JJ Buckley Fine Wines Blog

Of all the decisions made for a wine though, when to harvest is arguably the most significant choice. It affects yield, flavors and aromas, texture, acidity, potential alcohol, balance, approachability, and aging potential. One or two days can make a huge difference. And waiting too long can result in substantial losses if the weather turns bad. How do they choose the date?

We Arrived in Bordeaux and It was Closed.

I arrived in Bordeaux after traveling from San Francisco for 25 hours straight...and hit the ground running. The first stop was the Right Bank winery of Clos Fourtet where winemaker Tony Ballu and his wife Veronique greeted us.

For lunch today we were the fortunate guests of Dominique Befve, General Manager of Chateau Lascombes. While it was a rather overcast day, this did not take away from the beauty of the Chateau and its vineyards.