The 2017 vintage, as with the 2016 vintage, brought a low yield for Les Clos Perdus, the main reasons being two years of well below average rainfall, hungry wild pigs and some early season frost damage.
The good news is that both vintages are superb and are going to bring plenty of enjoyment.
The very early 2017 vintage has produced super clean and fresh wines that are a joy to taste. Our indigenous yeast and bacteria ferments finished well before the cold set in. The wines are now safely sitting on their fine lees developing complexity.
After four years at Les Clos Perdus, Ben Adams has decided to move back to the UK with his family to become involved in the English Sparking wine industry. I’m very grateful to have had opportunity to work with Ben and wish him the best in this new endeavour.
As a consequence, I will be giving more of my attention to the vines where I will be led by my belief that a diversity of life within the soil leads to complexity and vitality within the wine.
Deborah Old, my wife, will be spending more time in the office dealing with logistics and other French bureaucracy.
I will call on extra help in vines where I hope that, through sharing the knowledge of Les Clos Perdus, a strong working relationship might develop.
Faith Wilson is to become an associate of Les Clos Perdus. Faith who lives part of the year in Paziol has been helping Les Clos Perdus since its beginning in 2003. She has had a long career as a freelance Publicist and is enthusiastic about wine from the Languedoc, so much so that she purchased a vineyard in the high Corbieres which is now worked by Les Clos Perdus. Faith will be lending a hand in coming Montpellier and Angers salons.
Our other associate, Stuart Nix, will continue to keep his keen eye on all things financial.
So as 2018 begins, a cold winter has the surrounding Pyrenees covered in snow and at last some rain has started to fall in our thirsty vineyards. Fingers crossed that more rain will follow.