The 4 seasons at the Estate Jean-Claude Courtault As with every profession, wine-making is subject to the laws of nature and the vagaries of climatic conditions. Each Spring, the wine-grower watches out for the frosts that could potentially devastate the fragile, barely opened buds. In Summer-time, the rumble of thunderstorms and the hail they can bring is another cause for concern.
But then Autumn finally comes, and with it, the joy of the harvest.
Nascent vintages take shape in the cellars, with the greatest of attention and care being lavished upon them over the Winter period.
Meanwhile, outdoors, the vines are being pruned in preparation for the next harvest.
And so the age-old cycle begins once more…
Nature awakes...
Towards the end of March, the sap begins to rise in the vines...During April, the first buds burst into life and the tiny, as yet fragile leaves appear. By May, the vine will be covered in tender green foliage...
By mid-June, the vine is in full bloom...
The sun of the long Summer days of June and July will contribute to the growth and sugar content of the ripening grapes...
Early August heralds the period called ‘véraison’, in which the grapes take on a more golden hue...
Summer comes to its end and gives way to September and the grape harvest. The grapes will be transported to the cellars to begin their transformation into wine. October will see the end of the harvest period, with Autumnal colours painting the vineyard in shades of gold. The November winds soon strip away the vine leaves and nature settles down for her Winter’s rest. In the cellar, however, the mysterious process of wine-making is just beginning.
 The vineyard appears to be asleep...
Here and there, thin columns of smoke rise from the slopes : the vine branches are being burnt - pruned, in fact. In the cellar, the wine of the harvest just past is beginning to take shape under the watchful eye of the wine-grower.
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