IN JANUARY ...
"The alarm clock rings at 6:30 a.m. but earlier on days in January when the vine shoots are crushed (we take advantage of sub-zero temperatures to avoid damaging the soil with the straddle tractor), on days in May before and during bottling, on days of vineyard treatment from April or May, depending on vine growth, on harvest days in September, and on disgorgement days 3 to 4 times a year. Working days never last less than 10 hours...
2 or 3 coffees before the 20-minute drive between home and the winery, arriving in Courmas no later than 7:45 a.m. to greet the 3 employees and the apprentice who start their day at 8 a.m., and on some days the GEODIS driver who picks up the Champagne deliveries.
No typical day... The schedule depends on the weather outside...
Outside, January is the month when pruning begins, vine shoots are crushed, the 31 plots are fertilized as needed, and sheep are brought into the vineyards to naturally mow the land and prepare the soil for spring.
In the cellar, "ouillage" or topping up of tanks, barrels, and demi-muids occurs weekly. This involves preparing clear wines for cold treatment: opening doors to let in natural cold to reduce energy consumption, racking (soutirage) to remove lees and avoid fining the wine.
In the office, preparations for bottling are already underway: determining the number of Brut Noir and Roche Mère, Premiers Crus Blanches Terres Rosé and Grande Réserve, vintage Courmas Blanc de Blancs and Sous-les-Roses Blanc de Noirs for purchasing bottles, capsules, and corks for bottling, booking the service provider, and organizing the cellar to store the new harvest.
In January, we celebrate La Saint-Vincent! We participate in the honorary wine with the village winemakers and have a convivial meal with our best friends..."
Yann and Séverine's personal favorite food and Champagne pairings:
Yann likes the simplicity of pairing Grande Réserve and "paté en croute" or, among others, Roche Mère Brut Nature with oysters. Séverine especially likes Blanches Terres Rosé with raclette!
GLOSSARY:
Sarment = Shoot: Term for the vine branch after it has turned brown and stiffened.
Straddle tractor: A high tractor that can pass between rows of vines.
Ouillage: "Ouillage" is an essential step in wine aging that protects the wine from undesirable oxidation and ensures a uniform, harmonious development of the wine during its time in the barrel. Regular topping up preserves the wine's quality, promotes its aromatic complexity, and ensures microbial stability. This process, though often in the background of winemaking, is a silent guardian of the integrity and excellence of the wine that eventually makes its way into the bottle.
Demi-muid: French term for a type of barrel.
Soutirage = Racking: Transfer from tanks or barrels to bottles to remove sediment at the bottom.
Fining: A process to clarify wine by adding an adjuvant that binds suspended particles and causes them to settle to the bottom of the barrel.
Service provider: Provider of machines for transferring (large containers from Jeroboams), disgorging, and labeling.
Saint Vincent's Day: Read blog article
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IN JANUARY…
The alarm rings at 6:30 AM, but earlier on days when vine shoots are crushed in January (taking advantage of negative temperatures to avoid damaging the soil with the straddle tractor), on days of tirage and tirage preparation in May, on treatment days from April or May depending on vine growth, on harvest days in September, on disgorgement days 3 to 4 times a year. Working days never last less than 10 hours…
2 or 3 coffees before the 20-minute drive between home and the estate, arriving in Courmas by 7:45 AM at the latest to welcome the 3 employees and the apprentice who start their day at 8 AM, and on some days the GEODIS driver who comes to pick up Champagne shipments.
No typical day… The schedule is organized according to the weather outside…
Outside, January is the month for the start of pruning, crushing vine shoots, adding fertilizer according to the needs of each of the 31 plots, and bringing sheep into the vineyards to naturally mow and prepare the soils for spring.
In the vat room, it's ouillage every week for the vats, barrels, and demi-muids. It's the preparation of clear wines for cold treatment: opening doors to let in natural cold and limit energy consumption, racking to eliminate lees and avoid fining.
In the office, preparations for tirage are already underway: determining the number of Brut Noir and Roche Mère, Premiers Crus Blanches Terres Rosé and Grande Réserve, vintage Courmas Blanc de Blancs and Sous-les-Roses Blanc de Noirs for purchasing bottles, capsules, and corks for tirage on cork, booking the champagnization service provider, organizing the cellar to store this new harvest.
In January, we celebrate Saint Vincent's Day! We participate in the wine of honor with the village winemakers and have a convivial meal with our best friends…
Our favorite food and Champagne pairings:
Yann likes the simplicity of pairing Grande Réserve with pâté-croûte or, among others, Roche Mère Brut Nature with oysters. Séverine particularly likes Blanches Terres Rosé with raclette!
