Febrer 2013

18/2/13

As I already explained last January, the pattern of the year remain fairly steady but the rhythms change and the outcomes vary. For example last year the coldest part of the winter arrived late during February which is unusual. There was little rainfall and conditions were generally very dry. Spring duly arrived and the vines began to shoot as normal. But we then received our rain, it was much needed but it all seemed to come at once. Just as the vines were in the full early growth – bright green and with long soft shoot reaching up through the wires – we had a monster thunder storm; very intense rain combined with the dreaded hail. This was very localized and unusual in early summer, it really only affected our large top field of syrah and merlot. But………

Com ja us vaig explica el Gener, els patrons anuals segueixen sent bastant constants, però varien els ritmes i els resultats. Per exemple, l’any passat la part més freda de l’hivern va arribar tard al febrer, que és inusual. Hi va haver molt poca pluja i les condicions van ser generalment molt seques. La primavera va arribar degudament i les vinyes van començar a disparar-se amb normalitat.

Però llavors vam rebre la pluja, que era molt necessària, però tot semblava venir al  mateix moment. Just quan les vinyes estaven en ple creixement – de color verd brillant i amb llargues tires que pujaven filferro amunt – vam tenir una monstruosa tempesta, una pluja molt intensa juntament amb la sempre temuda pedra.  Va ser un fenomen molt localitzat i poc comú al començament de l’estiu i per sort només va afectar al nostre camp superior de syrah i merlot. Però ..

More to come / Continuarà!