Indian Automn

Only the colors of the vegetation reminds us that it is automn. Indeed with temperature which nearly hit 28°C in the afternoon sun since sunday, we rather feel in summer...

General Information

New board installed by the village this weekend

Christmas time is coming and we are preparing some surprises. Indeed, new features are planned for the next two months. Not to miss and be among the first to be informed, visit our blog or our facebook page

Harvest - Day 4 & 5

The harvest began with chilly mornings but relatively beautiful. The rain invited itself Friday afternoon. This little rain is good for the grape but the pickers were less happy...

The grapes are healthy. Little or no rot on grapes. Quantities are small but the quality is there. Will we have an exceptionnal 2012 vintage ? Only time can tell.

A small thunderstorm broke last night with rain. Today we really feel that we are in autumn! It is very cloudy, with rain and wind... The day will be long in the vineyards.

Here are some pictures from Sunday

Some vine stocks are more loaded than others

Harvest - Day 1 (Septembre, 20th)

Sunrise this morning for the first day of harvest herald a beautiful day (but very cool with a small 4°C. ..)

The village is in full swing, it will last at least a week

Harvest - H-13 (September, 19)

It is nearly time! The harvest 2012 is only at few hours ago! Shears have been checked, raincoats sorted, boots lined, baskets and boxes wanshed and tables installed.

I'll see you tomorrow for the first day! But do not forget your sweaters, frosts are expected...

Maturation (September, 12)

After some rain yesterday (September, 11), which is good for the grapes and vines, the autumn came back hardly. We did a tour in the vineyard to see the progress of the maturation.

One thing remains, no matter whatever plots and varieties, there is still heterogeneity between the vine stocks.

Below the Pinot Noir at Courcelles-Sapicourt

Unfortunately, the vineyard's tour also reveals surprises like vine stocks without grapes or with small bunches...

...or bunches which have suffered from heat stroke in late August when the thermometer rose to nearly 42 ° C in the shade...

Harvest 2012 - Appellation

Yesterday took place the meeting between the CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Champagne), UMC (Champagne Houses' Union) and SGV (Vine growers Union) and an agreement was reached on yields for the harvest: 11,000 kg / ha

Come back saturday for the officials harvest's dates

A scent of harvest...

Ripening

Back after a few days away, the grapes continue their maturity but it is far from homogeneous (the same way the flower was held in June...), as shown in the pictures taken yesterday from the plot "Chemin de Reims".

Veraison almost complete

On their way...

And the late ones...

With these differences in maturity, we fear a harvest several times ... Thing we have never done!

Chardonnay at "Jardin"

Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 4th, the pre-harvest meeting between the different actors of the Champagne will take place. It aims to determine the appellation for the 2012 harvest. So we will know more Wednesday morning.

A good thing done

After yet another ride with the straddle tractor, the last one was done yesterday afternoon. All sides have been sheared. The grass between the vines has been grilled. Now all we need is the grapes to ripen slowly and color (with the help of the weather).

See you in a few weeks to know the "appellation" and for the date of the harvest!

Veraison or Ripening of the Grapes

Here we are! We started to see some grape berries turn green to redish. It is called the veraison.

But the grapes are at different stages of ripening.

It is still difficult at this stage to define the harvest date. Everything will depend on what the weather will be for the coming month...

Years follow...

Years follow but don't look alike!  

Some photos taken a year apart (within few days)

Pinot Meunier (taken today August, 7th 2012)

Pinot Meunier (taken August, 3rd 2011)

Pinot Meunier (taken August, 18 2011 within 10 days of the harvest)

Storms again

It rains almost once a day for severall weeks now and we had two storms in four days... It's a bit too much. 

Storm coming quickly

Tornado away

Trellising

The trellising began on Monday. This manual task is to aerate the grapes and the branches to maximize the surface for photosynthesis and to put a staple to hold the branches between the tying-up wires.

Blooming

The sun finally came back! But according to the weather forecast, it will not stay so let's enjoy it! Disbudding ended yesterday (with rain) and the first shear shots were given (dispite the weather the vines grow because there is no lack of water and the sporadic heat pleases it).

Let's hope this dry weather will last for two reasons: 

- If the current weather pleases the vine, it pleases weeds too! Ground work will resume, we just need to wait until the soil dries a bit. 

- The blooming began for the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir. Therefore, we need dry weather to prevent it from sinking. Pinot Meunier's berries started to separate and suggest a soon blooming. 

Separated berries

Blooming grape

The trellising should begin next week (remember last year we started May 29th and the full blooming was around May 23rd). Time goes by but every year is different...

Buds

After severall days of bright sunshine and warmth, the buds started to show up.

A sweet taste of spring

The sun finally came back yesterday... Work in the vineyard is more enjoyable with this lovely weather! Pruning is doing well but it's not over yet!

Fog

The photo speaks by itself...

Last news

Since our last post, a lot of things happened!

We celebrated on 22^nd January, Saint Vincent. Saint Vincent is the patron saint of wine growers. At this occasion, a mass is celebrated and the “new wine” (from the 2011 harvest) and brioches are blessed by the priest. Afterwards, a “vin d’honneur” (a reception) is served and we taste the “new wine”, which is the base for our next Brut Tradition (cannot be sold earlier than 2013). And this tasting is of good omen, the wine was delicate, fresh and liveliness while having pronounced aromas.

Winter finally arrived (finally, it is necessary to say it). The temperatures fell until -18°C at night and hardly more warmly than -5°C in the day. We also have some snow-covered episodes but nothing to compare to 2010-2011!

The temperatures being more clement, the work of the vine started again: winter pruning and pruning.

Unusual Winter

This year, winter is warmer than ever according to Météo France (french metoffice) since 1886.

We have only had snow once on 18th December (only few centimeters) and almost no frost. It doesn't feel like it's winter actually. Let's hope that winter with its frost will come soon otherwise it could happen when we don't want it, in April or May...

Snow on 18th December