Viticulture
Sculptors of vines: in pursuit of a concentrated substance
Somewhere between spring’s end and summer’s dawn, most of the Lafage Estate vineyards are blanketed with leaves or clusters of grapes that drop off the bunch, even to ground level. In their pursuance of a concentrated substance and in order to maintain a good control of the production, the team of Lafage Estate needs to proceed to cluster thinning and leaf-pulling in order to restore the balance. All of the estate vine must be thinned, a delicate job that requires meticulous attention.
Cluster thinning – this summer procedure of removing excess clusters of grape – which concerns all of the reds – is calculated according to the different parameters recorded during the year (pluviometry, weight of cane prunings…). This guarantees a strong and balanced wine.
Leaf-pulling – the thinning out of the foliage - the goal of this procedure is very specific: «The vineyards from which we wish to obtain a tangy character are not thinned at all. Yet where we wish to obtain ripe fruit, tropical and alcoholic, very thorough leaf-pulling is necessary. As a matter of fact, every factor is cogitated and coordinated to such an extent that we may, in the end, harvest berries that correspond most to our desires as oenologists » indicates Eliane Salinas-Lafage. >>. read on>>
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