Wet summer favoured biodynamics in Champagne

This year’s cool, wet summer in Champagne favoured biodynamic viticultural practices, according to Roederer’s chef de cave.

Roederer uses biodynamic methods on 40 hectares of its 240ha in Champagne. Picture source: Louis Roederer

During a conversation this week just before Louis Roederer’s launch of the Brut Nature 2006 – its first zero dosage Champagne – Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, chief winemaker and vice-president at the house, told db that biodynamics had triumphed during a difficult vintage in Champagne.

“We had a beautiful spring, followed by a dreadful summer, and then a fantastic, dream September, so you had to wait as long as possible to pick at the right level of ripeness… but because harvest conditions were perfect, the ripeness was there if you waited long enough,” he began.

Continuing, he observed, “The great news is that all our biodynamic vineyards performed extremely well. They were the last to be picked and yielded beautiful, healthy, ripe grapes and we will make great wines from those.”

“It is a year for this kind of viticulture – when the summer is difficult you are very focused on the summer [with biodynamics], which is maybe not the case when you use more chemicals.”

Roederer has the largest biodynamic estate in Champagne, farming 40 hectares using the practice, just under 17% of its total 240ha in the region. The majority of grapes from its biodynamically-managed vineyards go into Roederer’s prestige cuvée, Cristal.

Lecaillon also stressed that it was a vintage that favoured areas with free-draining chalk soils.

“And it is a year for chalky terroir, which has better drainage, so there was softer growth and less vigour during the spring and summer,” he remarked.

Considering the entire Champagne region, he recorded that Meunier from the Marne Valley had “suffered” because summer rainfall levels were twice the average.

2014 in Champagne was characterised by a “dreadful summer” and “dream” September. Picture source: Louis Roederer

On the other hand, he said there was “beautiful” Meunier in the Montagne de Reims, where summertime precipitation was only 10% higher than normal.

Meanwhile, due to the high proportion of chalk in the Côte des Blancs, this part of Champagne produced “beautiful Chardonnay”, while he also noted that the Pinot Noir on the Montagne de Reims and Verzenay was “beautiful” too.

“In 2013 the great Pinot Noirs were in Aÿ, but today, because of the rains, they were in Verzenay,” he said.

Further south in the Aube, Champagne Drappier harvested “fantastic” Pinot Noir and “beautiful” Chardonnay, according to winemaker and owner at the house, Michel Drappier.

He was also pleased to report that Drappier will be making its Quattuor blend this year, which is made using all of the region’s permitted white grapes – Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Blanc Vrai, Chardonnay – after three years of failed harvests for these varieties.

Michel’s harvest report can be viewed below, while further comments on this year’s Champagne vintage can be viewed here.

“We finished picking only last Tuesday, which was 6 days later than our colleagues. We actually started later than most growers because we thought the official date given by the CIVC was too early. It was a bit risky considering the high temperatures and the potential botrytis hazard, but we were lucky to make the right decision as we picked with almost no rain (5 mm by the end of the vendanges) and weather has been gorgeous. Those years we say “Dieu est Champenois!” – as though god, loyal to our land, did exactly what is needed for our grapes.

Drappier will be making its Quattuor blend this year

“Meunier was ripe and fragile. Its thin skin was a concern under the acid rot that has affected some parts of the region but at Drappier we have little Meunier and it is planted on cooler areas much less exposed to that risk. Pinot Noir was fantastic. The hot days (+ 27°c) has concentrated both sugar and acids of the berries of a what could have been a too large crop. Therefore, the balance has been maintained. The Pinot will be great in Urville this year. Chardonnay, that we have picked last is beautiful too. Really elegant and with depth. Even the Blanc Vrai is great, and this doesn’t happen every year. It is ripe and fresh. After 3 years in a row without Quattuor, Drappier will produce a small quantity but a great Blanc de Quatre Blancs. Arbanne has reached an ideal maturity this year.

“Quatorze” as I call it already could be one of those years we remember. The “grand slam” for us with Grande Sendrée, Grande Sendrée Rosé, Quattuor and Millésime Exception on the top of great Carte d’Or some of which could be vintage this year.”