The period of vegetative rest which extends from October to February was marked by a winter slightly more rigorous and longer than the previous years, with normal rainfall and overdrawn sunning except in January.

The pruning took place from November to March and there was no winter treatment. ‘Débourrement’ was around April 20th.

The renewal of activity of the vine occurred towards the end of March and the beginning of April, and the relatively fresh and disturbed climatic conditions were rather unfavorable to its development.

At the end of April, a radical change in time provoked an explosion of vegetation and the delay in maturity compared to 2004 was entirely filled.

The dryness, which started at the beginning of June, was accentuated during all August. Flowering, engaged quickly, found its apogee from the 6th. to 10th. June. From mid-June to the end of month, the bays grew bigger very quickly because of the hot weather, and the ‘veraison’ began the first days of August.

Consequently, wine making was done in good conditions and lasted from 15 to 18 days. After a light cooling of the tanks at the beginning of ‘cuvaison’ (until a temperature of 15°C), alcoholic fermentation started naturally.

The maximum temperatures were relatively moderate (28°C to 33°C according to the tanks) and did not require any intervention to control the parameters. The extraction was done in a very soft way, with a little less intervention (pigeages and remontages) than usual.

Malo-lactic fermentation, which started quickly, finished in AprilMay. The sugar level was high with a better acidity compared to the previous years, giving a very good balance. The first racking was carried out in September 2006.

In short, 2005 promises to be a great year for aging, as generous in quantity as in quality.