Vintage 2012 — Paroles de vignerons - Vinparleur

One week of #Champagne! Pictures from the last harvest in Cramant.

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

When I last time visited Nathalie and Hubert in December (I love to go to the Champagne towards the end of the year!), they asked me to put those pictures of the 2012 harvest on the website.

The pictures have been taken in September 2012. One week of harvest a under grey but rain-free sky, picking Chardonnay grapes of the Côte des Blancs. Every acre of the small and dispersed vineyards is harvested by hand, with the help of hundreds of hands. A very fast and concentrated harvest, typical for regions that cultivate only one grape variety. Despite the differences between terroirs, almost all grapes are ripe at the same time. Even more, as only “low” maturity levels a required to produce sparkling wines, in order to preserve acidity and fresh aromas in the grapes.
First impressions of the 2012 vintage at Domaine de l’Arjolle

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel, Domaine de l’Arjolle

Dear friends,

now that the wines have achieved fermenting the last residual sugars, and we have decently celebrated the end of harvest at the Domaine de l’Arjolle, we may try a first review of the 2012 harvest.

We picked the first Sauvignon grapes at the Arjolle early in the morning on 22^nd of August, followed by the other grapes for our white wines, Chardonnay, Viognier and Muscat Petits Grains a few days later. Favourable weather conditions during this first part of harvest, allowed us to pick grapes at optimum ripeness. As a result, we have very nice and aromatic white wines with crispy acidity in our cellars.

Syrah and Cabernet Franc for our rosé Méridienne were picked in the beginning of September: fermentation was totally done in casks, to favour integration of oaky characters. The period of “bâtonnage” (stirring the lees back up into the wine) to enhance aromatics is over now and you may already fully appreciate the complexity of the fruit and the velvety taste of the wine… Summer will be hot!

September 24^th: Beginning of harvest for the red wines with Merlot and Syrah. The good weather does not last and intermittent rains towards the end of September increase pressure at the winery. We decide to wait for full ripeness of Cabernet sauvignon, which imposes a strict selection of the grapes before vatting them. And already now – which fruit and how smooth those tannins are!

This period, when we choose to cut the umbilical cord of the grapes is very delicate and every vintage is different, although there may be similarities. All along this period of hard work, care and attention for every detail are the key to success of a vintage.

For the reds some more patience will be needed: Malolactic fermentation needs to be finished, to reveal the entire mellowness of the wines. In a couple of months 2012 will be in the heart of your feasts.
Santa Duc - Organic certification in our vineyards and cellar

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel, Domaine Santa Duc

After three years of conversion to organic farming, we have picked this year our first organic grapes, certified by Ecocert. Having abandoned methods like chemical weed control more than 10 years ago, our work naturally evolved towards sustainable use of our farmland and environment. In 2010 we choose to install VITIFIL© on our estate for wastewater treatment. VITIFIL® collects, stores and processes the residual waters, before distributing them through an irrigation system to surrounding olive groves and orchards. Thus it seemed evident to us to “officialise” our commitment to sustainable and organic farming by a demand for certification.

Yves Gras Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas

2012 is an important vintage for us, but also for organic wine. It is indeed the first vintage that will produce truly certified organic wines, due to the new European regulation for organic wine making. Up to now, wines could only be labelled as “made from organically grown grapes”. This year, they will be fully organic, from grapes to bottles. At Domaine Santa Duc we welcome this new regulation with joy and tranquillity. Restrictions like for the use of enzymes or lower sulphite concentrations do not bother us, as we keep our wine making natural and only use little amounts of sulphites on our wines.
2012 - a vintage of strategy and patience in the Rhone Valley

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

Vendanges 2012 en Vallée du Rhône - Domaine Santa Duc

It has been a vintage full of ordeals for many wine-growing regions in France. After the very hard frosts in February, budburst was quite heterogeneous in the Rhône valley. But due to “fertile” spring weather, full of rain and sunshine, vegetation caught up easily before flowering.

After a warm summer and dry weather in August, we started harvesting on September 17^th. Ripe and well-balanced grapes allowed picking Syrah, Cinsault and some early ripening Grenache vineyards before the rainfalls late September. Rain was rather beneficial to our late Grenache and Mourvèdre vineyards, allowing them to proceed their ripening.

A good balance between sugars and acidity, showing potential alcohol around 14% by volume and pH between 3,5 and 3,7, forecasts juicy and generous wines for this vintage. It looks like every vineyard gave us grapes with a lot of character and personality, which is rather promising for the blending and the ageing to be done.
Harvest in Vacqueyras and Gigondas with Yves Gras of Domaine Santa Duc

Permalink, by Sebastian Nickel

Under a grey but dry sky, Yves Gras is harvesting the last grapes of his most precocious vineyards in Gigondas and Vacqueyras. The rather international harvest team is meticulously sorting the grapes in the vineyards in a concentrated and in a jovial mood, while Yves bends over the trailer to remove the last “bad” grapes and leafs that might have fallen into the buckets. Few but juicy and savoury grapes for the 2012 vintage, by the way the first certified ORGANIC WINE of the Domaine Santa Duc, in vineyard and cellar.

The thunderstorms roaming around France towards the end of September, brought rather beneficial rain for the vineyards and grape varieties that ripen later and will be picked by mid October.