and clay area that was starting to worry us. In the northern Ardèche area, the vine was trying to catch up on its late development, while in the Drôme area, the caps of leaves had formed. We were at the peak of activity and we had to accelerate the disbudding, tying-up and topping work in case the Mistral wind got up. The parcels that had been affected by the frost recovered well in the south Now, we were worried about the drought because the rain had already stopped and the winter water reserves were very low in this area (only 260mm since January in Châteauneuf). So we decided to let nature take its course. We left the soil alone with its little bit of moisture, especially as the surrounding flora was already drying and, as a result, the stress would be reduced. The leaf stripping work, in general, would be enough to protect the bunches from being scalded and prevent the acids in the grapes from burning up later on. The temperatures in June were extremely high, we reached during several days 38 C, even 41 C, in Mirabel and Valliguières. It was already too hot for the season and there was no rain. 2

3 And then we had a small hailstorm, which fortunately had only a limited impact, here and there, and the vine was quickly able to recover in the sunshine. The véraison (beginning of fruit ripening) began on 7th July in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 15 days ahead of usual and was progressing very fast in the blazing sun. It was progressing quickly, because the reduced load on the vines accelerated everything. We had to be vigilant over the entire ripening process as this too would go quickly. Despite the high temperatures and lack of rain, the vines were looking good and we were reassured to see the apices in full growth. There was not much to do at this point because it was too hot to plough the soil, there was no threat of fungal disease, and the load was very well-balanced. So we let summer do its job In mid-july, thunder could be heard rumbling over Ampuis. The storm passed north of the appellation and hit Limony. A little arnica and valerian to soothe them, and the vines wounds were quickly healed and forgotten. The véraison had therefore started, and the vintage looked as if it would be somewhat early. Would it also be a sunny vintage? Late in the afternoon on Saturday, 22nd July, strong winds blew and 40mm of rain fell, which was beneficial to the vines that had been starting to suffer. 15 days later, the vineyards were unrecognizable: green and well-balanced, and everything was accelerating At the start of August, the ripening was already almost over in the Hermitage area the weather was still very hot and, like June and July before it, August began with temperatures which regularly topped 37 C. An early start but a late harvest. On 18th August, the Marsannes in Saint-Joseph were already displaying their lovely golden hue and, when tasted, showed promise with a surprisingly good sugar-acid balance, despite the heat. This was undoubtedly due to the combined effect of Biodynamic growing and the water reserves, which prevented the ripening process from becoming blocked. It looked as though there would be two phases to the harvesting, starting early on the whites, ahead of the reds, which were ripening more slowly. When we reached what we considered to be the perfect balance, a combination of maturity, tension and minerality, we started the 2017 harvesting on the Saint-Joseph hillside (Les Granits white) and Le Méal white (Ermitage) hillside on 24th August. In Le Méal (Ermitage), with its southern exposure and sunny terroir, we found a surprising homogeneity and no water stress. It looked as if we would have a lovely balance of minerality and sun. Meanwhile, down in the south, while the Syrahs continued their concentration, accelerated by the lack of water, the first Grenaches in Valliguières were being picked for the rosés. 3

4 We took our time as the weather was still forecast to be nice and sunny. After several tastings of the grape berries, we picked the east side of the Les Murets hill (De L Orée - Ermitage) on 28th August, and the west on 1st September. With no surprise, we took our time in Chery (Condrieu), where the Viogniers, planted in the areas of granitic sand, were incredibly early. They had already reached perfect maturity, with notes of bergamot and a spicy hint of curry. On August 30th, we decided to harvest the grapes from this slope in order to preserve their acidic tension. We harvested Les Coufis in Mirabel on the same day, continuing the picking of the Viogniers some 3 weeks ahead of usual. The red grapes, on the other hand, were taking their time to ripen Finally, it started to come together. The pulp of the berries concentrated and took on colour. The grapes released their acidity and sugar as the days went by, the tannins became more refined, and the seeds turned slowly brown. So we waited, the weather was still forecast to be sunny. In the south, the harvesting continued in Valliguières with the Côtes-du-Rhône Roussannes, then in Agasse, a few days later. On a lovely cool morning on 4th September, the team of pickers started to work on the Ermite white, which had reached maturity a few weeks early, a sign that the summer heat had also had an important impact on this high-lying area. The grapes were outstanding! Then the reds reached phenolic maturation and the first pickings on the Saint-Joseph hillside started, followed by Le Clos (Saint-Joseph) the grapes were black, concentrated and showed great depth. On September 5th, the pickers started on the Hermitage slopes, collecting Le Méal red (Ermitage), grapes, which had retained a lovely freshness, and then they moved on to Les Greffieux (Ermitage), which already stood out for the exotic aromas found in the grapes. On September 7th, we brought in the Viogniers from Pilate, almost 15 days earlier than usual! The following day, we climbed up to the terraces on the granite hillside of Les Bessards in order to pick the grapes for Le Pavillon (Hermitage). The small berries were extremely well coloured and already releasing deep notes of blackcurrants and blueberries. On Monday September 11th, we spent the day in the Côte-Rôtie in Ampuis, harvesting La Côte Blonde, La Côte Brune, and then Neve. 4

