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Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est Terminée

 
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Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est Termi... - 10/10/2013 4:41:44 AM   
gharbour

 

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
Status: offline 		The Harvest is done.

This series of posts is the continuing saga of a father helping his son (Nicholas) and daughter-in-law (Colleen) realize their dream of starting a winery (www.MaisonHarbour.com) in Burgundy, France. If you didn’t catch my earlier posts please find links to the old posts at the end of this post.



What a week! The vendange hit its peak in the Côte d’Or this week. Nicholas and Colleen’s first fermentation kicked off in the barrel Sunday morning. It was the Chassagne-Montrachet En Remilly, which was a surprise since it was picked the day (Wednesday) after the Chassagne-Montrachet En Cailleret (Tuesday). When the fermentations were going Nicholas and Colleen removed about 15 liters of moût (juice) from each barrel to avoid bubbling over and added some of the lighter bourbes back (pressing residue separated from the juice at débourbage - settling). This will help feed the yeast during fermentation and assure a healthy ferment.

Measuring the first density (potential alcohol) and setting up to remove some moût from each barrel.



The big work for the week started Wednesday October 3rd with the vendange (harvest) of the Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice. First we cleaned and sanitized the cuverie (winery) top to bottom.





Colleen’s Dad, Phil Sibley arrived from Luxembourg to help with the processing.



Ray Walker of Maison Ilan came by to show his support and loan Nicholas and Colleen a truck which along with Tom's “The Hungry Cyclist” van would allow us to make the grape run in one go.

Nicholas, Ray, and Phil cleaning cases.



Then it was into the trucks.



In the Vineyard (La Justice) we met up with our picking crew of close to 30.



Nicholas and Colleen’s friends Deon and Florence (left below) came along to watch the pick.



The pickers did a great job finishing in only 1.5 hours.



The grapes were perfect.



Back in the cuverie we dumped the first case at 3:30pm with a crew of 8 including Sophie and Thomas, both oenologs who helped Maison Harbour with the two small 2012 cuvées.



Who quickly got to sorting.





Fired up the maiden voyage of the de-stemmer.



And started to load the cuve en inox (stainless steel fermenter).



Midway through it’s time to share a quiche.



First load in the cuve.



A number of times through loading we added dry ice.  This saturates the tank with CO2 and marks the start of the semi-carbonique maceration. The CO2 delays the growth phase of the yeast to allow extraction of color and flavor.



The full tank.



We had a number of friends/winemakers who came by to check out our first processing and wish Maison Harbour success. Including Ray Walker (above), Gregory Goerger head of Parigot and Richard Cremant (http://www.cremant-parigot.com/en/).



Michel Ecard of Domaine Michel and Johanna Ecard.



Fred and Nick (Friends in the wine business). Rockin to the tunes!



In the end we had 4 barrels of Gevrey in the tank. It took us 7.5 hours (til 11:00pm) with clean up. It’s macerating (cold soak) right now. Nicholas and Colleen are aiming for a week long cold soak. Yesterday, Nicholas and Colleen did the first remontage (pump over) and wine is starting to take up a nice color.



We visited the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru “Combe aux Moines” to check on the grapes and they look ready to pick.



Nicholas has everything ready. The cuve en bois (oak fermenter) has been soaked and rinsed.



The cases have been cleaned and sanitized.



The van has been loaded and and we’re off tomorrow at 6:30 am to get the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Combe au Moine grapes.

I leave for home on Monday. So I’ll write my last official weekly post from there on Thursday next week and tell you how it all went with the Combe au Moines. There will just be three of us (Nicholas, Colleen, and myself) so it will be a long day with three barrels. But what an interesting summer it has turned out to be. I’m very proud of what Nicholas and Colleen have created in Maison Harbour.

