A cloudy start to the summer, an ideally warm and dry end to the season, an early harvest (a week ahead of average), bunches of healthy, well-ripened grapes, a "neo-classical" vintage, offering a brilliant, highly aromatic, vibrant, intense wine of great purity. Acclaimed by customers and the international press.
TASTING
"Clinet 2023 reveals a deep color with brilliant ruby highlights. The nose is complex and fine, with aromas of black fruits, cherry and raspberry, complemented by lavender and mint. The palate offers a dense texture, exhaling ripe fruit, black cherry, plum, wild strawberry, sprinkled with cinnamon. The lingering finish is vibrant, intense and hedonistic."
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VINTAGE
A mild winter, with normal rainfall. A frosty start to spring, with a few nights below 0° on April 4 and 5, of no consequence given the vegetative stage of the vines. Mild temperatures, accompanied by some rainfall, supported rapid vine growth in spring, leading to fairly early flowering, concentrated over one week (between May 21 and May 28).
These conditions, coupled with a beautiful "release", confirmed the prospect of a plentiful harvest. The overcast start to the summer, alternating sun and rain, stimulated vegetative growth and mobilized our team in the vineyards. At the end of summer, the skies cleared completely, ushering in a long phase of drought, punctuated by a few peaks in temperature at the end of August and beginning of September. This radiant climate boosted ripening and led to the harvest starting in mid-September, a rather early date (one week earlier than the norm). At Clinet, the Merlot harvest took place from September 13 to 20, followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon on September 25 and 26. The medium-sized grapes harvested prompted very gentle vinifications, resulting in slow, prolonged Extractions (28-day cuvaisons).
SOME KEY FACTS
A vintage with an early cycle, regularly arRosé benefiting from a phase of three very hot, dry weeks just before the harvest. The sanitary quality of the grapes was excellent: medium-sized grapes, skins with high tannin concentration, moderate alcohol levels
Weather conditions: - Concentrated grape ripeness (color, balance, aromatic intensity) - Preserved aromatic finesse - Generous yields, the 2nd highest in the last 20 years (after 2016).
CULTURAL PRACTICES
Inter-row grassing throughout the vineyard. Integrated pest management and environmental approach. High leaf area (+175 cm).
Leaf thinning: sunrise side, no leaf thinning sunset side. Green harvest (from July 5 to 20), which required a lot of time to regulate production. Harvesting by plot and by hand.
