In the vineyard
From the end of August through September is harvest time!
When the harvest is in, and the autumn plough is done, the pre-prune happens before real pruning starts in December.
​
In the cellar
Autumn is the period of the malolactic fermentation which converts the tart-tasting malic acid in the grape must into softer-tasting lactic acid in red wine. All vats have their lees racked off several times during autumn and winter.
* le soutirage consiste à séparer la partie claire du vin des dépôts (les lies) qui se forment au fond de la cuve. Cette opération est répétée plusieurs fois.
In the vineyard
Pruning the vines takes up a large part of the winter. The pruned vine shoots are ground and spread to nourish the soil as organic fertilizer.
​
In the cellar
The lees of the white and rosé wines are racked off in December and January (March for the reds), and the vintages are carefully blended. Throughout the winter the wines are monitored, tasted and analysed to allow each barrel and vat to reveal its full potential.
In the vineyard
April sees both the spring plough and the attaching of the new vine stems. In May and June, the unnecessary buds and shoots are removed and branches are trellised between two wires so that they do not stray.
In the cellar
​
In the cellar
From the beginning of spring in April, the red wines are blended (assemblage is the mixing of wines of the same origin but of different grape varieties). The barrels are regularly topped up, to avoid oxidation while they age in the wood, and the last racking of the red wines happens in June
In the vineyard
July is the moment for cutting the long branches, removing the leaves that hide the bunches from the sun, de-stemming and controlling the weeds. From mid-August, the maturity of the grapes is checked regularly. Harvesting happens from the end of August to the end of September, depending on the cépages and the weather. The number of grape varieties we grow with their wide range of ripening dates means we use efficient harvesting technology. Our harvest has been mechanical for several years now, with only certain rows harvested by hand when a tree, or shed stands in the way of our harvester, which has no reverse gear.
​
In the cellar
In July we bottle the red wines. The cellar is prepared for the harvest from the beginning of August. With the harvest safely in, the cellar master monitors and carefully controls the fermentation process in each vat.
