‘There’s no denying it’s been a challenging year in Bordeaux. May and June were very complicated, with lots of rain and high mildew pressure. July was OK, August pretty good, but September was not as we had hoped, with lots of rain…

‘We knew it was coming though, so we were able to prepare. Half the pickers at Talbot come from Portugal and we lodge them and feed them, so we asked them to come a week earlier than the projected harvest date. We expected to start picking on the 25th, so they arrived on the 16^th, and the very next day we set them to work de-leafing. Not to try and get extra ripeness in the grapes, as it was too late for that, but to help dry the bunches after the expected rain. Allowing greater ventilation to the grapes reduces the humidity and the threat of botrytis. Also, without the leaves in the way, you save around 30% of time when it comes to the actual harvesting, because it’s easier to get to the grapes. And we knew that, with rain coming, speed would be of the essence. With a team of 55 people, we de-leafed two-thirds of the estate in a week. 

‘A few days before the harvest, we sprayed the grapes with a product called Armicarb. This is a bacteria, not a chemical – a carbonate that doesn’t actually do anything, just occupies the space, taking control and thereby delaying the spread of botrytis. As with the de-leafing, we don’t normally have to do this – the last time was in 2021, and before that, 2013.  

‘We began picking the Merlot on 23^rd September. We were expecting to start on the 25^th or 26th, but we had a lot of rain and warm weather, so the grapes were ripe and we didn’t want to delay. Merlot is 28% of the vineyard, and it was all picked by the end of that week. We started Cabernet Sauvignon on the 30^th and finished a week later. I was relieved to finish, because we had a lot of rain in the last week of September, with warm temperatures, and botryrtis was rampant, so everyone was rushing into the vineyards to pick. 

‘The date of the Cabernet harvest is a bit later than the last 10 years, but if you go back further, the end of September/early October is fairly normal. The trouble is, people don’t remember what things were like 15-20 years ago. They’ve been spoilt. Over the last 10 years, we’ve only had one tricky vintage – 2021. 

‘I’m still optimistic about the 2024 vintage – I’m sure it will be criticised because of the market, which is dead on its feet, but I think we’re going to make really good wine. If the grapes are ripe and picked quickly, the botrytis pressure and rain at harvest doesn’t affect the quality. We had to sort the grapes carefully and volumes will be down, but in quality terms I think it’ll be like 2017 – well-made, rounded, fruity, easy-drinking. I think it’ll pleasantly surprise many people.’

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