Continued from our July Newsletter:

• Could you talk a little bit about the 2019 wines that we just received here in the US?

We had a few challenges between a fairly dry winter, a warm spring and some cold episodes, but we were closely following the evolution of the vine. To our content, our hard work in the vineyard over the past years is paying off. In a difficult year, the vines proved resistant and never stopped their cycle. We ended up with beautiful grapes that we picked “al dente” and we were able to produce stunning wines with intensity due to the warmth of the vintage, while retaining great acidity and a unique texture.

• How have the United States tariffs affected Domaine Laroche over the past years? What is your current view on price stability?

With Covid hitting the world a few months (February 2020) into the new year, we almost forgot how bad the tariffs (started October 2019) were. Thanks to our history and strong partnership with Wilson Daniels, we were able to reassure the market with a strong position – to hold prices for our distributors and clients. These last 18 months were difficult to our bottom line, but in this situation you must take a long-term position and support your clients.

• How did the frost affect your vineyard this year? And do you have a better view a few months later?

This episode of frost was unprecedented. To give you a few numbers, we had temperatures going as low as -8°C (17°F) for hours each night, for eight nights in a row. We had 16 people on alert every night and conducted over 650 hours of night surveillance with our team across all our vineyards. We used sprinklers as well as candles in the vineyard. We tried to protect our most vulnerable and important plots, including our Grand Cru Blanchots and Les Clos, as well as some of our plots for St Martin Village, which we know are amongst the best in the appellation. It is too early to know, but around 50% to 70% lost is a high probability. While the quantity will be an issue again this year, the health and condition of the vines as of today is remarkable and very promising. See you in late September in the cellar when we’ll start receiving our first grapes…

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