A dream of a vintage in Burgundy

VERY favourable weather conditions throughout the growing and ripening season meant the crop would be healthy, ripe and almost normal in quantity. There were smiles all around, and an extra huge one on Dominique Lafon's face. After three years of crop devastation by hail, he was finally going to get not just a decent crop but a very good one. The gods had been kind.

There was hardly any winter to speak of, and spring was almost normal and very favourable. The flowering began well in early June and was over very quickly. Some 50 to 60mm of rain towards the end of June after the flowering was a critical factor in the quality of the vintage.

August was more mixed as a month than its two predecessors, and the stress of the hot summer meant that véraison (the grape-skin colour change) took a little longer than expected. A few more showers and some cooler, cloudier weather during the first part of August eased the pressure before the heat returned at the end of t…