L'Equipe and the 2011 Cabernet Franc recolte
Shortly before 10am this morning an elite band of pickers started harvesting the 2011 Cabernet Franc at Clos Chossay, Epeigné's only individual producer. Fruit from all the other vines in Epeigné goes to the cave cooperative at Francueil.
Removing the nets
The last to harvest in the neighbour the precious harvest had to be netted to protect the grapes against the birds:
Suzie removing netting
Mark disentangling grapes from netting
Getting ready to start
Annick
Dominique
Fabrice (above and below)
Group photo@end of picking
Mark models new earings..
The tradition at Clos Chossay is to destem by hand – fortunately the harvest is not huge: Clos Chossay remains a 'bijou-garage' estate. 2011 was rot free but with some variable ripening, so unripe grapes had to be separated while destemming. The three bins of Cabernet Franc took about two hours 45 minutes to separate the fruit from the stalks.
A job for skilled hands and fingers...
Job done - the stems
Preparing two bins for treading
Getting ready to start
The picking
Small well aerated bunches
Another precious bunch harvested
Turning leaf
Picking lasted about an hour:
2011 Cabernet Franc harvest
Sorting and destemming
The team@work
The tradition at Clos Chossay is to destem by hand – fortunately the harvest is not huge: Clos Chossay remains a 'bijou-garage' estate. 2011 was rot free but with some variable ripening, so unripe grapes had to be separated while destemming. The three bins of Cabernet Franc took about two hours 45 minutes to separate the fruit from the stalks.
2011 Cabernet Franc destemmed
Foulage (foot treading)
Preparing two bins for treading
Treading underway: women working – men watch
A growing group of watchers
2011 Cabernet to the chai – ready to begin fermenting
Crushed grapes
On the way to the chai
Filling the vat (above and below)
La cuverie
Vertical press and drum kit
Winding down
In all we picked enough Cabernet Franc to give around 70 litres of juice before pressing, which Mark expects to produce about 50 litres of wine with a potential alcohol of 12.8% potential alcohol. This will be blended with the estate's 35 litres of 2011 Côt, which was picked on Tuesday. The 2011 'grand vin' will be bottled in 2011 after a two year élèvage. Over lunch we tried the 2010, which looks promising with attractive red fruits. This is due to be bottled in 2012.
Winding down
Time to relax after a long day and lunch
