Pas De Nom Rosé

Winter leading up to the 2022 harvest was warmer than usual, though the season provided sufficient cold units and rainfall to fill soil reserves. August was cooler than the last five seasons and we entered Spring on the back of an intense cold front. These wet, cold soil conditions led to bud break being 10 days late. The initial growth throughout September was slow. A warmer October accelerated growth and by the time of flowering reproductive growth was only around 5 days behind. Rain and heat through November led to increased vegetative growth – meaning increased suckering to allow for better air movement in the bunch zone and come veraison we experienced rolling heatwaves. Though buffered by our Oceanic climate , it was still far warmer than in prior years. We also experienced strangely inconsistent cold spells breaking the various heat-cycles.

Vineyards are pretty drought tolerant. They can withstand very dry seasons and still produce quality grapes, but with a heat wave the vines experience increased moisture loss through perspiration. They can in serious circumstances lose more water through perspiration than they can absorb back through their roots. To survive, the vine then starts to draw water from the grapes, which indirectly affects the acidity of the grapes as well as their flavour profile. Something to expect from this season can therefore be wines that are perceived as more “plush”.