We have had beautiful, dry, sunny weather since mid-June and, after three rather demanding vintages, are delighted with the very low level of fungal disease. In fact, the last real rainy spell goes back to the 15^th and 16^th of June, after the Merlot had finished flowering.

Precipitation since the 1^st of April has been particularly low, with a total of just 147 mm as of the 5^th of August. This is much less than in previous years (for example, the figure was 267 mm by the same date in 2009). As things now stand, rainfall is equivalent to that for the 2005 vintage.
This lack of rain has obviously meant a reduced water supply to the vines. The effects are starting to show, with a positive influence on quality and the synthesis of polyphenols. This situation has also led us to change our vineyard practices, going on the assumption that "ploughing once is better than watering twice" (an old saying is all the more appropriate since it is strictly forbidden to irrigate the vines!).

Colour change, or véraison, started at Palmer on the 21^st of July. This got off to a relatively slow start, but has since speeded up, and peak véraison took place on the 5^th of August for Merlot. However, our Cabernet Sauvignon grapes will probably only reach this stage during the week of August 9^th. 

After excellent weather in early June, a week of cold and rain in the middle of the month interfered with the end of flowering and the beginning of fruit set. Incomplete fertilisation in some Merlot vines led to millerandage, although it is difficult at this time to evaluate the consequences on the future crop. While coulure (or shot berries, due to the absence of fertilisation) reduces the number of grapes per bunch, millerandage (tiny, aborted berries) necessitates careful sorting at harvest time.

The fairly cool temperatures for the season (less than 11°C) during this rainy period nevertheless protected the vines from mildew. Manifestations of fungal disease were quite low.

The weather has once again been beautiful for the past two weeks and the grapes are developing well, as illustrated by these photos of the same bunch of Cabernet Sauvignon taken over 6 days in a plot called "La Pièce du Chai".



A second round of tying up is coming to an end and, helped by 50 seasonal workers, our vineyard workers are continuing to remove side shoots, which they started doing in mid-June.

In the cellar, we are preparing to bottle 2008 Alter Ego and 2008 Château Palmer next week.

Jacky Terrasson gave an exceptional concert at the Château on Tuesday, March 23rd. Only hours before launching Futures 2009, with more than a thousand professionals coming to the Château for tastings, Jacky gave us a masterly interpretation of the 2009 vintage of both Château Palmer and Alter Ego.