17th April - Bottling with cork.

The bottling is a very important period in the life of Champagne. It occurs after the clear wine tasting and blending. It consit to bottle future cuvées so that they realise their second fermentation. The bubbles will appear and the wine will become champagne.

Usuallyn the bottling in champagne is done with a capsule and a "bidule". This year at Champagne Henriet Bazin, we decided to carry out a part of the bottling with the old method, with cork.

This traditional method consist to put on a natural cork stopper and to maintain it with a staple. So it will resist to the fermentation and the developpement of the pressure that will reach 9 bar at the end of the cycle.

But why using this old method ?

The permeability of the cork is very largely superior to the metal capsule. This will allow exanges with outside, and therefore, a development of different aromas. After 5 years of aging, we could taste the 2 methods and compare the results to make the difference.

The selected cuvée is a blending of 70% of Pinot Noir and 30% of Chardonnay from pour plots of land of Verzy and verzenay, classified as Grand Cru. lets see us within 5 years.

The Easter Rabbit stays with us.

Where is the rabbit ?

A few days after Easter, we thought that the rabbit was returned home. I would seem that not since we saw it today in the vineyard front of our house.

Looking at the hole that it is digging, it seems that it has planned to settle permanently here. But, our natural grass, without chimical products will provide food for the entire season.

 I hope that it still a few chocolate in its burrow !

Bud : 1 week of evolution.

Bud 4th of April 2012

Bud 2nd of April 2012

Liage or Lierie, it's over !

We can say "Liage" or "Lierie". In all cases, this work on the vines occurs after the pruning. The goal is to attach the branchs to the wire so that the vine is maintenained.

This is also a fully manual work, very meticulous. Indeed, links should be placed in a way that avoid the overlay of bud on the other, and facilitating the work of "palissage" that come after.

We interlace the branch and the wire.

The branchs should be attached firmly so that the wind will not brake it when the leaves will appeared. But also to avoid it to bend under the load of the future grapes.

And pull the axle to make a twiste.

To do this, we use a "good old methode" using the "pince a lier" and the bal of string. It is reinforced by a wire band (a bit like the white tabs close freezer bags). The clamp is equiped by a hook with a twisted axis. Once the loop is done over the branch and the wire, whe put the hook in the wire and pul the clamp away. The twisted axis is deployinf, turning the loop and entortille it, forming a node which attache the branch on the wire. It's over ! It is more anough to repeat the gesture about 5 times for each vine, for 9 000 vines per hectare...

A vine duely attached.

The caterpillar "NOCTUELLE"

Buds are opening, so this is the ideal time for the pests that eat their tender leaves.

preparing the crime.

We introduce you to the Boarmie few days before. Today, let see the Noctuelle.

The attack !

This one was making her crime when i tooked the picture. Loke all prédators, it is waiting for night for caming out and devour the bud, leaving almost nothing and destroying the futur branch, leaves and grappes.

Nothing left !