The harvest finished late on the 10th October this year, but in 2010 and 2012 picking ended at similar times.First remark: the yield was very low, about 30 hectolitres per hectare.The cool, wet spring branded the vintage from the outset, causing late flowering, leading to poor fruit set and uneven grape development (“hens and chickens”). The dry, very sunny summer (the 7th most sunny since 1896) produced ground water and temperature conditions that were very similar to the great vintages of 2000 and 2009.September re-shuffled the cards with a return to oceanic weather with rainy interludes.In conditions such as these, it is difficult to manage the harvest optimally. As the fruit ripened, outbreaks of botrytis quickly followed. To benefit from the advantages of the vintage (its low yield and a generous summer), we needed to play the right cards: good ground coverage, substantial green fruit and leaf removal, constantly alert for the first signs of disease, ability to harvest very quickly, sorting equipment able to keep up with the flow of harvested fruit and winemaking techniques applied carefully to the condition of the grapes picked.We had the right cards in our hand; we need to wait a few weeks now to see if we played them properly.The fact that Hubert de Boüard has been advising the estate since the beginning of the year is a significant message for our customers that we intend to continue improving towards better and better quality with the guidance of this brilliant oenologist, who has nothing more to prove.Jean Pierre MARIE