When Picking Early Isn’t Enough
- Alex
- Dec 6, 2023
- 13 min read
Updated: Feb 4
In November of 2023, I traveled to Paris to attend the first Wine Advocate Symposium, the focus of which was: classical wines in an evolving climate. In William Kelley’s own words, the idea was “to go beyond the standard masterclass format of vertical tastings of iconic wines.” Instead, William led a deep dive with five leading producers, on their work behind the scenes, to “change everything so that the wines stay the same”.
Selosse, Keller, Arnoux Lachaux, Cheval Blanc and Roagna, these producers all agreed upon one thing from the outset- there’s no one answer to combatting the effect of climate change in the vineyard.
They each face specific but overlapping challenges related to their particular soils and climates, and as such, there are many similarities and individualities to their work.
What is the primary threat these producers face in regards to climate change? More than any one specific problem, the sum of their challenges in both cellar and vineyard is one that threatens to change the classical style of their wines, the sense of balance and a deviation away from the historical expression of each site’s identity.
From the start, each producers agreed and emphasized that a wine can’t be judged by the harvest date, one must always look at the vineyard. Picking early is not a solution in itself.
I really came away with the sense that everything begins with an understanding of how things tie together in the vineyard, and the incredible depth of that understanding each of these growers has for their own vineyards.
The thread that connected these producers was how each works with a multitude of interconnected methods to increase soil health, vine resilience, delay sugar ripening and to advance physiological ripeness rather than simply ‘picking early’.
These producers are playing chess, not checkers, thinking moves ahead, considering multiple possibilities, and connecting the dots as to how all their choices, from the vineyard through to the cellar, must work together in order to form a final wine that best reflects their vineyard, their values and the season.
Biodiversity and the Soil
For Pierre-Olivier Clouet, his entire focus at Cheval Blanc is about preservation of identity.
Acceptance of change has always been fundamental to those who make wine, particularly those who make great wine, the upheaval after phylloxera is a great example, and that acceptance of change in how the vineyard is cared for is fundamental to preserving Cheval Blanc’s historical identity.
Pierre-Olivier spoke about the idea of a soloist versus an orchestra. His mentality is to work as much as possible in the vineyard so that each of their 54 delineated plots can bring something and participate in the final blend.
In recent years, the team at Cheval Blanc has implemented a system of agroforestry, planting eighty trees per hectare. With a blend of fruit and forest trees to build the mycelial network, Cheval Blanc is using a diversity of trees and cover crops to increase organic matter, increase shade, reduce surface evaporation, with different roots of different trees each bringing and attracting different microbes and fungi. This in turn then strengthens the ability of each soil in their different plots to store and retain water, for the vines to uptake what’s in the soil.
I love this, and take such inspiration for my own work because ultimately it is about communicating the singular identity and quality of our place through wine, not the fact that we grow Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. The quality and diversity of vine genetics, the soil microbiome and geological variation within a vineyard all have a part to play in amplifying the voice of a vineyard, and through our work to maximize these factors we can bring greater orchestral layering, harmony and complexity.
Charles’ work at Arnoux Lachaux in recent years, increasing the height of trellising to allow tressage, high density experiments, pruning changes, no till agriculture and how these have pushed tremendous qualitative improvement in his wines, has clearly forced many thoughtful growers to reconsider their approaches.
Soil management has been the latest, and most contentious change, but it’s clear that growers in Burgundy are thinking more deeply about why and when they cultivate, how to manage soil temperature and moisture retention, more comprehensively about the connection between the vines, their soil and its microbiota, how each impacts each other; how to become more precise in their soil management as a whole.
Whether or not I agree with Charles’ decision to go full no till, he believes his vines have gotten through the struggle of the transitional period and are now stronger as a result, it’s certainly pushed the conversation forward in Burgundy around soil management. Working the soil will remain an important tool in the vigneron toolbox, but I believe this renewed willingness to look more closely at how and why things are done, both below vine and interrow, is helping the region refine and increase precision in vineyard work.
