The Vine
Since the entirety of our production comes from Grand or Premier Cru vineyards, we derive the maximum advantage of this key qualitative element by bringing out the diverse and complementary characteristics of these great terroirs through suitably focused viticultural practices.
Provided there is no great risk of soil erosion, we either till the soil after the harvest and in spring before budburst or we deliberately allow a controlled natural growth of vegetation in the rows of vines. Not only do we thereby ensure that the soil is kept well aerated, but we also virtually eliminate the use of herbicides and prevent the vines from pushing out surface roots. Furthermore the vines have to suffer, encouraging them to search deeper for the minerals that they need, which also renders them less sensitive to surface rainwater. This stress manifests itself through lower yields than those observed on vines whose soils have not been cultivated in this way, thereby leading to greater ripeness and concentration in the grapes. At regular intervals, normally every three years, the soil in each vineyard is analysed for any nutrient deficiencies. Should nutrients be needed, which is very rare, they are always added in 100% organic form.
These viticultural practices that emphasise the health of the soil are accompanied by a clear policy of bringing a greater maturity to our vineyards, whose average age today stands at 30 years. For this reason the House no longer replaces whole vineyards except in the event of an infection of the vine, preferring to favour complantation, or the annual process of replacing individual vines as the need dictates.
We use the two systems of pruning allowed in Grands and Premiers Crus: Cordon de Royat for Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and Chablis for Chardonnay. Our vines are pruned short (8-10 buds per vine rather than the legally permitted 15) to limit the number of bunches. However, too severe pruning can reinforce the vigour of the wood and encourage coulure. Therefore later in the season, normally in May, we debud the vines one or more times, which enables us both to control the number of bunches and to ensure that they are perfectly spaced out.
In July, thanks to our meticulous training of the vines, we allow the berries maximum ventilation, a procedure that has several advantages: optimal efficiency of any (albeit rare) fungicidal treatments and a consequent reduction in their frequency; a swift drying out of the berries after rain, thus avoiding grey rot and undue swelling of the berries; a greater exposure to the sun that ensures their complete ripeness. Finally, at véraison, which normally occurs around the end of July, when necessary, there is a further culling of excess bunches, or vendange verte.
As the harvest approaches, our vineyard manager, Sylvain Leblanc, makes daily visits to each of our vineyards to take samples. This allows him to follow the ripening process day by day. Furthermore, the close links that we have with our growers, who all deliver their grapes directly to the House presses, allow us also to follow the same practice in their vineyards. Indeed, a growing number of them have now entrusted the picking of their grapes to us. Here again, the strict procedures followed by our picking teams in our own vineyards are applied : all bunches or parts of bunches affected by rot are discarded prior to picking and a second sorting occurs at the end of the rows when the grapes are transferred to the transportation crates.
