Tightly cut rows in Meursault

After finally crawling into bed at close to midnight, and with the distinct impression that crocque monsieur and ille flotante were perhaps an unwise supper combination – at least with a 2003 Barolo and a 22 year-old Volnay – I survive to report that the sky is again cloudless and things are a couple of degrees warmer: At 10am it’s 18°C in the shade – the equivalent was 16°C yesterday – still, it’s hardly August.

Apart from one or two tractors giving the chardonnay vines a final haircut, the ‘white domaines’ of the Côte de Beaune seem a long way from considering it appropriate to bring in their chardonnay – probably starting next week said one grower. The Côtes look at their best at this time of year when the vines take on different leaf colours, yet, closely cropped, they define the hillsides. Reds may be altogether different; some in Volnay already picked a few of their 1er crus, others e.g. d’Angerville might wait until Thursday. Many had plans to bring in the bulk of their crop towards the end of next week but this sunny interlude has the sugars soaring – 11.6 on Wednesday, 11.9 today…

More Savigny 1er Peuillets

Our second parcel of Savigny 1er Peuillets arrives, this is from a different clone that has bigger bunches – so just more places for rot to hide. It’s slow work; there’s a little less rot than 2004 but it’s burried deeper in the bunches so actually takes longer to deal with.

By lunch the sky is cloudy, but no rain threatens. This afternoon there will be a different Beaune; 1er cru Cent Vignes to contend with. The grapes were better than the Savigny and perhaps a little better than the previous ‘Cras’ – all apart from the last boxes which came from a different section – all required hard work though.

Unfortunately I have to leave Beaune now for family visits and a ping-pong final…