But as with organics and BD, a potential danger will be an oversimplified focus on new buzzwords and labels, particularly ‘no till’ and ‘regenerative’. Questions from journalists or consumers like “why aren’t you no till” without understanding the qualitative impact or fundamental reasoning might push less thoughtful producers to adopt trendy techniques or the appearance of diligent farming just to go with market expectations.
Canopy Management and Density Experiments
The team at Weingut Keller began tressage seven years ago as a method to obtain looser bunches to reduce disease pressure within the cluster, as well as to increase shading of the mid row soil and in the fruit zone. In my own vineyard, tressage has helped increase the rate of phenolic ripeness relative to sugar accumulation, producing smaller berried, longer clustered fruit with a higher skin to juice ratio, providing extra shade and preventing sunburn from the intensity of high elevation solar radiation.
What I learned here was that the total ratio of old leaves to new is higher with tressage, as fewer laterals are pushed, which means less photosynthesis, less transpiration, slower sugar accumulation, more water retained within the vine. This is particularly crucial for us as the rate of evapotranspiration is more than doubled at our altitude, so every droplet of water we can preserve is worth the extra man hours tressage requires.
I’ve known for many years that hedging triggers a hormonal response within the vine which diverts internal resources to growing lateral leaves away from phenolic development within grapes. What I learned from this symposium was how and why hedging relates to root growth. Root flush during flowering is one of the two main periods of root growth during the year. The same hormone responsible for apex growth is also in charge of root growth. If the apex is cut and laterals are pushed out as a result, the roots are similarly stunted. If hedging is to be performed, then one can understand why the timing can be so impactful on for the long term health and resilience of the vine.
Density experiments were also a topic of discussion as Selosse, Keller and Arnoux Lachaux have all experimented with higher density plantings.
Why high density? There is an increase in rate of root penetration to two meters and deeper, as well as 40% more root mass per square meter, which ultimately means much greater ability for the vine to access a stable source of water and nutrients deeper in the soil, less affected by surface evaporation and any changes in composition and competition in the topsoil.
From a qualitative standpoint, evidence from Burgundy has shown that clusters are looser and lighter, berries are much, much smaller, with much more skin compared to juice, allowing for amplified intensity of flavor and dry extract quantities.
Physiological ripening happens faster, meaning growers like can harvest their haute densité fruit earlier, at lower sugar maturities and higher acidity compared to those planted at regular densities in the same vineyard.
More parents, fewer children is often the way I describe it to those unfamiliar.
In the 17th century, Vineyards planted to 30,000 vines/ha were the norm in Burgundy and Champagne. As horses were introduced they were lowered to 20,000 vines per hectare, then again to 10,000 after phylloxera and the introduction of tractors. It’s clear that these changes were ultimately made for logistical ease rather than qualitative improvements per se.
I think where the conversation needs to become more nuanced is around how density relates to soil composition, as water holding capacity and hydric stress is a compounding issue and high density should not mean the same set of numbers for each set of terroir conditions.
Klaus-Peter gave the examples of his two holdings:
Schubertslay is planted to 12,000 vines per hectare on incredibly steeper, slate soils with much less clay, which warms much more easily, inherently capable of holding and retaining much less water. The higher density in this site, and the resulting faster rate of root penetration and increased root mass per square meter are very much required in order to balance the inherent lack of water and nutrient availability in the top soil.
Morstein has heavy clay with 75 year old vines, much more water holding capacity, cooler soil temperatures and subsequently less evaporation as well, which also create a greater level of vegetative vigor. All of this adds up to a historically lower baseline density for this particular vineyard as a result. Within these parameters, Keller’s Morstein plantings are of higher density. With a row width of only 1.35 meters (very narrow for the region) and an average vine age of 70 years, this combination keeps the yields very low, reduces cluster and berry size (as clay naturally wants to produce more and larger clusters), lending an incredible sense of structure and intensity to the wines,
I think more and more of the discourse will begin to understand that high density planting means different things relative to particular regional specificities and their soil types.
I often think of Chateau Rayas, which have some of the highest density plantings in Chateauneuf, more than twice the legal requirement, but is very low compared to most of the Côte d’Or on a pure numerical basis, but that’s not the point.
