Planting density ranges from 10,000 to 11,000 vines per hectare. Pruning is Guyot simple for Chardonnays and Cordon de Royat for certain plots of Pinot Noir.
We keep phytosanitary treatments to a minimum, and prefer to grow our produce in a sustainable manner.
Almost all our vineyards are thinned out on the sunrise side from mid-July onwards. The aim of leaf thinning is to ensure even ripening of the grapes while limiting rotting.
WINE-GROWING PRACTICE
HARVEST
All our appellations are hand-picked. Double sorting is carried out in the vineyard and in the winery on a vibrating table. The grapes are transported in stainless steel bins, unloaded by slow vibration to keep them intact, and transported quickly to preserve their freshness.
Chardonnays
For the Chardonnays, the whole harvest is then placed in the pneumatic press. The grapes are then slowly pressed for almost 2 hours, followed by chilling at 10°. The purpose of chilling is to :
- Slow, natural gravity settling
- Pre-fermentation cold maceration lasts as long as is necessary for the selective diffusion of certain water-soluble grape compounds.
Once this period has elapsed, the musts are transferred to barrels for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. The percentage of new barrels varies according to climate, as does the wine's capacity to express itself on new wood (on average 30%).
Pinots noirs
For Pinot Noir, the harvest is first destemmed, between 70% and 100% depending on the year, and then placed in vats. It is then brought to a temperature of between 8 and 10°, to allow pre-fermentation cold maceration (MPF) over a period of 3 to 6 days. As with white wines, MPF allows aromas to be extracted, and gently initiates enzymatic destructuring of the pulp and pellicle without the presence of alcohol (which is a powerful solvent). This process has the advantage of preserving the delicate character of Pinot Noir and magnifying its intense, direct fruitiness on the nose and palate.
After MPF, a further 10 to 12 days are required for alcoholic fermentation. After devatting and pressing, a 48 to 72-hour settling period is carried out before entonnage, always with a proportion of new barrels (on average 20%).