In the vineyard, the beginnig of the year is dedicated to pruning, which will influence the grapevine's strength.
In the cellar, the malolactic fermentations are almost over and we are ready to start the growing of our wines. The Crémant de Loire is bottled and will mature for one year.
The grapevine begin another cycle, and the vine grower has to adapt his work to the weather conditions.
We prepare for the bottling of our Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil La Contrie, whereas our Bourgueil Les Geslets is still maturing.
These are very important months. After the bud break, the vine starts to flower in mid-June; shoots grow on the canes we left after the pruning. Later, flowers turn into berries. At the same time, we start the cutting of unwanted buds, the tying down of canes on wires, and the trimming of shoots.
We bottle the Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil; the Bourgueil Les Geslets is almost ready to be bottled, while L’Expression is still maturing.
In August, berries start to change color; it's the beginning of the ripening. A few raindrops are required! If necessary, for a better ripening, vines are kept trimmed, and we cut off some bunches of grapes.
Everything has become quiet... We often make the most of this period and travel a little!
Patience is the word thats sums up September best.
After one year of full work, let's admit we need some patience! We have to wait for a full phenolic and physiological maturity, according to the soils. Every single day we can wait improves the quality of grapes.
The wine store is cleaned and the winery equipment is made ready before harvesting. We bottle our Bourgueil Les Geslets.
October is an amazing month: a period of achievement and the beginning of something new at the same time. We feel excited, but also stressed when discovering a new vintage.
Grapes turn into must, then into wine after fermentation. Each wine takes its own characteristics. We end up the bottling season with our Bourgueil L’Expression.
Our wines ar almost finished; the end of the year is dedicated to exhibitions, wine-tasting sessions and deliveries.
The vineyard is dormant; we plant new vines to replace missing ones; we fix supporting stakes and wires.
The grapevine'cycle and the weather conditions (sun + moon) dictate the vine grower's agenda. And guess what? It's also the case at the Domaine des Geslets... Fortunately.
We handle vine growing in a rigorous way: ground left covered with grass, close pruning, disbudding, tying down of canes, leaf thinning, removal of excess bunches of grapes. Soils can express themselves freely: the fruit are well exposed and spraying can be reduced.
This leads to a strict selection. Every vintage can express its full potential thanks to restrained quantities of sulphur.
All our wines are made of grapes harvested in our own domain, according to the schedule of conditions of Organic Agriculture.
All our agricultural practices are traceable, and the tracking system is checked by an independent organization: "Ecocert".
Since 2013, the whole area is worked in accordance with Biodiversity (no weeding, no synthetic fertilizers or weed working the soil).
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