A Bientôt
Gary


Week 1 - The Story Begins
Week 2 - Departure
Week 3 - Work Begins
Week 4 - Shopping for Equipment
Week 5 - The Douane
Week 6 - Beautiful Premier Cru Grapes
Week 6.1 Savigny En Tous Sens
Week 7 - Disaster Strikes
Week 8 - Starting Again
Week 9 - Vacation Time in France
Week 10 - Vacation Ends and Work Resumes
Week 11 - New Floor Concrete Pour
Week 12 - Summer Adventure in Burgundy 12 - Cave Repairs and Soutirage
Week 13 - Power Outage
Week 14 - Gevrey Chambertin
Week 15 - Another Brick in the Wall
Week 16 - Les Vendanges Approches
Week 17 - Big News with the Vendange


< Message edited by gharbour -- 10/10/2013 12:10:38 PM >

_____________________________

Gary Harbour
Chez Nos Coeurs
Savigny les Beaune
Post #: 1
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 4:51:03 AM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23493
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		Outstanding. Simply outstanding work. Thank you.

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"Fan the sinnking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine." Charles Dickens.

(in reply to gharbour)
Post #: 2
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 5:04:51 AM   
Redrunners

 

Posts: 918
Joined: 7/9/2010
From: Glastonbury, CT
Status: offline 		Looks great - nice looking fruit.

Great to see your friends and neighbors offering a hand and advice. Looks like a great start to your first wine

Reminds me of being in Napa last year during crush. Exciting time with all the activity, sights and scents that come out during the processing.
What a great experience.

_____________________________

Drinking good wine with good food in the company of friends is one of life's great pleasures.


(in reply to gharbour)
Post #: 3
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 5:06:15 AM   
leothegecko

 

Posts: 157
Joined: 3/30/2012
From: MA
Status: offline 		Awesome! Thanks for sharing the updates.

(in reply to musedir)
Post #: 4
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 5:08:39 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7845
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Great stuff Gary!  What I notice is that Nicholas and Colleen have the dirtiest shirts and the biggest smiles!  Congrats!

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Post #: 5
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 6:35:12 AM   
Yossarian

 

Posts: 3035
Joined: 1/8/2010
From: London
Status: offline 		Holy moly! I'm thirsty!

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Post #: 6
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 8:53:36 AM   
SkeBum

 

Posts: 639
Joined: 3/11/2012
From: Tahoe City, CA
Status: offline 		Very cool, Gary. Nice work, I will miss the updates when you stop making them.

Cheers,

Darren

(in reply to Yossarian)
Post #: 7
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 9:13:17 AM   
kcbrian

 

Posts: 1313
Joined: 3/21/2012
From: Kansas City
Status: offline 		Great story! Just wonderful observing the entire process and now seeing it all in action!

thanks Gary for sharing!



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Brian

There can't be good living where there is not good drinking.-Benjamin Franklin


(in reply to SkeBum)
Post #: 8
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 9:14:27 AM   
recotte

 

Posts: 6870
Joined: 1/19/2011
Status: offline 		I absolutely love seeing the hard work of the summer result in this. Great stuff, Gary. Looking forward to your final post of the summer.


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The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

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Post #: 9
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 10:00:17 AM   
Robert Pavlovich

 

Posts: 1955
Joined: 2/10/2012
From: West Los Angeles
Status: offline 		Amazing stuff, living the dream!

Best of luck with the Aux Moines fruit.

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"Blending muddles the message"

-The Burgundian Monks

(in reply to recotte)
Post #: 10
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 10:05:59 AM   
bretrooks

 

Posts: 2865
Joined: 9/27/2009
From: San Luis Obispo, CA
Status: offline 		Really enjoying the updates - congrats to all!

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Post #: 11
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 11:04:21 AM   
f22nickell

 

Posts: 1997
Joined: 7/13/2011
From: From CA, living in Maple Valley, WA.
Status: offline 		Yes, amazing. Following on to many here, we will definitely miss these wonderful updates. I look forward to tasting the wine!

_____________________________

“ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. ”
— Ecclesiastes 9:7



F22nickell on CT ...
S_Nickell on WB ...

