2013 vintage

Once again 2013 was very peculiar, starting with a cold and wet winter.
Spring was dark and wet, but at the very least, thanks to the abundant rain the water tables were filled to their maximum.
Once again, we had to keep a close eye on the weather to be able to administer treatment against mildew at the right time. After three years of conversion, we are starting 2013 with the organic certification Ecocert.
We were able to administer preventive collective treatment to eradicate leaf hoppers, as this insect is responsible for the transmission of flavescence dorée, a bacterial disease of the vine for which there is no know treatment yet, aside from uprooting the contaminated vines.
A large scale mobilisation campaign of all winemakers allowed us to quickly identify affected vines and organise their uprooting.

The appearance of the grapes in June was satisfactory.
However, the flower was about three weeks late compare to a normal year.
The transition from flower to fruit was difficult and led to shatter and shot berries.

This summer was one of the driest and sunniest on the past ten years, thus keeping at bay the risk of fungal diseases.

Alas, a violent hailstone storm hit the Côtes de Beaune on 23 July, and almost 3500 acres of vines were destroyed in Volnay, Pommard, Meursault and Savigny les Beaune.
The Côte de Nuits was sparred.

September started chilly but sunny. The alternation of cool nights and pleasant sunny days is very good for the synthesis of phenolic compounds.
As the old saying goes, September will make the quality of the 2013 vintage.

After our first maturity analyses, we have decided to start harvesting at the Domaine on 28 September. The maturity of the grapes was quite heterogeneous and we have identified our first spots of rot in the vines at the bottom of Gevrey.
The grapes still retain some acidity as due to the lack of heat, the malic acid had not completely degraded.
The first grapes harvested are airy with little light berries, the phenolic compounds are getting easy to extract, and the berries are falling of the bunchstems onto the sorting table, which testifies of their ripeness. Very little rot.
It was time to harvest, and despite the forecast of a low yield, we think the quality will be there.