We have the habit of referring to years when climate conditions are rather poor as "vigneron" or "winemaker vintages". In fact, from the flowering right up to the blending, the work undertaken by the men and women in who work at our estates is never as evident as it is in a year like 2008.

Threatened by inclement weather, vigilance must be permanent and decisions rapid and sure. The "terroir" may be essential but it is not sufficient to achieve greatness in such a year. Man with his repeated care and intervention will be vital in extracting the best from our parcels. In a constantly changing world it is easy to lose one's way. However, in the domain of viticulture a winegrower without an acute experience and sense of the past is a winegrower who is totally lost.

Experience and deep understanding of a vineyard is essential to the success of making a great wine. If all over the world the finest wine making estates are often the oldest, this is not by chance. Once man has located the best possible placements for cultivating vines, he will shape and improve those areas year after year.

Each harvest is different. The experience gleaned from each and every one is indispensable towards the constant improvement of their quality. Thanks to data recorded since decades, our archives and our personal experience permit us, without a doubt, to adapt with more surety and calmness to each individual vintage. Adaptability was certainly the other key to success this year. Never have we so often had to challenge our own pre-conceptions ingrained habits. But the result is there. All those men and women who took part in the careful planning of the harvesting can be proud of their contribution: A huge Congratulations and many, many thanks are in order!

Concerning our white wines; the quality and style of the wines in 2008 are very close to those in 2007. We have in these wines a grandiose balance between the volume in the mouth and its freshness. Our white wines, in 2008, are particularly great.

Concerning the reds; the wine in 2008 is different from that of last year... even if conditions were more or less the same. We have a skillful mix between the style of a 1988 and the structure of a 2004. We have a very good vintage that we believe to be superior to our 2007.