August is the long pause between domaine visits and the harvest to come. Although it’s been patchy, the rain has brought more balance to the vines and even the grapes are starting to grow a little – the vineyards are currently mainly free from maladies – oïdium remains a constant worry, but largely just that – and, for the moment, only the southern part of Beaujolais has seen significant hail this year.

We took the trip to Beaune this weekend in order to celebrate my Mum’s 75th birthday – she’d not visited before and loved her time there. The weather was quite warm so we didn’t venture far – the bars, the restaurants and of course a few bottles:

Most of these bottles have graced these diary pages a number of times this year, but the 2015 Domaine Monthelie Douhairet Porcheret, Monthelie did nothing to dissuade my view that this domaine should be much better known. Another from that vintage, the 2015 Dubreuil-Fontaine, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Ile des Vergelesses, was even better – as itr should be – with a beautiful layered depth of fine, balanced, flavour – it was a treat.

The pause continues…