Another busy week has passed, bringing us ever closer to the end; a prospect that is both relieving and upsetting. We have been busy at the sorting table with several days beginning early in the morning and lasting well into the night. More of the vineyards at La Liviniere have been harvested and all are showing great potential. In addition to this there were two visiting Master of Wine students who volunteered to help with the triage. While this may have been a crazy initiative on their part, it provided a very welcome distraction for the rest of us!

There have also been ongoing cellar operations as well as the sorting, starting with the Botrytis Chenin Blanc. It underwent soutirage after three days of cold stabilisation and was subsequently transferred into barrel for wild yeast fermentation. The remontages round has been reduced after several more tanks were pressed off their skins and battonage (stirring of the lees) was begun on some of the white wines in barrel. As a finishing point, the moustache competition is heating up with specific styles having been assigned to each participant, a move that has amplified the effort involved and entertained those of us not involved!