5.
The grape harvest
We are
extremely strict concerning grape selection and hand harvesting, we
are strongly against the use of harvesting machines for our wines.
Indeed,
harvesting machines are blind when collecting grapes, and therefore
naturally cannot select them : grapes, whether half ripe or damaged,
will be picked at the same time as good mature grapes.
Machines
can more often than not also harvest the small stems (in the upper
vine shoots which definitely do not help to the realization of great
wines), vine shoots themselves and great quantities of leaves.
As this
harvesting method often consists in a violent shaking of the stumps,
berries break off the bunches, and all burst into shake: the juices
are consequently oxidized and the aromas altered. Conversely, at the
Domaine de la Mordorée everything is sorted and controlled.
Specific instructions are briefed to all the harvesting crews before
their departure to a specific parcel on what is to be picked, left
or eliminated. The sorting is then carried out a second time by more
specialized workers.
Due to
the wealth of grape varieties and lands, harvesting can be carried
out at different times, according to the maturity and opportune moment
of each vineyard. To monitor this harvesting, we carry out over 100
controls before and during harvest, for the 38 parcels, on 8 different
communes.
All these operations, (working the soils, early thinning, special
care brought to the vines and harvest) multiply costs by two or three
compared to traditional chemical and machine wine growing. We are
however certain it would be unacceptable and shameful to waste the
prestigious lands and appellations inherited by our forefathers, because
of intellectual laziness or greed, and not treat these lands as they
deserve.
