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excess water and becomes so sticky that we can no normally apply eight or nine per season!). In fact, we
longer bring our tractors into the vineyards to carry have reached a point where we are using every break
out the necessary treatments. Sloping sites are critical, in the weather to apply treatments!
such as Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles, which was ♦
impassable for several days! The vines are ultimately looking rather lovely, because
♦ although their Mediterranean nature means that they
Fortunately we developed spraying using tracked prefer heat to humidity, they have been pampered
carriers, miniature tractors that get less bogged down so much that they are not doing badly! It should be
as they are lighter and can be used as soon as the sun noted that the ever-present wind is extremely useful
has dried the mud – you have to time it perfectly! and helps to dry out any areas of rot.
How many ended up stuck in the soil? ♦
♦ These conditions are reminiscent of 2021, with lots of
This alternating rain and sunshine prompted grass to rainfall as the estimated harvest dates approached…
grow up very quickly between vines and within the There are still two vital months until the harvest, so
rows, providing competition for the vines, meaning we are crossing our fingers that the risk of summer
that it absorbs the nutrients that the vines need storms will pass and above all that the sun will arrive!
to grow. As we were unable to plough, we passed At the time of writing, the bunches of grapes have
through with a ride-on intervine mower to limit formed well in loose rather than tight clusters that
growth. We also used push mowers and strimmers to are of a good size…
keep this exploding vegetation in check. The result:
vines on lawns!
♦
Meanwhile, we scrape away from day to day, based on
the weather which governs our actions more than ever.
♦
The flowers emerged in early June, spread out over a
period of three weeks due to cool temperatures. They
ideally need sunny weather and 20°C temperatures
to bloom, but some mornings it was only six degrees!
Cold nights and significant dew levels also delayed
budding. The growth delays from early spring were
becoming even more marked. The mirrored light was
of course rather weak.
♦
These conditions meant that downy mildew set
in everywhere, and our only weapons for organic
cultivation are sulphur and copper, or Bordeaux
mixture. We added a little orange essential oil for its
drying properties: you do what you can!
♦
Only the large Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru
Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle vineyard appears to have
escaped the disease, but for how long?! We are on our
11th treatment, which is unheard of at this stage (we

Le Clos de la Chapelle with well-sheared rows!