A great harvest comes early. Part 1
Every so often my harvest visit to Burgundy merges with another assignment in the Rhône and this year there was a third client, Flint Wines in London. Consequently when I arrived back in Burgundy I had missed most of the Côte de Beaune. I still had a very interesting time in the Côte de Nuits enjoying great weather and meeting very happy winemakers.
I had planned to visit Chablis but the dreadful hailstorm meant that trip was best delayed.Can you imagine trying to photograph someone who had just lost 85% of his Grand Crus a week before harvest…?
I managed to catch Jean-Michel Chartron harvesting their Chevalier Montrachet before having to head south to Avignon before returning.
Chartron’s famous Chevalier Montrachet gate
Michel Niellon was picking his Chevalier too
Cleaning up at Chartron
Getting the barrels ready at Chartron
Marine Roussel@ Domaine Joncier in Tavel
Her husband watches from behind a reflector !
Nicolas Haeni at Malmont provides coffee after an early start
Nicolas’s Malmont vineyard, near Seguret, all his own work – watch this space !
Jean-Louis Chave relaxes with a glass of his favourite – St Joseph !
Jean-Louis Chave’s project in St Joseph. Formidable !
Jacques Grange and Claire Darnaud at Delas Frères
Isabelle and brother Christophe Sabon in Courthézon near Châteauneuf du Pape
Vincent Avril in Clos des Papes Châteauneuf du Pape
Julien Pilion loads his Viognier in Condrieu
Philippe Guigal and his Dad think 2015 is their best ever vintage. The grapes from La Turque looked amazing.
Start of harvest in Guigal’s La Turque in Côte Rôtie
Dawn at Corton
Chardonnay in Charlemagne, quite a sight.
The pickers are summoned to their Paulée at Bonneau du Martray in Pernand -Vergelesses
Next morning Pierre-Yves Colin is busy lining up his barrels in his new cellar in Chassagne-Montrachet
while cassecroute awaits
Over the road Laurent Pillot is watching his Aligoté come in
Its Aligoté- o-clock at Pillot’s
Quality control at work
I hope he has n’t lost his watch….
Paul Zinetti at Comte Armand knows there is still plenty of work to do…
Up at Louis Latour the reds are still coming in at their 19th century cuverie
At the Hospices de Beaune things are more modern. No “pigeage a pied ” here.
Ludivine Grivault is pretty pleased with her first vintage at Les Hospices
Nioc Potel is always smiling anyway!
Nico’s winemaker Xavier is more serious and likes to work in the dark.
Meanwhile Germain relaxes in between presses
Caroline Frey keeping an eye on her bit of Burgundy
jonatcorton 
Leave a Reply