1989 at Domaine de Marcoux
From December to March, sunshine and Mistral shared the sky. Bud break began on 27 March, and we hurried to finish pruning. In early April, a brief hail storm didn’t cause too much damage....
Emile, then Elie, then Philippe, and then Catherine… have noted each vintage’s distinguishing features on a notepad or computer. Below are the most recent… from 1989 to now !
1990 at Domaine de Marcoux
Philippe’s notebook began with these words: “This year is definitely the start of a great adventure, and of a big change in mentalities for us and the estate. I have put in place a system of...
1991 at Domaine de Marcoux
The year of the official transition to organic. A decision taken by Philippe, but in agreement with his mother Jacqueline; with his sister Sophie, who worked alongside him; and with Catherine,...
1992 at Domaine de Marcoux
Our second full year as an organic and biodynamic estate. A very rainy spring and some mistakes in our management of this still-new growing technique resulted in some crop losses....
1993 at Domaine de Marcoux
Because of the abominably wet spring, we made heavy use of silica in spring and autumn; and of horsetail in spring only. In the run-up to harvesting, the grapes’ sugar content was very low....
1994 at Domaine de Marcoux
We finished pruning on 3 March – and fortunately, too, as budbreak began very early, around 18 March. We applied biodynamic preparations – two silicas, five teas – without any problems....
1995 at Domaine de Marcoux
Year one of a big challenge: Catherine and Sophie taking over the running of the family estate. Our brother Philippe wanted to head off, with his family, for a new adventure and destination (but...
1996 at Domaine de Marcoux
A slightly unusual year; a watershed year. Philippe was no longer here, and our two permanent employees also left for fresh horizons....
1997 at Domaine de Marcoux
From 6 January to mid-April: not a single drop of rain. Then on 17 April, after a thin drizzle, a cold snap came. The freeze caused serious damage to all types of crop, and throughout the Côtes...
1998 at Domaine de Marcoux
The year began with a winter that you could describe as “normal”. January and February were nice and sunny, and March was dominated by sunshine and the Mistral: a fortnight of uninterrupted wind...
1999 at Domaine de Marcoux
The last pruning programme of the century began on 11 December, earlier than usual. This was because we wanted to make time for planting and tending the replacement vines; the earlier we plant...
2000 at Domaine de Marcoux
To welcome the year 2000, what could be more significant for our terroir than a Mistral blowing practically throughout January and February! With gusts of up to 130 km/h and 10 days non-stop in...
2001 at Domaine de Marcoux
Year one of the millennium began with lots of rain, all winter long. The soils restored their water reserves, and the water table rose considerably....
2002 at Domaine de Marcoux
Fine weather settled in for the winter; granted, it was cold (-9°C to -10°C in December) but it was sunny too and the Mistral blew. There were a few showers in spring, which was superb, as was...
2003 at Domaine de Marcoux
It was hard to get going again after the calamity of 2002. We thought that maybe all our work would be for next to nothing – but then we got back in the saddleb!...
2004 at Domaine de Marcoux
After a rainy autumn, the winter was dry and fairly mild (with few frosts) but it stretched as far as mid-April....
2005 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter was very cold, and above all, very windy. From 24 January to mid-March, the Mistral blew practically non-stop, and often very powerfully (gusting up to 110 km/h). It was very cold in...
2006 at Domaine de Marcoux
A relatively cold, long and windy winter, but no rain. After pruning, we worked the soil. Rain fell on 22 May. On the 24th, the Mistral got up and blew until 6 June, every single day, up to 120...
2007 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter was very mild: no big Mistral, and no rain either! Pruning went smoothly. The heat arrived in early April (22-27°C); some rainfall in May and June caused a little mildew, but nothing serious....
2008 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter was relatively mild: just a few cold days in November and late February, and a huge Mistral in early March. In late April, the rain settled in, alternating with sunshine and warmth. We...
2009 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter was fairly mild but long, rainy, gloomy and grey… until April! The month of May was dry. The vines had received plenty of water and grew vigorously. So, when the Mistral blew hard in late...
2010 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter was cold, beginning in December and continuing in January with snow (about 30 cm), wind (snow drifts) and cold (down to -10°C). We were cut off for three days – though we should point out...
2011 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter 2011 was “normal”, with no excesses. Before we began pruning we took care of our old vines: straightening them, cutting off dead branches, replanting a post at the foot of each vine to...
2012 at Domaine de Marcoux
Autumn 2011 was very mild, so we were able to clean the vines up before winter. We “clawed” the soil to let the cold in and do its cleaning work, and broke it up. January was also very mild, and...
2013 at Domaine de Marcoux
Autumn 2012 was devoted to our old vines, which had suffered the most in the severe cold of February. Many vines had frozen; we pulled up the dead ones and tried to rescue the survivors with a...
2014 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter 2014 was mild and rainy, but a long dry spell began in early March. April and May were dry and so was June, with the Mistral and sweltering heat (up to 35.5°C) in the shade....
2015 at Domaine de Marcoux
The 2014 harvest was barely over when the rain began to fall: 275 mm in November compared with 34 mm in November 2013! December was even wetter but very mild. Only in late December did we see...
2016 at Domaine de Marcoux
Autumn 2015 and winter 2016 were very mild, even hot. It was truly exceptional: we saw almond trees blossoming in late December. The number of freezing days could be counted on the fingers of one...
2017 at Domaine de Marcoux
Autumn 2016 was fine and calm – typical weather for the season, dotted by showers, especially in late November. Winter slowly settled in, but in mid-January there was a very chilly episode with a...
2018 at Domaine de Marcoux
Winter arrived on tiptoe. January wasn’t very cold, and neither was February. The rain came in March, and made itself at home until... 11 June! There were lulls, of course, but these became less...
2019 at Domaine de Marcoux
After a rainy autumn, the mistral arrives in January, and it arrives in force and for a long time… there are 23 days of strong mistral, with, on certain days, gusts above 100 km / h !...