Page 2 - Lettre 70 EN

A SEASON IN THE VINEYARD

Mild winter and cold spring

This spring, we continued the major
work of maintaining the trellising,
which began in the winter in the
Clos de la Chapelle by replacing
worn wires, positioning new posts
and 330 headstocks. In March we
bent the rods to guide our favourite
creepers.
♦
As for the soil work and to conduct
first scraping under optimum
conditions, we mowed a significant
quantity of grass in the rows. We
were thus able to avoid heavy soil
clods from tilling, a method that
spared us one or two tractor passes
and helped reduce soil compaction.
♦
Mechanical tillage is nevertheless
essential since performs the initial
breaks in surface crust of the soil.
Depending on the weather, ano-
ther pass through the soil with the
inter-vine hoes, to avoid damaging
the vine plants, will be performed
around a fortnight later.
♦
Next, we proceeded to a thorough
picking between the vines to eli-
minate tall grass. At this point, the The cover crop of the parcels is mowed prior to the initial scouring and picking
grass is still relatively sparse, but 4 years where the tractor cannot the fire! The most threatened were
with the current weather conditions operate yet so as to safeguard the the whites. The Charlemagne and
alternating between heat and rain, it extremely fragile young vines. This Puligny-Montrachet, which remained
is growing apace and will compete covers 1 hectare, which requires a under scrutiny, did not need to
with the vines if not kept in check. considerable amount of time. be lit, although the temperature
So, it must be naturally suppressed ♦ dropped to near zero.
without any poisonous products The threat of frost forecast for three ♦
through cutting and ploughing nights in a row at the beginning of In Vougeot, candles were lit at
to be suffocated! April encouraged us to prevent the the tip of the Clos Blanc triangle.
♦ slightest risk. Ultimately, only one Most importantly, we turned on
Picking was also carried out in night proved harsh, and on 5 April the wind turbine installed for
our four parcels of vines aged 3 or everyone was on deck ready to light the occasion at the bottom of the