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While jogging early in the morning, in rather intense fog and a visibility of 30 to 50 meters at most, I discovered Igor Leclere, who was already working in the vineyard. At first almost invisible in the thick, gray soup of fog, I saw him working with the tractor and a mulcher, mowing and chopping between the rows of vines. He mowed one of three rows to prepare the ground for the spring season. As a rule, we always leave one of three rows covered with grass so that the tractor can drive through when it rains and the ground gets muddy.
The next day, taking advantage of the good weather conditions, which are unusually warm this year, the other rows of the same vineyard were worked with an Actisol® device containing a plow and a harrow. This ingenious device contains a straight tine that ensures complete processing in accordance with the rules of sustainable and organic farming. It carries out mechanical weeding, work under the row, breaking up and preparing the seedbed in a single pass. The gentle use of this tool makes it possible to revitalize the soil by promoting the penetration of rainwater, stimulating root penetration and at the same time keeping organic matter on the surface.
Once the pruning has been completed (see last blog), the branches need to be folded and attached to the wire. To this end, Igor Leclere uses a fairly efficient, hand-held binding machine with a biodegradable binder. This step will guide the growth of this year’s grapes along the wire to an optimal height.
The unusually high temperatures of around 18-20 °C at the beginning of March have produced the first flowers in our garden. The ornamental quinces (Chaenomeles) have made a start this year. As a sign of impending spring, the flowers not only bring beautiful color to the garden, but also provide the first food for the bumblebees that have begun to fly.
A few days ago, we finally received some very positive news. Antonio Galloni published the results of his bottle tasting of the 2020 vintage. He writes: “The 2020 Le Pin Beausoleil is simply great, just as it was en primeur. Silky, aromatic and nuanced, Le Pin Beausoleil is simply great. Crushed flowers, mint, red cherry, red plum, mocha and expresso unfold in the glass. Le Pin Beausoleil remains one of the most overlooked wines in all of Bordeaux.” Unfortunately, our 2020 vintage was just sold out. We wish we had more in stock…
