Welcome to Champagne Jacky Martin's Blog

You will find infos about the vines, the cellar, our latests news and also infos about Champagne.

lundi 26 août 2013

Finally, it colors...

Finally, the grapes begin to color. Veraison began.



All clusters are not at the same stage




We tend to say that the harvest is 90 to 100 days after full blossom (which was on July 3rd, therefore a theoretical beginning of harvest between October 3rd and 11th) but it takes about 40 days after early ripening, which began a few days ago, so this would put the harvest date around October 1st...

The harvest preparatory meeting is only scheduled on September 20th...

But if we have nearly 15 days late, it is not the same for everyone. Indeed, the harvest began in California with more than 15 days in advance...

mercredi 14 août 2013

It's not ripen yet!

Let's enjoy the summer weather with a walk around while checking the vine and the grapes.

Disease pressure is still quite strong, but the vine is looking good. The grapes grow and have reached the stage of closure of the cluster and the cluster "hang".

Chardonnay at "Jardin"'s plot

Pinot Meunier

Some grape berries blush but do not indicate the date of the harvest unlike last year:

Pinot Meunier le 14 Août 2012

Some pictures of a Sunday walk in the sun of Champagne Region



lundi 12 août 2013

Avenue de Champagne's Night

For the fifth edition of Nights of Avenue Champagne in Epernay, Chateau Perrier hosted a projection of giant images. The "video mapping" directed by Damien Fontaine, deals with landscapes of Champagne in the context of application to the UNESCO World Heritage.

Here are some pictures and movies:









The best is yet to go to Chateau Perrier, 13 Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. From Thursday to Sunday until  September 1st at 10pm and 10.30pm.

For those who want to know more about sound and light, here is an article of the Union:  http://www.lunion.presse.fr/region/un-son-et-lumiere-fantastique-projete-sur-le-chateau-perrier-jna3b24n85662 

For those who are curious to learn more about Château Perrier: http://www.maisons-champagne.com/Patrimoine_champagne/chateau_perrier.htm

Thunderstorm and grapes closure

July, 31st

The sky has not been kind to us those recent days, even if we do not have the most to be pitied. In three days (and only a few minutes for each showers), severe thunderstorms and nearly 80mm of rain fell. Mixed with rain and hail. Fortunately, only a few grains of bunches per vine were affected.

Pinot Noir Courcelles-Sapicourt




And here is what hail can do (vine Pévy):

Vine Stock chopped up by hailstones

      
On twigs and leaves

And berries are all affected. The damage is significant.


Despite this unstable weather, the vine growth cycle continues and reaches the stage of grape closure.




Harvest 2013 - Yield

July, 23rd

CIVC (Interprofessional Committee of Champagne wines) fixed the yield for the 2013 harvest  at 10 500 kg / ha, 500 kg / ha "released" in February 2014. We will be able to replenish the reserve by harvesting 3100 kg / ha in addition to 10 000 kg / ha (within the regulatory maximum).

The grapes benefit from this very summery weather (above 34°C yesterday afternoon) to grow.


Well, it's over...

July, 17th

Thus ends trellising. After 12 days, a day of continuous rain, the dew in the morning, the heat in the afternoon, thousands of staples put and strands shake, trellising ended last night.

The vines are now "square" with a bright green. The sun is there to ensure the proper development of clusters.





A special thanks to Coco!

End of the Second Week of Trellising

July, 14th

Trellising continues, always in blazing sun!

Some pictures of the end of the week.


Once trellised, once sheared...




All plots in Courcelles-Sapicourt are trellised. There are only two plots Janvry left.

  On the occasion of the National Day, the city of Reims organised fireworks, here are some pictures and videos of the finale:











End of Blooming and Trellising

July, 10th

Flowering is now almost complete in all plots. Some clusters are at the "grains of lead" stade. That is to say that the grains are formed and are eager to grow.

The weather has been good for the progress of flowering. It was dry (except for one day) with a light wind which helped pollination and loss of "hats".


Despite the "sexual confusion", we discovered grapeworm. Butterflies laid eggs in clusters and grapeworms eat them. Here the damage clusters.


Here is the culprit


Another plot has been done again this morning. We still have four plots and trellising is finished (still a big week of work).

Between stalks in Courcelles-Sapicourt we found another nest...


Hopefully this time summer will last for several weeks or months. The harvest could maybe start in the second half of September...

Trellising and Sun

July, 6th

After a week of trellising and 85 ares done, the sun is still shining. We still had a day where the weather was not with us...

Some pictures of the week, with or without the sun


Wednesday, hard day work


Thursday in the "Jardin"'s parcel the eggs found on June 23rd, hatched. Of course, we did not touch the vine stock to not disturb them.


Friday, end of the week with hot weather!