The importance of high density planting is the impact on how vines grow, interact, an acceleration of physiological ripening relative to sugar, small berries, smaller clusters and a higher skin to juice ratio, an overall lower yield per vine and per hectare compared to the same vineyard planted to lower density. The focus of discussion should then be the impact on vine health and wine quality rather than simply the specific number of vines per hectare per se.
The differences in climate, soil type between Rayas and most other sites in Chateauneuf, let alone Burgundy, are innumerable. My intuition says that Rayas is planted close to the maximum density of what the annual rainfall and soil water capacity can sustain, and is one element amongst many that amplifies the singular character of its terroir conditions.
When used in combination with tressage and increased periods of or even permanent soil coverage, one can see how density can become an incredible tool to manage the relationship between phenolic ripeness and sugar ripeness, as well as increase water retention and preservation.
Vineyard into the Cellar
Keller and others also spoke on the relationship between the work in the vineyard and the cellar and how that’s changed. KP and Julia Keller got married ten days before harvest in 1997, but now they celebrate their anniversary each year mid harvest.
There are many compounding implications that result from these changes, which illustrates the domino effect of climate change upon growing wine - ‘picking early’ is not a decision made independently of everything else. The work it takes earlier in the season in order to ‘pick early’ is what matters, but too many complacent producers simply move up the harvest date.
With changes in how their fruit ripens, being both earlier and enhanced, and the purchase of two old manual basket presses, Keller no longer does pre fermentation maceration for his white GGs. Instead they now crush and press the increasingly thick skins much more slowly, up to three days. As the juice percolates through the cake in the basket presses, Keller can obtain the same quantity of phenolic material and dry extract through this slow interaction between skin and juice without the severity of a true maceration. This same slow percolation also allows for no sedimentation, a greater quantity of finer solids are obtained this way, of which Keller is keeping a greater amount than in the past. This intermingling sense of structure and texture is a big part of why Keller’s wines feel so three dimensional.
Klaus-Peter’s father used to pick Morstein after the first snow, and now with harvests beginning in September, they are often in t-shirts instead.
Another such impact of warmer weather during picking is of course, warmer cellars and how fermentation dynamics have changed as a result. Today, Keller often sees slow but uninterrupted fermentations of four weeks rather than the on and off twelve week fermentations of yesteryear, and even more rare are the fermentations finishing after a spring restart. Less risk of volatility and greater ease in achieving total sugar dryness have been beneficial, especially with higher sugar maturities in the must to begin with.
With a similar vein of thinking but different execution, Luca Roagna no longer uses the press wine in the single vineyard Vecchie Viti and Riserva cuvées. As there is more and riper tannin than in decades past, this choice allows for the continued use of classically long macerations of over sixty days and their resultantly silky, polymerized tannins, without overwhelming the wine with a much greater quantity of tannin from the press. As the free run has a lower pH than the subsequent press wine, this also allows for Roagna to compose an acid tannin balance of classical proportions. Long elevage of six or more years in botti then concrete and ceramic, polishes and coheres these wines.
It’s important to mention that these choices, of only using the free run wine and an extended elevage beyond the legal requirements, is only achievable with great intensity in the vineyard and its fruit. Old vines, no mow, no till with diverse, permanent cover crops for 2 decades, no trimming of the canopy, no manure or fertilizers, their incredible detail in farming all adds up to incredibly low yields, allows for picking at true phenolic maturity without overripe sugar levels, and a resultantly incredible intensity of flavor in the fruit. This has been the vision for progress and preservation at Roagna for a long time, it’s clear that he has changed so much in order to preserve, or perhaps even enhance, the classical profile and balance of his wines.
The Roagna wines of recent vintages have moved me by their otherworldly sense of weightless intensity, one unusual not only in Piemonte, but throughout the world of fine wine. Hearing him speak on how all his choices fit together, I came to fully appreciate this crazy commitment Luca Roagna has for his wines and his vineyards, and why his wines can hit such heights of emotion.
