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News from the Vineyard
by Edouard Bourgeois
September 23, 2021
If, like me, you follow producers such as Domaine Lafarge, Jean-Marc Roulot or Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg, you may have noticed that the crucial time of harvest has arrived.
Among the first to harvest was Domaine Simon Bize on September 12. Domaine Lafarge and their neighbor Marquis d’Angerville both started picking beautiful, small and concentrated clusters of Pinot Noir on Monday. Dominique Lafon picked his first grapes in Volnay last Friday, The Mugneret-Gibourgs started yesterday. Burgundy winemakers are firing on all cylinders.
2021 was marked by a historic episode of spring frost, destroying mostly Chardonnay vines and seriously impacting the production of the famous whites of the Cote de Beaune. Pinot Noir were also affected but to a lesser extent. Anthony Hanson, who writes for Jancis Robinson, notes in an early July article: “The frosts affected Chardonnays in strange ways. Domaine Blain-Gagnard in Chassagne-Montrachet report that they may have lost 65% of a normal crop in the Premiers Crus La Boudriotte and Cailleret, where La Grande Montagne (higher up the hill) is 90% affected. Their Grands Crus and village-level wines were less damaged. Informally, I gathered that Domaine Leflaive may be looking to produce 40% of a normal crop”
Summer was overall rainy and humid, a situation far from ideal, although the water tables needed to be replenished after a very dry spring. Rot pressure is certainly the main concern for vignerons and the sorting tables are in full swing.
Good luck to our vigneron friends!
CHARLES PHILIPPONNAT DISCUSSES AN ALREADY HISTORIC HARVEST 2020
September 16, 2020
by Edouard Bourgeois
Through these highly informative videos made by our friend Marie-Pascale, you will learn the ins and outs of the 2020 harvest for the Champenois, starting with the testimony of Charles Philipponnat from the eponymous Champagne house. Charles explains the contrasted nature of the year and goes over the different stages of the season, starting a with a wet winter that proved essential to replenish the water reserve for the months that followed. The historic drought that hit France led to early debudding and early flowering. The precociousness of the vintage is the signature of a year that recorded one of the driest months of July ever. The exceedingly small canopy (the amount of leaves that developed during the growing season) helped reduce the rot pressure but exposed the grapes to sun, resulting in a decrease of 30% of the production due to sun burnt berries. M. Philipponnat also explains how he adapted his viticulture methods through grass management in between the rows of vines. And finally, some exclusive news regarding the illustrious Clos des Goisses where the last rows were just purchased by Philipponnat, now sole owner. The increase is small but symbolic, as the house has been working on acquiring these last rows for 85 years.
The Clos des Goisses, now entirely owned by the Champagne house Philipponnat, is a fully south exposed, unique vineyard.
Christophe Roumier Discusses an Already Historic Harvest 2020
Christophe Roumier talks about an already historical harvest 2020
The Pressoir team is proud to present a series of videos brought to us by Richard Betts, our correspondent in Burgundy, who was able to interview some of the most celebrated winemakers of the region. We are really grateful that these talented men and women took the time to share their views on the unprecedented 2020 vintage. Among them, Christophe Roumier, interviewed in his legendary vineyard of Les Amoureuses, a climat classified Premier Cru but believed to deserve Grand Cru status by many, shares some rare and precious news on the vintage. Christophe, with his expert knowledge of the land, explains his strategy on when to pick each parcel, according to the rain that was expected the day after that interview while also touching on the role played by old vines. The winemaker also gives his opinion on the polarizing subject of whole cluster fermentation.
We hope that you will enjoy this video as much as we did. Stay tuned for more of these with other luminaries such as Dominique Lafon, Veronique Drouhin, Jean-Marc Roulot and many more...
Christophe Roumier in his vineyard “Les Amoureuses”