{"id":21042,"date":"2021-10-25T22:23:52","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T21:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cos.projet-client.com\/le-millesime-2021-vigilance-et-humilite\/"},"modified":"2022-03-02T00:51:59","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T23:51:59","slug":"le-millesime-2021-vigilance-et-humilite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/home\/cos-chronicle\/le-millesime-2021-vigilance-et-humilite\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2021 Vintage: Humility and Vigilance"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Numerous challenges” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Like the one before it, the 2021 growing season began with a rainy winter, but that is where the similarities between the two vintages end. These damp conditions were followed by consistently dry weather from mid-February to the end of April that allowed for early tilling of soils, so they could warm and prepare for bud break.
\nBut the 2021 vintage\u2014homogenous and precocious at first\u2014then experienced cooler temperatures that slowed the growing cycle, aligning it with a much more conventional timetable, as compared to the decisively early 2020 vintage.<\/p>\n

The first blossoms appeared on May 25 under ideal conditions, with hot, dry weather resulting in particularly qualitative, rapid flowering. Temperatures remained mild but humidity levels were high, fueling concerns about the health of the vines and the ripening of the grapes. Indeed, a certain level of water stress is necessary for skins and seeds to ripen, and the vineyard\u2019s water reserves remained abundant through August 10.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”22429″ img_size=”810×810″ add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”22511″ img_size=”810×540″ add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]But various parameters proved crucial in allowing the men and women of Cos to compensate for these conditions. To begin with, the vineyard teams, forever present and vigilant, carried out targeted leaf thinning until late in the growing cycle\u2014it was the first time since 2014 that leaf thinning was carried out so tardily\u2014to increase exposure to the sun\u2019s rays and foster the ripening of aromas while increasing air circulation to protect the grapes from disease.<\/p>\n

The excellent location of the hill of Cos near the Gironde Estuary also proved primordial, for sea breezes limited the effects of humidity and reduced the risk of disease in the vineyard. The advanced age of the vines was also a determining factor, for they had had ample time to acclimatize to their terroir, which allowed them to adapt to a most unusual situation by responding more strongly to the dry weather that returned to the vineyard on August 10. At harvest, which took place from September 23 to October 7, tannins were wonderfully ripe. [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”22435″ img_size=”810×540″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”30″ accent_color=”#a30b34″][vc_custom_heading text=”Relatively dry weather made it possible to wait for optimal levels of maturity before collecting the grapes on each plot.” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”30″ accent_color=”#a30b34″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Under these uncommon meteorological conditions, the vines planted on gravel and clay soils evolved in synchrony to deliver equally ripe Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The vines were perfectly healthy, thanks to the efforts of the estate\u2019s winegrowers, who adapted their methods in the vineyard to the very end. As usual, the Merlot planted on the estate\u2019s gravelly plateau was harvested first, for it tends to develop early, followed by the Merlot planted on clay soils, and the Cabernet Sauvignon. Relatively dry weather made it possible to wait for optimal levels of maturity before collecting the grapes on each plot.<\/p>\n

The 2021 vintage\u2019s Merlot is remarkably enticing, fruity, and rich, with a very noble expression, and its Cabernet Sauvignon, despite low levels of sugar that resulted in a lower alcohol content, reveal a magnificent intensity and a freshness characteristic of the most elegant, sophisticated wines. [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”22441″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Now that the harvest has come to a close and the winemaking process is underway in the estate\u2019s gravity-feed cellars, the wines of the 2021 vintage are already revealing themselves to be unexpectedly rich and deep, despite numerous challenges that required great humility during the growing season. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1749,"featured_media":21032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journal-de-bord","category-article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t