On September 1st, I went to Champagne Chassenay d’Arce within the Côte des Bar, the southern a part of Champagne, to examine the 2022 harvest up shut. At Chassenay d’Arce, the harvest had been underway for per week, and I noticed many pleased faces. The harvest 2022 is a winner, exactly what was wanted after two tough years.
“I’ve by no means seen such lovely grapes in such massive volumes,” says Manuel Hénon, director of Chassenay d’Arce. “Now we have no ailments, and we can harvest the permitted amount of 16,500 kilos per hectare.”
Chassenay d’Arce started harvesting on August 24 and estimates the harvest will take ten days. “We harvest round 500 000 kilos of grapes per day,” explains Manuel. Their whole winery floor is 315 hectares (778 acres).
Harvesting pinot noir grapes in a winery in Champagne, Cote des Bar, copyright BKWine Images
It has been a sweltering summer time in lots of locations in Europe and in addition in Champagne. However right here, they’ve been fairly fortunate with the rain. Along with the spring rain, it rained firstly of August; not sufficient, although, so the 30 millimetres (1.18 inches) that got here round August 20 have been welcome. The nice and cozy and sunny climate has produced grapes, candy and attractive, with thick skins.
One other impact of the warmth I noticed within the vineyards is that the growers have chosen to maintain the leaves across the bunches to guard the grapes towards photo voltaic radiation. In Champagne, it’s typically the other. They take away the leaves within the weeks earlier than the harvest to present the grapes as a lot solar as attainable.
Pinot noir grapes in a winery in Champagne, Cote des Bar, copyright BKWine Images
Evaluation and maturity
Earlier than beginning the harvest, the group at Chassenay d’Arce had fastidiously analyzed grapes from 130 totally different plots to find out the proper ripeness. And the ripeness is sort of good this 12 months. The potential alcohol content material is 10–10.5%. In the course of the second fermentation within the bottle, the alcohol content material will enhance by a little bit a couple of per cent.
One concern with sizzling summers like this one is the acidity stage. Excessive acidity is important for the freshness of champagne. However there isn’t a want to fret this 12 months, assures Sabrine Da Paz, winery supervisor. “The acidity has dropped throughout the maturation, however it’s at stage, and it’s secure.”
A winery in Champagne, Cote des Bar, copyright BKWine Images
Pace within the press room
In Champagne, all grapes are harvested by hand. At Chassenay d’Arce, the harvest employees minimize the bunches and put them in small baskets and empty them into bigger 40-50 kilo baskets (crates). As quickly as these baskets are full, they are going to be transported to the press home in Ville-sur-Arce. The grapes come from 12 villages shut by, so there aren’t any nice distances.
As soon as contained in the press home, velocity is important. You shouldn’t let the grapes wait however press them as shortly as attainable. Chassenay d’Arce has twelve 12,000-kilo pneumatic presses. They’re positioned one stage down, and the hampers are emptied into the press by a well-coordinated group. Contemplating the burden of the hampers, the velocity is kind of spectacular. It takes solely 25 minutes to fill a press of 12,000 kilos.
Watch this video to see each the harvest within the winery and the wonderful work within the press home and vineyard.
Enormous harvest this 12 months
The harvest might be large this 12 months in Champagne, greater than in a very long time. After two tough years, producers hardly have any reserves left. And the demand for champagne is large.
2020 was 12 months, and the harvest was doubtlessly large, however as a result of financial uncertainty, the yield was set at solely 8,000 kilos per hectare. 2021 was a really difficult 12 months when it comes to climate.
Harvested pinot noir grapes in a winery in Champagne, Cote des Bar, copyright BKWine Images
All French appellations have a most yield that can not be exceeded. For Champagne, it’s 15,500 kilos per hectare. However nothing is about in stone. This 12 months, the producers are permitted to go as much as 16,500 kilos. Of those, 12,000 kilos could be made into champagne instantly, and the remainder could be put apart as a reserve (within the type of nonetheless wine) for use in future years, which might not be as beneficiant as this one.
—Britt Karlsson
