Carmes de Rieussec

After very varied weather in 2015, 2016 proved to be a more uniform vintage throughout the Gironde region. This was a year that brought both quantity and quality, but was not without its fair share of surprises. The beginning of the winter was extremely mild and wet from December to the end of January, suggesting that bud break would be early. Fortunately, a cold spell arrived in February and continued until bud break around 8 April, resulting in a few frosts in the surrounding area. The summer was characterized by extreme dryness. The vines endured water stress for two months until the end of veraison. Lasting longer than in 2015, the heat wave could have affected the ripening process. But to our great relief, some rain finally arrived on 13th September. The growth cycle could therefore be completed without hindrance. The weather remained warm and dry, and so the botrytis was very late to develop; the best rounds of selective picking took place between 20th and 28th October. The vinifications took place in ideal conditions, and the great potential of a vintage that had been something of a dark horse was finally revealed.