On this bright and sunny morning, Michel Pinard, cellar master at Domaine Charles Joguet, can hardly contain his excitement. Two vats are being pumped over, revealing the splendid ruby colour of the wine. The small lorry bringing the freshly harvested grapes from Les Varennes du Grand Clos is parked at the entrance to the winery. The grapes are already on the conveyor belt. One last look, a quick check that all is well and the grapes are destemmed. On one side, the stems and stalks drop into a metal basket, on the other the Cabernet Franc grapes make their way up to the vat for their first maceration.

"It's an ideal harvest " exclaims Michel Pinard as he wipes his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "Despite a chaotic month of July, complete with attacks of mildew that we successfully treated, we're surprised with the results. The sugar levels are perfect and the must is beautiful. We're working with a wonderfully healthy raw material, with an acidity of five and a half! This is going to give us a supple but lively wine".

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