Champagne Harvest 2015 – an evening at Olivier Horiot.

  

Last night I arrived at Les Riceys just as Olivier disgorged 2005 Sèves Rosé. Apero time whilst we waited for the press to finish and before loading another one.

In the winery Marie is very happy with the quality of the fruit coming in and with her pied de cuve of this year. I smelled the fermenting wine – which will be used to help the natural ferments start –  and indeed it is looking very promising. 

The Horiots started picking on Wednesday, but mainly grapes they sell to champagne houses or grapes for the cooperative. Yesterday afternoon they did pick Echaraires, the parcel used for Métise and the Pinot noir was ripe, elegant and delicious. 

  

 I watched them load these grapes in the press then waited for the press to start to taste the delicious juice with a 10,8% alcohol potential. There is nothing like tasting the juice as it runs out the press; I fall for the magic time after time :-)

As it was pretty late and dark by the time the new press load was running and I had the port unity yo taste the juice, I took the offer of joining the team for a meal and staying over at the Horiots. We were about 30; most people are lodged, watered (or more accurately beered and wined :-)) and fed during the 12-14 day harvest period. 

Harvest meals are very precious to me, they allow you to share in a different connection. Yesterday night I laughed so hard with Marie’s dry humor :-) 

 

 It also gave me the opportunity to ask more questions about the harvest this year. Both Olivier and Mariee are very happy with the year. Olivier explains:“This year is once again completely unusual, the hot summer allowed the grapes to ripen evenly and the cooler weather during harvest is making every marc look more beautiful. We had no problems with diseases and up till now we have not had to sort. I feel we will sort very little even to make the rose and red wines.”

The Rosé de Ricey and red wine are still made in the traditional way by stoping the grapes by foot in a cement tank. The name of the ‘stompers’ are written on the tank. This year the stomping will probably take place toward the end of next week. 

This morning half of the pickers picked for “La Vigne du Partage” project. An old lady left a plot of vines on Neuville to a charity and most people in Neuville and Les Ricey provide time or workers in order to work the vine all year long. The cooperative of Neuville presses the grapes and makes the wine. All sales revues go to different charities., some providing water wells in Africa, others closer to home. It’s telling that Marie and Olivier are sending 10 pickers on a Sunday. It is one of the many reasons why I like them so much!’