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We are most of the way through the Côte de Nuits harvest now – let’s say 90% complete – though given a good forecast not everyone is picking just yet. The weather has been great – except for the early morning pickers who get blue fingers due to the cold – the blue skies have continued and the tempertaure has increased by about a degree per day. Suncream is required for pale-skinned types like me – but please don’t get it on the grapes! In the end it will come down to the quality of the fruit. With the exception of a few hailed areas (quite early in the growing season) the fruit seems to be in great shape. As noted during the weekend, the [....]

I arrived today in Beaune with a car full of waterproof clothing – rain was forecast but thankfully never arrived – instead we had sun, 17°C and, if you were caught out in the open, a chilly breeze. It had rained a little the previous two days which is always a nightmare in the vineyards – like some bad dream; you walk slower and slower as your feet get bigger and heavier – the mud really clings. The breeze was such that the Côte de Beaune vineyards I wandered round this afternoon were completely dry – no heavy shoes – and the grape clusters were also dry. I spent the afternoon wandering around vineyards in Pommard, Volnay, Meursault & Puligny, followed by quick drive through [....]