After a very wet autumn, the beginning of 2003 was particularly dry and there was a rainfall deficit from January to the end ofJune. Throughout the summer, and despite exceptional temperatures (between 35 and 40 Celisus), the vineyard did not suffer as much as might have been feared because there was fairly regular rain in the form of thunderstorms. In August, temperatures were still very high and the vines, which were already suffering from the exceptional conditions, experienced severe water stress. The foliage, structure of the bunches and the grapes themselves showed significant withering. 1he vines in the Enclos resisted the severely limited water supply thanks to the clay subsoil. Two storms at the end of August finally relaunched the vines metabolic.