Weather conditions :
For the first time in many years, winter was marked by a long period of freezing between Christmas and mid-January. The period between February and the beginning of May was extremely dry, whilst June was very wet. We had wonderful weather for the whole month of September and beginning of October.

Growing conditions :
Flowering was long drawn out, starting around 10th-15th May and continuing slowly over a rainy period. Veraison began about 20th July and spread over 20 days. The grapes varied widely in maturity.

Grape harvest :
The Merlot grapes were harvested on 6th September. We waited until 25th September for the Cabernet Sauvignon and we had good weather throughout picking. 

Vinification and maturing :
The grapes were macerated for as long as possible before the addition of enzymes and yeast. The harvest was very warm and we had to reduce the temperature of the vats during vinification. When the alcoholic fermentation was over, we left the wine with its immersed pomace for over a month to extract tannins and anthocyans. Following malolactic fermentation in barrels, we worked the lees without moving the wine from the barrel.

The 1997 Maldoror is in the tradition of the other vintages.