The red wines are being put in barrel and the whites are finishing their fermentation. The 2017 vintage is promising. The reds are rich, colorful and full of fruit. The balance is good and the tannins already silky. The white is also successful. We have very nice aromas and freshness in the wines. The aging in barrel will enhance this potential.

It is now time for us to return to the vineyards. Contrary to what one might think, the work is not finished.

We start by walking through all the vineyards to see what vines (les ceps) we lost in the year. The "missing" as they are called are counted row by row in our 9 hectares of vines. That's 90,000 ceps to control. A few days of walking are in the forecast. Preparations to replace these missing vines, in November, are then made. We dig holes where the vine has died to "prepare the ground" for the future plants.

We have decided to experiment with a new fertilizer in some of our parcels, so we must sow the soil.  This fertelizer should allow the soil to receive nutrients and make our vines stronger.  Finally, once we have planted, we take advantage of the time available to put new posts at the start of the rows in our vines.

The weather is kind and allows us to move quickly in our work.

Preparations for the 2016 wines must also be done in anticipation of bottling in 2018. Some of the wines will be moved from the oak barrels to the vats. Bottles and corks will be ordered in the coming months. And don't forget there are the shipments of wine that could not be made during the harvest period.

Here we are already the end of October and the harvest seems far behind ...

Domaine Jessiaume