”After a very difficult season in the vineyard (troubled by lots of rain, mildew pressure and difficulties managing grass and soil), we were impatient to start this harvest! Indeed, we didn’t count our efforts to preserve the grapes and all the qualitative potential of the year! During each difficult season, I always feel a very strong personality and singularity in the wines of this vintage (such as the 2012, 2016, 2021 vintages).”
”With a team of around twenty people, we started picking on Tuesday September 17, with our old Pinot Meunier vines. The weather conditions were perfect: cool temperatures in the morning (from 6 to 10°C) and sunny and windy in the afternoon. A real pleasure!”
”Yields are low on the Pinot Meunier: this is due to low bunch weight, mildew which has taken its toll, and the age of our old vines… but the quality and phenolic maturity are there, and we’re seeing some very fine sugar/acid balances, with juices that have energy, structure and Champenoise freshness (with pH levels regularly below 3) !
For the macerations, sorting was easy, as there was no sign of botrytis. The juices taste so delicious!
We carry on unhurriedly, bringing in some magnificent Pinot Noir from the terroirs of Bouzy, Chavot and Le Breuil. Some are vinified without sulfur; they will be used for Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature.”
”We continue with the plots of Chardonnay with early maturity on the terroirs of Epernay and Chavot. Yields are a little higher and ripeness is really top-notch. We’re already imagining a fine allure for this vintage as it takes shape.
Then, on the eighth day of harvest, the weather took a turn for the worse, with daily rains of between 20 and 40mm!”
”Inevitably, working conditions became difficult, and the grapes didn’t appreciate it either… after much thought and discussion with our winegrower friends, we decided to speed up the harvest. This is how we managed to bring in the rest of our Chardonnay (Coteaux Sud d’Epernay and Côte des Blancs) within 3 days. Thanks to the fifty pickers for their courage and dedication.
Honestly, we think there will probably be a “dilution effect” with all the water that has fallen, but we’re optimistic about the quality potential: all the work done over the last few years is written in the grapes, the meticulous work, the moderate yields and the favorable pre-harvest conditions will have enabled us to obtain complex aromas in our Chardonnays.
We finish, as usual, with our Petit Meslier. What a juice, what an extraordinary personality!”
”Fermentations start very slowly and are likely to last for some time. The barrel cellar is full, as are the new wooden foudres and truncated-cone vats. Some of the vats are empty due to low yields, but we’re very happy with the juice as a whole!
We can say that we’ve had an extraordinary viticultural season, and that the harvest has been just as extraordinary. It’s highly likely that these juices have that uniqueness that makes them wines that will be remembered for a long time to come…
Now it’s time for the vinification!”
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