A precise Plot Selection
Champagne Paul Goerg, based in Vertus , decided 3 years ago to implement plot by plot selection on its vineyard mostly planted with chardonnay. More than 15 hectares like “La Croix Saint-Ladre », « les Faucherets » or « le Pas de Cheval » are involved into this special winemaking and only 35 years old and older vines are included in this program. « We have carefully selected old vines form around 15 places. As we get closer to the harvest, we define with wine growers involved a special plan for harvesting. This plan is mainly based on the result of grape tastings over the last 2 weeks before harvest. It is this tasting, based on some very accurate criteria, that will determine harvest day for each plot. Our purpose is to raise awarness amongst our winegrowers of the importance of perfect maturity.» explains Damien Cambres, chef de cave. We then proceed to winemaking into special small tanks.
When we tasted the still wines earlier this year (wines that will then be blended and bottled for the prise de mousse) winemakers have once again noted the very high quality of the juices from this special selection. « We have very different wines. Aromatic pallet varies widely according to the terroir, and we have analysed that even plots a few meters away from each other produce very different wines. A vine nearby the forest does not have same qualities as the one in the plain. This is a fantastic tool to work our blendings even more precisely.» says Damien Cambres, chef de cave.
