The prerequisite for making a great wine is the acquisition by the grapes of perfect ripeness.

All the work in the vineyard therefore is geared towards this. Sometimes the hard graft is in vain, but it is always carried out with passionate commitment. But the most important factor by far, is the terroir. Its ability to allow a given grape variety to ripen 'well' is what distinguishes the terroirs of the great growths of Burgundy, for the Pinot Noir, or of the Médoc and Graves, for Cabernet Sauvignon.

For grapes to ripen 'well' is a little like to be 'well' brought up for children -no extremes, consistency and especially in harmony. All of the components in the grapes must develop together at the same rhythm : sugar, acidity, aromas, tannins etc. Some of these increase, others disappear or are transformed, but they all converge towards this state of equilibrium, which defines ripeness. Only in temperate climates, in relatively poor, or moderately rich, soils can vines work in partnership with the grapes in this task. Climates which are too hot or too cool, soils which are too fertile or arid, do not suit vines, as their extremes only cause imbalances.

This gift from nature does have a downside. Life is not always easy for grapes in a great terroir in these conditions: ripening can be uncertain, often incomplete and always open to question, in weather conditions which may be perfect or completely unpredictable. At the end of the day, it is up to those closest to the grapes to make their own careful assessments about the constitution, resistance and finally capacity of the grapes to take on, along with them, the risks that the making of a great wine presupposes.