Sat morning musings on the Blackberry, in a meadow with
Alfie dog. Cold nights but days as warm as summer; good vintage weather. Some
rain. But these days well-tended vines, well-protected grapes shrug that off.
Rain that would have meant disaster 30 years ago, today just perks up the vines
and ripening accelerates. Haven't seen any sign of rot.
Not sure it’s true everywhere but Ste. Colombe at least is
displaying lots of lovely black grapes.
All is calm. Calm before the storm of vintage. Due to kick
off next Wednesday. We don't grow white grapes here so nothing is moving.
Whites are coming into Le Chai from south of the river. Busy over there.
Talk is of the runaway English girl found in Bordeaux. Last
night the Comptoir had a huge table set for an English wedding group. We are a
romantic destination!
Glad we got our Ch du Bois last year. I'm gazing at it now.
Half a mile away on its wooded hill.
The great adventure of restoring, then taking this lovely
old place to new winemaking heights is something I intend to share with my
customers in every way I can. I want you, all my customer chums, to experience
all the joy of making wine in Aquitaine with none of the numerous hassles.
Who wants a bit of château then?
Working on it.
If runaway girls and marrying girls come here what about the
rest? Bordeaux is so close. Ihr 20mins. Bordeaux city is lively these days. The
boys got back at 5 this morning. The people are nicer than Parisians.
Castillon; our bit of up-country is only an hour away. Train
or car. Visits? Le Chai au Quai on the
Dordogne, the underground caves of Ch La Clariere, Henry Laithwaite's new shed
winery, Ch du Bois, its courtyard and terraced vines, Le Comptoir de St Genes
for lunch with winegrowers amidst piles of their wines. That's just us.
Also St-Emilion next door, most beautiful of all wine towns
even if over-touristy now. Castillon is a real 'live' town, and we have endless
little villages and real châteaux with turrets, battlements and such. Next year
we'll even have 'Un Golf". Just 9 holes but due to grow. You can buy a
house on it.
The 'Bataille de Castillon' is a spectacle not dissimilar to
the first bit of our Olympic Opening. Medieval France comes alive, Son et Lumière,
music, cast of hundreds … is there a bigger such event anywhere? Three times a
week over the summer. Been going over 30 years. They are amazing people; the Castillonais.
Am proud to be an adopted son.
Do come.
Tom said he met a happy couple at Le Comptoir lunch
yesterday, had just done the Chai tour. He remembered them from a
talkie-tasting I did in Reading recently. I'd invited them to Castillon. And they'd come!
So must you all.
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