2023 at Domaine de Marcoux

This vintage was initially marked by very low rainfall from January to May, with strong Mistral winds in January and a cold February — normally the period when the water reserves needed to get through the summer are built up. This situation caused us serious concern, and we even considered ways to irrigate some young vines to ensure their survival.

However, by the end of May, the vines were still showing no signs of water stress and continued to grow well. Flowering — a crucial turning point for Grenache — took place under good conditions.

Then, on May 29th, Whit Monday, a storm brought between 40 and more than 100 millimeters of rain depending on the area, along with some hail, with certain sectors more affected than others.

Rain continued through June, but thanks to regular treatments and the Mistral, we were spared from mildew.

A few storms continued to pass over the appellation until early July, but hail spared us, and the summer was overall dry and hot, apart from 30 mm of rain at the end of July.

In August, the Mistral picked up again, followed by a heatwave, with temperatures reaching 40–41°C during the second half of the month. On August 27th, rainfall of 15 to 30 mm finally brought this furnace-like heat to an end and temperatures dropped by 20 degrees!

The vines had everything they needed to produce beautiful, juicy grapes with thick skins, and the harvest was generous. According to the old-timers, they had never seen so many grapes!

Faced with such abundance, the tanks overflowed. Sophie and Vincent had to find solutions to fit everything in, even using the press pan to carry out the final délestage…

And as if things were not complicated enough, Vincent injured his right hand while trying to catch a basket full of stems: the result was a trip to the hospital, 14 stitches, and a nice cast for several weeks. These epic harvests will certainly be remembered!

Harvesting began on August 25th and 26th with the Roussannes and Syrahs, under intense heat and interrupted by a few showers, before finishing gently on September 28th.

The 2023 vintage produced wines of great finesse, with structure, complexity, beautiful color, and lovely notes of ripe fruit.