Château Fonroque 2018

2018 was a warm year, with a rainy spring followed by a dry summer.
After a generally cool and wet winter, budbreak occurred late, as the abundance of water in the soil delayed its warming. Rainfall remained very heavy throughout the spring and was accompanied by above-average temperatures. These conditions were highly conducive to downy mildew, but biodynamic farming allowed us to significantly mitigate losses. With the arrival of summer, dry weather set in. The season was the hottest on record since 2003.
However, the year did not suffer from the growth stagnation observed at the time, as the spring rains ensured adequate soil moisture levels. Veraison occurred early. Ripening took place under ideal conditions: dry weather and wide temperature swings at night—a situation highly conducive to the proper development of polyphenols. These weather conditions produced grapes with high tannin potential and a southern character, which we had to be careful not to accentuate during winemaking.
The key to success was preserving the grapes’ freshness.