Weather conditions :
The winter was mild and wet and spring was fairly cool. Summer was hotter than usual with little rainfall. Heavy rainfall from 12th September. 

Growing conditions :
1994 began well with early budburst and good potential. Flowering began around 5th June and was rapid. Veraison was fairly uniform and took place virtually at the same time in the Merlot and Cabernet vines, around 4th August. The grapes ripened with the very fine weather until 9th September. To encourage air to circulate around the grape clusters and, hence, improve the health of the grapes, a number of secondary buds were removed in certain parcels of vines. We also carried out cluster thinning or ‘green harvesting’ and leaf removal in August. 

Grape harvest :
The grapes were picked between 9th and 16th September. All our analyses of the juice, seeds and flesh pointed to grape maturity but also to a great risk of botrytis. For this reason, we harvested our Merlot grapes very early on and very quickly.  

Vinification and maturing :
The grape juice was heated before fermentation. The alcoholic fermentation was slow to finish.  

Maldoror 1994 is like its 1993 counterpart. 100% Merlot, it matured for fifteen months in the barrel.