While tastings of the new 2009 vintage continue, our vineyard workers are already busy preparing for the 2010 vintage. Bud burst was fairly late after a long, relatively harsh winter, and spring really only started in mid-April with a two-week period of warm, sunny weather.

The first buds appeared the week after the en primeur tastings, on about the 7^th of April, and developed rapidly, thanks to summer-like temperatures the last week in April (with a high of 29°C). Even though the first week in May was rather cool, this did not affect vine growth, which was not significantly behind last year. The vine is currently at the stage where the flower buds have now separated.

Vineyard workers have finished bud thinning, the first operation in the season to control yields. This also distributes productive shoots evenly on the cane so as to aerate the area where the grapes grow. These are now clearly visible.