If the newsletter does not display properly, see the on-line version Spring 2011 newsletter Weather report up to the end of May: Let’s try to be concrete in this world where the image of a product almost becomes more important than the thing itself. Talking about the 2011 vintage today in no way constitutes an opinion on the quality of the wines that will be produced. We all know that so many things can happen up to the very last minute that the final result can only be announced once the finishing line has been crossed, i.e. when the harvest is finished. However the different aspects of the weather hitherto can be discussed as well as the actions taken by Man to influence his terroir by referring to information available today. For two years now, the real issue for our vines has been more and more around water supply. Rainfall is no longer so regular and it comes in smaller quantities. In autumn 2010, the November rain replenished part of the ground water reserves after the summer drought, but this was the only really rainy month with three times the average rainfall. During the rest of the winter, while we experienced fairly seasonal temperatures, rainfall was low and spring was abnormally dry. At Laroze where many of the plots are drained to force the vines to drive their roots down into the clay layer, I have a very good measure of the water reserves in the ground, which is the single collection point fed by all the vineyard drains. It also receives water from drains in neighbours’ plots and collects the run-off from a total area of about 35 hectares (86 acres). I regularly estimate the flow from this pipe in terms of the diameter of pipe it appears to correspond to, which is an empirical but reliable method. In mid-May 2010, when the water shortfall was already close to 100 mm, I estimated the flow of water at the collection point to be equivalent to that from a 100mm pipe. On 15 May 2011, the flow only corresponded to that from a 50mm outlet. This means that the groundwater reserve at the depth of our network of drains is 50% lower than it was last year. Today, I estimate the water reserves to be sufficient to supply our vines until the end of June. So, we hope that summer will have regular showers! If the same drought as we have just had over the last two months occurs in July and August, the vines will hardly be in optimal conditions to ripen the grapes. Past weather patterns never enable us to predict future ones and today all scenarios are possible. At Laroze we adapt the way we work to reduce the competition for water in the vineyards and decrease evaporation from the vines’ leaves. The hotter it gets, the greater the leaves need to release water to keep surface temperatures down and avoid being burnt by the sun. We have built in our margin for increasing quality over the next 20 years! In March, we replanted 1.2 hectares (3 acres) of Merlot vines at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare. So today 20% of our vineyard is planted with a higher density of plantation, up to 10 000 vines per hectare. It is a lot. We will now let these plots with young vines age. They replaced our 50-year old vines, which were planted after the freezing weather in 1956. There are only two of us in Saint-Emilion, who are really investing in high-density planting (10,000 vines per hectare instead of 5,600 to 7,500). In this way we have built in a margin for increasing quality over the next 20 years, as the wines made from these high-density vines come to be included in the blend of our main wine. They will enhance the level of quality of Laroze with their richness. The first plots to be replanted at high density in 2005, then 2007, are very promising in the elegance of their tannins. The main part of the investment is now being done, we only have to look after them and wait until they get old enough. How was flowering in 2011? This fine weather promoted flowering, which was very fast and regular, unlike last year. It’s a good sign for quality, because it means that all the fruit of the same grape variety will ripen together in record time and with uniform quality! The Cabernet Franc vines flowered very soon after the Merlots. At the moment, we are in the middle of the phase when the fruit sets. The bunches are quite long overall, but in certain parts of the vineyard signs of poor fruit set are visible, perhaps some “hens and chickens” (millerandage), apparently very little, at least a lot less than last year. We need to check again in a few days’ time. Laroze 2010: See the press review Investments in 2011 We again bought more 1-metre wide equipment for working in the vines, in particular a second straddle tractor for €90,000. This has a quite revolutionary design, because it is made in two parts, which turn around a central horizontal axis. As a result it continuously changes shape and “sticks” to the ground as it moves up and down keeping the soil tilling tools perfectly in position, so that we should be able to cultivate in very good conditions two complete 1-metre rows at the same time. It is a new concept, which we liked and we hope it will deliver! Ageing Laroze 2009 The main Laroze wine is being fined and will be bottled this June. Our second wine, Lafleur Laroze, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, was bottled in May and produced 19,000 bottles. There are opportunities for distributing this wine. For the first time, we produced 14,500 bottles of a third label, which is the same level of quality as Lafleur Laroze, but with a different style. This was made on the request and exclusively on behalf of a Bordeaux merchant for his Asian customer. The batch is still not finally sold, but the transaction should be finalised soon. Promotional trips -    November 2010: London - Decanter fine wine encounter. -    December 2010: Paris - Le Grand Tasting -    February 2011: London and York with Association de Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Emilion -    March 2011: Germany - Opening of the Bordeaux Commanderie in Stuttgart -    April: “Primeurs” week - Presentation of 2010 primeur wines at Château Villemaurine with Association de Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Emilion and at Château Angélus with the estates using Hubert de Bouärd as consultant -    May 2011: 12 days in Asia - Singapore, Canton, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Jakarta with Association de Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Emilion -    Coming trips: -    19 June: Vinexpo – Tasting of the 2007 and 2008 vintages with Association de Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Emilion. Hall 3, Tasting Lounge 3 from 14.0 to 17.30 -    5 & 6 November 2011: Brussels – Revue du Vin de France Show. -    May 2012: Vinexpo Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong List of merchants who distribute Laroze Access to the list I wish you a happy summer   Guy Meslin                                                                                   Heaven, Earth, Laroze