5 Although hidden behind the Grand Bessard, the grapes growing on the Varogne hillside (Crozes-Ermitage) had ripened slowly and perfectly, so they were brought in on 12th September. Although we had been prepared for an early vintage in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, we had to be patient and wait until 13th September before picking the first Grenaches. We would pick L Ermite red (Ermitage) on that same day and then that would be it time to enjoy this lovely, fine 2017 harvest from the top of the hill, in the lovely weather that had permitted it! Surprisingly, the Saint-Péray from Lieu-dit Hongrie and Lieu-dit Payrolles, although lying at very different altitudes, reached full maturity at the same time, on 14th of September. Then came the Grenaches from Croix de Bois on September 18th, and Barbe Rac on September 19th. Ripening was gentle and even. The skins and pulp showed a balanced maturity and the fruit was beautifully constructed. The Châteauneufs should be excellent. The harvesting ended on 20th September in the South. In the North, we had to wait a little longer before bringing in the last parcel, but we were reassured by the fact that the weather remained sunny. So, we closed the 2017 vintage with the picking of Chabot (Saint-Joseph) on 25th September. Oddly, despite a very sunny summer, the grapes had retained their acidity and thick skins until the harvest, and we had to be particularly careful regarding over-extraction during the vinification work. Due to this, the red wines are particularly well made, concentrated, powerful and balanced with silky tannins, and an elegance and tension seldom obtained, particularly on the Côte-Rôtie and the Ermitages - which already promise to be wines with great cellar-ageing potential. For the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, despite a small harvest, the Grenaches reached beautiful phenolic maturity, in which the fruit also expresses itself with great elegance. For the whites, whether the Condrieu Viogniers or the Hermitage Marsannes, the decision to harvest at the end of August / beginning of September allowed us to preserve the acidity which gave the wines a lovely, taut character and really brought out the minerality of the terroirs. The sunny character of the vintage will have to be content to stay in the background. 5

6 In 2017, nature has given us an outstanding vintage for laying down! As we carry out the final devatting this weekend, we are pleased to let you have our first tasting notes for this vintage: Saint-Péray Lieu-Dit Payrolles: underpinned by a lovely tension, expressing very subtle floral aromas of white flowers, with a remarkable saline and crystalline finish. Saint-Joseph Les Granits white: here the reduction, a particular characteristic of this wine, is in full expression and hints at a redox balance which combines very nicely with the notes of acacias and toast. The weave is fine and very mineral. Ermitage De L Orée: shows smooth power and extreme finesse. Its particularly elegant bitterness is nicely carried by its acidity. All this gives the wine a near-perfect balance. Early harvesting has allowed us to give birth to a great De L Orée. Ermitage Le Méal white: there is an extraordinary precision in the expression of the solar notes and the atypical minerality of the terroir. The reduction carries extremely well the wine s exotic notes of mango. Ermitage L Ermite white: like a stream of saline pearls on the palate, the finesse and purity of the Marsanne at its most beautiful, of great minerality. The tension is already remarkable. Our favourite! Condrieu Coteau de Chery: has its typical hint of spice and a subtle note of cardamom, within a dense, fine texture. The grape variety plays a supporting role and allows the granite soil to set out a straight trajectory. Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers: a lovely freshness in direct contrast with the wine s darkness and depth, exceptional concentration. Saint-Joseph Les Granits red: with a very fine, elegant weave, the notes of blueberries and graphite play with the wine s reduction with refined tannins. Saint-Joseph Le Clos: already stands out for its atypical and exotic nose, shows great contained power, black and dense. A superb wine with great potential. Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée: the Côte Brune displays a dark, elegant character that marries wonderfully well with the floral notes of the Côte Blonde. All this over a very silky tannic weave and lovely density. Côte-Rôtie Neve: shows how elegance and femininity express themselves in a wine - with extreme finesse and great depth. Very promising. 6

7 Ermitage Les Greffieux: shows elegant expression and a lovely luscious character that counterbalances the Ermitage classics. Once again this terroir has successfully managed the trade-off between density and finesse. Ermitage Le Méal red: its massive and powerful build is perfectly underpinned by an acidity and a tension that is an indication of great balance this year, with blueberry notes and a very subtle sunny nature. Another favourite. Ermitage Le Pavillon: the austere and powerful character of Le Bessard and its granite bedrock creates black, graphite notes, in contrast to the wine s backbone of superb elegance and very silky tannins. Still holding back at this stage. Ermitage L Ermite: expresses notes of small dark berries and Indian ink, highly concentrated and possessing great energy. The exceptional aromatic complexity is nicely underpinned by the wine s tension. Chateauneuf-du-Pape Croix de Bois: when the Grenache is elegant, the fruit, which is usually shaken up by the Mistral wind, is of a rare finesse, as is the case here. The delectable nose of crushed strawberries also contains subtle notes of black fruit and rose petals the sunny character is fading. With a rare aromatic complexity. Superb! 7 ginette. 01/18. Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac: blacker and more austere, a massive wine, yet one which shows great tension with its very fine tannic weave. The palate is powerful and has great length with herby nuances. The wine will show its considerable potential after ageing.