2016 Bordeaux will be remembered for its schizophrenic weather conditions. John Nash would have felt right at home. This first half of the year set records for the amount of water in the vineyards. With its gravel and clay terroir, vineyards in the Saint Estephe appellation were able to remove the excess moisture. Starting in June, Bordeaux came close to setting another record, for the extreme dry period that lasted until September 12. This is no problem for the soils in St Estephe, because they were adept at holding ample moisture, allowing the grapes to fully ripen.

Capped by the warm, sunny days and cool nights, and stress at the just the right moment for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, along with the late summer rains was perfect! The long growing season ended in mid-October for most of the estates. The growers might be all smiles now, but they were more than nervous at several points during the season.