Louis Latour's update in the vineyard

09 August 2023

AWAITING WITH ANTICIPATION...

We are arriving at mid-maturity for our 2023 season. Manual work out in the vineyards is slowing down, while the grapes continue to mature on the vines ready for the tentative harvest in the first to second week of September. The focus is to keep the individual vines aerated, happy, and healthy to channel their energy to stock up on nutrients and transport their sugars to this year’s fruit. From separating the individual branches (accolage), cropping back any extra leaves (effeuillage) that may hold excess humidity around the grape bunches, to eliminating large weeds surrounding the trunks – these important processes help optimize the maturity of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. As of mid-July, we are beginning to see the first signs of véraison. This is the primary sign of the grapes starting to ripen and change colour, either from green to golden for Chardonnay, or purple, dark red for Pinot Noir. The change in colour is the sure sign of the accumulation of sugar in the grapes.

Preparations at the cooperage, the production facility at Clos Chameroy, and our historical Corton-Grancey winery in Aloxe-Corton are well under way too. Our handcrafted, new oak barrels are being dispersed, while previous season barrels are cleaned and organised for the aging of our upcoming 2023 vintage.

The exact date of the harvest will be determined together by the vineyard manager and director of the domaine. Two weeks leading to the approximate date, they meticulously examine the grapes by taste, sight, and texture – alongside the analysis of the sugar and acidity levels of the pressed juice at our on-site laboratory. This hands-on approach of taking samples from the field has always been an integral part of Louis Latour’s method of knowing and understanding the vintages characteristics.

Until then, santé! while we await in anticipation to update you on the hustle and bustle that came with this year’s vendange (harvest)!