As growers, our greatest asset is our land, their qualities and identity, their ability to produce differentiated, individual wines in a world of homogeneity. For those who treasure the enduring value of classically proportioned wines, complacency has always been the greatest enemy and it is no different now. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to push my own thinking forward, by learning from and speaking with such forward thinking growers, directly.
Discussions like those of this Symposium are increasingly important as they communicate the significance of our work, of why these choices matter, how they are interconnected, how they impact key topics of soil health, vine balance, ripening curves and much more.
There is clearly no one approach to combating climate change, but it’s clear that any approach must be a comprehensive one that looks at both vineyard and cellar work as a set of interconnected decisions. Ultimately for each of these producers, these choices and changes are made to push quality further, and to preserve their classical balance.
Through these conversations we can continue to learn, to ask why, to reflect on, to push and refine the quality of our work, the quality of our wines.
Tasting Notes
NV Selosse Substance BDB -
Avize, solera for 30+ years. A moving average of sorts
Quite biological at first pour, but with air and swirling much different, broader, waxier, hazelnut, yolk rich brioche, beeswax, honeyed white peach, honeysuckle. Really speaks to selosse’s push for full maturity, so much that the acidity feels velveted and caressing. Just a touch of biological umami, that adds a touch of salinity, but doesn’t obscure the fruit and nutty umami.
Broader and broader with air, orange zest, creme fraiche, marmalade. So layered and deep aromatically.
2003 Selosse Millesime-
White strawberry, toasted hazelnuts and hazelnut oil, lemon zest creme fraiche, incredible interplay of tangy energy and creamy viscosity. This is perhaps the most vinous, aromatically and texturally layered Selosse I've had. This is not a champagne that relies on brioche and autolytic aromatics and texture to bring depth and complexity. This is a wine before anything else, and reminds me so much of old school White Burgundy from the 70s/80s in the way it speaks.
Perhaps my favorite wine of the event.
2009 Keller Morstein Magnum-
Amazing aromatic depth and complexity, such detail and definition of orange zest, honeysuckle, lemon oil, even some hazelnut and lemon zest creme fraiche. Amazing. The intensity of fruit and the weight of the vintage is still enveloping the structure, but it’s clearly there, tying everything together.
Orange pith, crushed chalk, more and more chewy, dense, chiseled. It’s beginning to meet and match the fruit.
2018 Arnoux Lachaux NSG Clos des Corvées Pagets-
The nose just makes me gasp. Framboise liqueur, macerated strawberries, orange zest, seaweed umami, strawberry yogurt, damask rose and nutmeg. So perfumed, captivating.
Tasting this brings me back to tasting at the domaine, learning of the incredible old vines and their unique genetics, so much so that Madame Leroy really singled this cuvée out when tasting it, saying something here must be different.
Dense but weightless, caressing, silken, but with a real core of material, black tea tannin/umami and umami. Just incredible.
30 mins later it’s so different, the same high toned aromatics, but so much depth, umami. More sous bois, more cèpes, more leather.
This changes the most of all wines at the tasting, adding so much depth and dimension to the soaring high toned crystalline purity
2019 Cheval Blanc-
Classic yet exuberant at the same time. Strawberry yogurt, redcurrant and garden rose, blackcurrant, plums and violet, tobacco, earth, anise and subtle mint. Wonderful interplay of high toned lift and black fruited depth. So long, seamless, vibrant and reverberating.
2nd pour is has so much more breadth and depth. Amazing, elegance, exuberance, generosity, precision all at once.
2016 Roagna Barolo Rocche di Castiglione Magnum -
Crystalline, the palest of all the wines, but perhaps the most intense aromatically. Strawberries, orange oil and zest. Mushroom, earth, leather and pu’er. So caressing yet with a firm spine of classic barolo tannin. Like William said, historic, pre chemical era, wines are often contradictory and unusual. This is like that, the contradiction of austerity and silkiness, of weightlessness and intensity, of detail and expansiveness is very unusual in Baroli and the world of wine today.
Amazingly, the 2nd pour is even more crystalline, lifted and pure, showing greater expression of cranberry and orange zest. There's a palpably increase in densisty without having gained any weight.
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