It has become a tradition and a special moment of the harvest for Trepo Lerigiuer champagne, in Vanault-le-Chatel.For two hours at sunset, collectors and stevedores worked on a plot of 28 hectares dedicated to the special harvest “Dream of a Harvest Night”.
Equipped with headlights, warm clothing and a good dose of courage, twenty grape pickers picked the grapes from the hill of Laubarmont, in Vanault-le-Châtel, on the afternoon of 7 September. In the light of a nearly full moon? and spotlights specially installed for the occasion. In other words, 28 hectares of vines planted in 1991 and the equivalent of 2,500 bottles reserved for the cuvée “Songe d? Une nuit de vendanges”, signed by Trepo Leriguier. Among the collectors, Guillaume and Laurianne participate for the second year in this night harvest. “We work in a very pleasant environment and in more pleasant conditions. It’s cooler, the team is relaxed, it’s a great experience. Samuel and Thomas, the team leaders, also salute the solidarity and warmth of this operation. “It is a privileged moment of the vintage. It represents about two hours of collection and requires some vigilance. Last year one of us fell into a box while walking down the hall a bit fast. Nothing serious, but you have to combine it with the lack of visibility. On the other hand, thanks to the cold, the grape holds up better when it slides. »At the end of their hard work, the team members made a toast as they tasted the 2008 vintage of the precious cuvée. An extra brut blanc de blancs with saline and invigorating notes, born from Laubarmont’s first night harvest. We will be back next year with great pleasure ”, already slip some grape pickers.
Cold, a natural ally against grape oxidation
Bertrand Trepo, to whom we owe this initiative perpetuated for ten years, is delighted: “We were the first to organize a night harvest in Champagne.And I’m glad to see that other winemakers are embarking today on this crazy bet.”The idea came to him during his travels in Napa Valley, a California wine region renowned for the quality of his wines.”I had visited several wineries before moving to Vanault-le-Chétel.There, white grapes are harvested in the afternoon or early morning, and some degrees can make a difference, cold slows the development of rot and oxidation of fruit, key factor to limit the speed of chemical reactions and avoid notes of compote or general aromas in chardonnay While other regions, such as Bordeaux , use dry ice to preserve freshly harvested grapes, Trepo Leriguier champagne is based on a natural process.On the temperature side, in Champagne, the differential can easily reach 10 degrees between day and night, sometimes more in Se Therefore, ideal for an optimized harvest, provided you quickly press the harvest.
A laborious start
Of course, the device had to be tested first. And Bertrand Trepo has an indelible memory of his first night harvest.”A true cafarnaun! We harvested until 4 or 5 in the morning of that night.We didn’t always see if the boxes were empty or full.We were as ineffective as we could, but we were so happy to do it!Some pessimists have also sought to deter it, arguing the cost and technical difficulty of this approach.In vain.” I was unheard of at the Vitryat, people wondered what was going through my head, but they came to see us all night.Today, it has become a tradition for our champagne, and it remains an amazing moment every year.customers are in love with this unique vintage, we welcome them in the place during the night harvest so that they discover the behind-the-scenes of their elaboration.»
A reflection on the container
In the longer term, the possibility of extending the experience to other plots is not excluded.”We are now in the process of logistics. I think we could be a little more greedy, especially since the results are very interesting qualitatively speaking.But before that, the winemaker wants to improve the packaging of his cuvée.”At the moment, we offer it in a slightly transparent midnight blue bottle.However, this glass does not sufficiently protect the wine from light and does not produce magnum.magnum remains the best wine-rearing vessel”.