The Cellar

Just don’t screw it up : Don’t pick too late

By Romik Arconian on Feb 19, 2025

Mastering Ripeness: the key to balanced wines As you should be aware, and we are extremely proud of the fact, our dear Thierry Garnaud was at the helm of Chateau Cheval Blancs' winemaking for 35 vintages, cr...

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Vintage analysis 2024 part one, harvest starting mid next week (probably)

By Romik Arconian on Sep 17, 2024

We’ve tasted & analysed grapes over various parcels. Some key takeaways before the beginning of the 2024 harvest, which we anticipate starting middle of next week: - One of the warmest & wettest wi...

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What growing conditions make a vintage perfect?

By Romik Arconian on Aug 30, 2024

Vintages are increasingly heralded as ‘outstanding’, or perfect and indeed, in 2020 things were absolutely spot on but what makes a perfect Bordeaux Merlot vintage, in terms of climate, and how? A perfect ...

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Veraison and its significance for winegrowers in Lalande de Pomerol

By Romik Arconian on Aug 16, 2024

  In the vineyards of Lalande de Pomerol, the Veraison marks a moment of great relief and anticipation for winegrowers, particularly those cultivating Merlot, the dominant grape variety in the region. This c...

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2023 Harvest at Château Canon Chaigneau – Lalande-de-Pomerol

By Romik Arconian on Oct 11, 2023

Hello! We finished the 2023 harvest on the 27th of September, les écoulages and vinifications yesterday! Things went very well, with a good quantity of very ripe, juicy, thick-skinned berries, healthy acid...

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Bordeaux 2022: Heat, Drought & the Magic of Clay Soils

By Romik Arconian on Oct 13, 2022

It almost goes without saying — 2022 was one of the hottest and driest years on record. For us, it was not simply a “left bank vs right bank” story, but a test of terroir, vineyard decisions, and timing. Whi...

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Hot Summers & cool soils: Château Canon Chaigneau’s 2022 & 2003 Vintages

By Jake Bloomfield on Aug 31, 2022

Greetings from Néac! This summer in Lalande-de-Pomerol has been one of the hottest on record, with temperatures reaching 42°C. While many vineyards suffered from drought or even devastating fires further ...

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