August 2022 got off to a bad start. Hardly a drop of rain had fallen since the end of June, and of the first thirteen days of the month, only one had not exceeded 30°C, the hottest reaching 38°C. The vines were suffering, shutting down their metabolism to save water, and the grapes were not ripening. By nature and education (as an engineer and aviator), I am inclined to expect unfavorable events so as to be prepared for them and only have pleasant surprises. Thus, I feared a freakish vintage, heavy, fruitless, loaded with alcohol and green tannins. The pleasant surprise came with a few rain showers, modest enough to refresh and revitalize the grapes before the harvest, on September 1^st, and reverse my fears.

Month after month, the élevage completed the polishing of these wines with their clearly modern profile, quite different from the years of my youth, but surprisingly seductive in their brightness, energy and fullness.

Climate change frightens me deeply; it disrupts and threatens our trade, but so far it has not prevented us (yet?) from producing wines of character and pleasure every year. What is more, it stimulates our search for new methods. But that is another story.