T-shirt, shorts and sandals vintage@Clos Roche Blanche starts Thursday

Laurent Saillard and Catherine Roussel@2008 vintage – late September

Catherine Roussel and Didier Barouillet at the Clos Roche Blanche will be starting picking their Sauvignon Blanc this Thursday (10th September). The weather is set fine for the next ten days, so Catherine will be out in the vines in T-shirt, shorts and sandals just as in 1996. Small detail, perhaps, but it is so much better to harvest in fine weather than clad in cagoules on a bleak, miserable day.

The hod carrier: 2008 vintage

Catherine: "When Didier checked at the end of last week some of the Sauvignon was at 12.5% potential with acidity around 6.5 g per litre. We had a little rain (11/12mm) at the beginning of last week, which freshened everything up. We had a lot of rain with the storms in July but there have been big variations. Our friends the Boulards at La Lionnière had virtually no rain in July, while we had 30mm-35mm with the storms.

Catherine in the vines with the picking team: 2008 vintage

"We were astonished by the Pineau d'Aunis – it's already at 11.8% with just under 6g acidity. I doubt whether we will have enough to make L'Arpent Rouge (their wonderful red Pineau d'Aunis) this year, for, although we think we'll have a reasonable yield for the whites – the Sauvignon is looking pretty good – 2009 is likely to be a small vintage for the reds.

"The Gamay is around 12% but at 8g the acidity is still high. We'll check it again at the end of next week and decide when we pick."

La pause obligatoire...........

Bonnes vendanges mes amis!