At last, the refurbishment of our cellar is complete in time for the 2012 harvest. This refurbishment was neither simply a case of opening a few tins of paint nor was it a grand design the likes of which you see in Chile or California. The cellar we acquired when we bought our Cairanne estate in 2010 was perfectly serviceable but our aim was to create the best possible environment for vinifying and maturing our wines. So, after two years of planning and hard graft we wanted to share the pictures with you, including the messy business of cleaning tanks…….

Like Séguret, Sablet is classed as a named Côtes du Rhône Villages. Its lush vineyards rise gently up the lower slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail producing wines of great silkiness, for which Sablet is justly beginning to become more renowned. Notable for its medieval stone fortification, and ruelles (narrow covered alleys) its citadel of cobbled streets which spiral around the church of St Nazaire provided the inspiration for the name of our Sablet – ‘La Citadelle’.

Exciting times in the vineyard! ‘Véraison’ or grape ripening has now started which allows us to judge when the grapes are likely to be ready to harvest. The predicted date of harvest is especially important because we harvest by hand and must make sure enough teams trained pickers are at the ready. This week we follow activity in our Cairanne La Ruche vineyard as the ‘véraison’ of Syrah is starting to take place.