2008 L'Esprit des Pavots

Winemaker Nick Morlet described 2009 "as a re-run of 2007 for our vineyards and wines. It was a healthy season, warm but without too much heat, and with absolutely no vine pressure. We were able to choose our picking dates rather than having nature dictate to us and the grapes were ripe early, so we could harvest at full maturity but with fresh acidity." Morlet added that with white wines his goal is "to have depth and texture with freshness, with energy," and that he is trying, whenever possible, to use a bare minimum of sulfur "because you run the risk of stunting everything, especially the aromatics." For red wines, he went on, "you have to be willing to slow down and not push the timing of things. It's a slower process than with white wines, of course, but it's no less about precision and it can be easy to lose patience and make hasty decisions when you have a lot of time to think." Nick said the he personally favors his 2009 reds over his 2007s "for their purity and vibrancy."