Letter from the winemaker - October 2014

The grape harvest season is over and we have the great pleasure to announce 2014 vintage. Spring and summer have been particularly rainy resulting in several treatments against the mildiou and the vines oidium : the two vines sicknesses feared by winemakers.

Several ploughing and a long pickaxe work by hand have been necessary to counter the growing of grass since the Domain stopped using chemicals on its vines.

By the end of August, the sun was back on the vineyard and stayed until September - six weeks without a drop of water enabling grapes to ripen and concentrating sweetness and acidity at its maximum.

The harvest started Tuesday 23rd September and ended Saturday 4th October. Half of the vineyard was harvested by hand, priority to the red grapes of Pinot Noir – picked up in boxes and sorted by hand. Harvested delicately by hands on the slopes, the white grapes of Sauvignon make us hopeful and confident in the future vintages of Maxime Silex Blanc and the Monts Damnés.

Summing up all the help needed for all these operations during this period, not less that 57 people contributed to the process. The less steepy slopes of white grapes were harvested with machines.

But the new policy of the Domain is now to go back to older and more traditional methods, leaving slowly behind the mechanic and technological aspects of our job. This is by respecting the know-how of our winegrower ancestors that we will preserve best the wonderful potential of our terroir.

This month of October, by controlling temperatures, the alcoholic fermentation goes very well. Every day the wine is tasted to keep a eye on the well being of the process.

After several months of fermentation, the finishing will last until spring and we will for sure be able to make you taste with pride one of the greatest vintage of this century beginning.