2015

Looking back at 2015 in the vineyards

In the Rhône Valley, the 2015 season will be remembered for its warm, wet spring and dry summer. Temperatures rose to heatwave proportions at the beginning of July, making this one of the hottest seasons of the last few decades. Luckily, winter and spring rainfall was enough to recharge the water table and the vines had access to enough water to offset the hot, dry summer. They suffered no symptoms of drought and the harvest was superb from a health and quality point of view.

The vineyards were in particularly good health the day before the start of harvest: both foliage and fruit were in perfect condition. Grape skins were thick and high in polyphenols, giving good colour and tannins.

“To get an idea of the quality of the fruit, you only had to listen to the grape pickers voice their delight at this excellent harvest, where no sorting was needed,” explains Françoise Dijon.

Sugar levels are remarkably good, particularly in the northern vineyards.

The Art of Blending

Another of this year’s special features is that all varietals were consistent in their growth. The number of clusters on each vine and their problem-free development meant harvest yields were on a par with the ten-year average. Since every varietal was able to deliver to its full quality potential, there is now a broad choice of blending options to cover all segments in the range.

Late August rainfall was ideal for the later varietals such as Mourvèdre and Carignan, which managed to achieve outstanding levels of ripeness. The earlier Syrahs were slightly less consistent in terms of ripeness, but the Grenaches were uniform, and highly concentrated.

From fermentation onwards, Whites and Rosés have been showing excellent richness of aroma; in terms of balance, this year‘s low acidity levels give the wines a feeling of fullness and opulence. The first of the red wines have surprised tasters by their intensity of colour and the richness of their tannins. 2015s will be, without doubt, great wines for cellaring. Syrahs in the north and Grenaches in the south have produced some stunning cuvees.