For their first year at Ripeau, the Grégoire brothers could not hope for better. The sunshine was perfect, and all Saint-Emilion rejoices in this vintage which promises to be exceptional; and especially the brothers Gregory, because they managed their bet to harvest late, allowing the grain to gorge on the last rays of October sun.
In all the vats of St Emilion, the annual miracle has been accomplished. The grapes fermented, the sugar turned into alcohol, and the first wine notes began to burst and tasted with anticipation to confirm the great vintage.
It will be necessary to wait until the end of the year so that the time does its work, that the wine unfolds in the barrel and in the bottle, its aromas, and its behavior.
But already, as of March 2016, oenologists, brokers and traders are busy and evaluate the different castles. Part of the wine is thus sold in advance while it is not yet mature, and not yet bottled: it is the sale in futures. Each Château has an assembly with finely chosen proportions. This assembly is tasted by experts, notes are given and serve as a reference for setting prices. Primeurs are therefore a very important event in Saint-Emilion, where all wine specialists meet and exchange.
For the Grégoire family, it will also be an opportunity to present the new face of Ripeau: new owners, a new identity … as well as his major projects.