Our team have been hard at work for several weeks now, supported by a large number of seasonal workers: after tying in the vines and removing the shoots, the work in the vineyard is picking up speed.
“The vines are growing very vigorously. We were lucky enough to be spared by the hailstorms in the spring and today the vines have made the most of the moisture provided by the rainy spells in May and June followed by hotter, sunny weather! And as we always prefer prevention to treatment, this demands a very prompt response from our teams, depending on the weather and the condition of the vines,” explains Bruno Patrouilleau, Vineyard Manager and Cellar Master.
Over 30 people are at work in the Château Brown vines. Their main role consists in thinning the vines, stripping the leaves by hand. The leaf stripping began recently (always on the east-facing side of the rows of vines) and serves to enhance air circulation around the bunches of grapes to help prevent disease, keeping the vines as healthy as possible. Then there is the work with the machinery, trimming the tops of the vines and loosening the soil. Week after week, the vineyard is being spruced up and restored to all its beauty.
Mention should be made of the large volume of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes which will require some green harvesting in July to regulate yields and, most importantly, “keep only the best”, as Jean-Christophe Mau puts it.
