La Capitelle De Baronaques "Le 2nd Vin De Domaine De Baronaques By Baron Phillip De Rothschild"

 Climatic conditions

Following a mild and rather dry winter, budbreak for the 2022 vintage started early on the Chardonnay vines (21March), but a little later (mid-April) on the red grape varieties after a cold snap at the beginning of the month. However, protective measures ensured that the frost had only a limited impact on white grape yields.

Flowering took place very rapidly without incident and was complete across the entire estate within 10 days. Hot and wet weather in June, with a peak temperature of 39° C, accelerated the vine growth cycle, making 2022 the earliest vintage in the estate’s history. Development continued at a rapid pace as the weeks went by, driven by spells of very hot weather in July and August combined with a lack of rain.

Under the circumstances, the white-grape harvest started with Chardonnay on 22 August and ended on 2 September. The first red grapes were picked on 9 September and the harvest ended on 27 September. Despite a high risk of fungal disease, work in the vineyard and a prevailing north-west wind after heavy rain fall in June kept the crop in perfect condition until the grapes reached optimum maturity.