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Post #: 12
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/10/2013 1:47:07 PM   
gilrbo

 

Posts: 291
Joined: 6/21/2011
From: Bern, Switzerland
Status: offline 		Fantastic! It's amazing to see how much energy is flowing around and has been generated by this project.
I wish you good luck for tomorrow's hard work and look forward to visiting you during my next trip to Burgundy.

(in reply to f22nickell)
Post #: 13
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/11/2013 1:12:49 PM   
GalvezGuy

 

Posts: 5864
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Galveston, TX
Status: offline 		Thank you so much for posting these. It is great to see the process as it reminds me of the fact that this is agriculture in its purest form.

< Message edited by GalvezGuy -- 10/11/2013 1:13:25 PM >

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Post #: 14
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/11/2013 2:47:30 PM   
mcsac67

 

Posts: 376
Joined: 8/22/2012
From: Minneapolis, MN
Status: offline 		Thank you for a a most fascinating series of posts. When and where can I order the book? Seriously, this is great reading.

Scott

(in reply to GalvezGuy)
Post #: 15
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/11/2013 7:36:20 PM   
S1

 

Posts: 14826
Joined: 11/12/2011
From: Wandering between Coastal SC and South FL
Status: offline 		As always Gary--great stuff
Are you guys gonna come visit us in Charleston when you get home? I know where we can get some Burgundy

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Post #: 16
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/12/2013 4:13:10 AM   
khmark7

 

Posts: 11420
Joined: 7/6/2008
From: Chicago suburbs
Status: offline 		Happy to see they are getting support from a number of different sources. Hopefully this continues and each year this helps them make better wine and succeed.

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Post #: 17
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/15/2013 2:14:00 PM   
gharbour

 

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
Status: offline 		Hi All,

Thanks for all your support this summer for Maison Harbour. I am back home in South Carolina as of last night and dead tired. After working the Combe au Moine processing, finishing the last renovation projects I could, and then flying home yesterday, I need a rest. I have a great final post for you all on Thursday. Till then,

Best to all,
Gary

_____________________________

Gary Harbour
Chez Nos Coeurs
Savigny les Beaune

(in reply to khmark7)
Post #: 18
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/15/2013 3:32:15 PM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23493
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		Welcome back, Gary... Rest a spell, eat some grits and then tell us more about how you spent your summer vacation! I once read a story about a country lad named Tom who somehow convinced his friends and strangers to help him paint a fence... Just saying..

_____________________________

"Fan the sinnking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine." Charles Dickens.

(in reply to gharbour)
Post #: 19
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/15/2013 3:33:47 PM   
SkeBum

 

Posts: 639
Joined: 3/11/2012
From: Tahoe City, CA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: gharbour

Hi All,

Thanks for all your support this summer for Maison Harbour. I am back home in South Carolina as of last night and dead tired. After working the Combe au Moine processing, finishing the last renovation projects I could, and then flying home yesterday, I need a rest. I have a great final post for you all on Thursday. Till then,

Best to all,
Gary


Welcome back to the U.S., where the government is still shut down, I think. I stopped paying attention.

Looking forward to the post on Thursday.

(in reply to gharbour)
Post #: 20
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/15/2013 3:54:08 PM   
dsGris

 

Posts: 4712
Joined: 8/31/2009
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline 		It is amazing how the kids get the parents to help out, msGris just flew back for another granny nanny gig in Brooklyn, and I seem to be the designated chauffeur for the west cost school pick up and soccer runs.

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DennisG
Granpa Wino

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Post #: 21
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/16/2013 12:41:55 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10282
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		I can appreciate how much work sorting really is. I only have 3 rows of vines behind my house, but I had 5 bus tubs full of fruit. It took my all morning to sort and pluck the fruit. I really need a mechanical distemper, but sorting all of the fruit sure makes for a better wine. Congratulations. The hardest part is over. (Growing the grapes, harvesting and sorting)

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 22
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 18 - La Vendange est T... - 10/16/2013 10:34:20 PM   
recotte

 

Posts: 6870
Joined: 1/19/2011
Status: offline 		Gary, welcome back to the land where we're protected by our government from unsafe cheese.

_____________________________

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

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Post #: 23
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