Domaine Michel Gros Vendange 2024 – Day 4, Tuesday 24th Sept

All the usual suspects at breakfast this day; older individuals, mostly longtime regulars, and including Philippe Durand – probably my favourite colleague along with Acho’s Italian owner. Philippe is an older guy family man from Belfort & I believe has, or had, a senior position with his local Sapeur Pompiers. For me he’s immensely likeable. His vendange role is as one of the principal tractor drivers. He’s always immaculately and neatly turned out & neat in everything he does, including eating his breakfast for which he has a very smart folding Laguiole knife to trim his fruit. Philippe is also my ‘weather man’ & today, first thing over breakfast was adamant in response to my enquiry that there’d be no rain today.

Destemmer debris Gros cuverie

Giraffe conveyors & destemmer ‘downstream’ from triage table

Gros triage table close up – Pierre in grey hoody

Pierre Gros’ intriguing looking cuverie testing bench

Two Gros employees ‘feeding’ the triage table

Our initial destination on this grey, overcast morning was a similar surprise as yesterday when we’d returned to Morey En la Rude de Vergy which I’d thought we’d finished the day before. Today, with a personal sinking feeling, having been glad to exit yesterday, we went back to the plateau of Boncourt (le Bois) beyond the railway line for more Bourgogne Rouge fruit. After the quasi horror show, largely waste of time/effort of yesterday, to day was rather better & ‘more like it’; if the grapes weren’t ‘great’ at least there were some. Our work here took us to mid-morning but, you guessed it, despite Philippe’s confident over breakfast weather assertion, as neared the end of our session we were lightly showered/rained on – and guess who had no rain jacket or hat ?

Looking north from NSG Chailots – Onyx firmly held on his chain given roadside

Looking south from NSG Chailots

Looking south from NSG Chailots

Our next destination was familiar from 2023 but w. hat wasn’t ‘familiar’ was our route to it and for quite a while I was baffled where we might be headed for. Our Renault minibus, chauffer Fabian, followed sub team leader Louis in the domaine’s large white ancient panel van. Louis took THE most circuitous route one could imagine to, ultimately, the south side of Nuits-St-Georges. Initially he headed east away from Boncourt & Vosne on the D109G which led us past the Aerodrome de Nuits-St-Georges with a couple of light aircraft and a helicopter on the apron, then turning on to the D116 into the eastern suburbs of NSG, briefly onto the D8 main road as leads to the Autoroute or into NSG Centre, then weaving through what seemed backstreets, past the Gare (Railway Station) de NSG, and ultimately onto the D35 to its junction with the D(RN)974, just south of the ibis NSG Hotel. Bizarre ! I’m guessing Louis was seeking to avoid the main road through NSG and its, to me, infamous traffic light controlled junction on the north side where the Moillard premises are. So convoluted was Louis’ route, albeit impressive in terms of local knowledge/geography, that for a time I was wondering if he was seeking to ‘kill’ time ! We were headed for the Gros plot of village NSG Les Chaliots as borders the D974 & has NSG 1er cru ‘Les Poirets’ above it. This plot is the only one south of NSG owned by the domaine. Its notable for being crossed by electricity lines and a large pylon. We parked on the roadside verge, starting our picking from there, which occasioned Onyx’s owner keeping him on his chain whilst himself working to avoid any road related harm coming to our furry friend (Acho and his owner had remained at the domaine today with a few others as on triage table duty). We made 2-3 passes here, meeting the rest of the team for the first time this week, who were working downwards, circa half way up the rows of our second pass. We finished here in time for an early lunch, it not being worth starting anything/anywhere else. Lunch was notably good as entrée of couscous with vegetables in a tomato sauce, followed by nice pieces of salmon with pasta.

Break gathering after 1st pass upslope to summit NSG 1er xxxxxxx

Descending in NSG 1er to start cutting upslope

NSG Town ‘proper’ from top of NSG 1er xxxxx

Tractor cases collection at conclusion of NSG 1er xxxxxx

Zoom view of NSG Town Centre & north residential edge from NSG 1er xxxxx

For the afternoon the whole team went to the domaine’s two adjacent NSG high, top of the slope, village crus once a transport problem I’d sort of seen coming had been resolved – somehow ! From day one there had been only two hired Renault Minibuses which, for me on first sight, clearly weren’t going to be enough. Our sub-team had been exclusively using one so I’m not sure how the rest of the main team had been getting about other than walking to the Vosne plots as had been the case in 2023. Seemed a logistical shortcoming, unless deliberate, to only have the two vehicles to supplement the various domaine vehicles. The adjacent plots, separated by a narrow grassy vertical path, had puzzled me in terms of identity in 2023 when Michel (Gros) had clarified matters for me. Just north of NSG, at altitude, such that views south over NSG town, and north towards Vosne are quite something, right at the top of the slope before one gets into scrub of grass and shrubs, we worked a part of Aux Champs Perdrix and then En la Perriere Noblot. Fruit from these sites is blend with that of ‘Aux Athees’ (by the Intermarche), Les Lavieres, and ‘Au Bas de Combe’ for the domaine’s NSG Village. We worked 3 uphill passes of long rows as, with a couple of rest breaks, took us through the afternoon to just after 17.00 hrs. Re-joining with the rest of the team though had one major negative after the relative freedom, peace and camaraderie of our small sub-team as we had joyously been spared the nonsense and stupidity of the Belgian youth scumbag yobs which this afternoon had manifested itself again in their attempts to dump buckets of crap over one of their own number or some other targetted unfortunate. Fortunately, I was always far enough away but, whilst never struck, I did ‘suffer’ with others, the odd bunch of green or other grapes whistling through the air close by directed at one’s person. The nearest one such bunch came to me was a couple of feet away into the leaves of a nearby vine as their aims were well off & the throws being at some distance away. Utter nonsense as could have caused damage/injury to anyone unfortunate to be hit. Absolutely not needed. Hey ho.

Back to base, shower, laptop photo work, dinner & bed. The above was the end of our Cote de Nuits activities, Day 5 Wednesday seeing our first trip to the Hautes-Cotes and that evening the domaine’s vendange Paulee. As I know my enthusiasm for the Hautes-Cotes isn’t, it seems, widely shared I’m minded to condense all our remaining days into my next instalment – but will see when commencing that !
MdMdLV

Domaine Michel Gros Vendange 2024 – Day 3, Monday 23rd Sept

No more rain overnight with a dry, if grey and cloudy, day promised. Usual c6.30 start for breakfast – for me banana, dried apricots and a breakfast bar – all brought from the UK. Black coffee to wash down; occasionally I’d be ‘reckless’ and have a breakfast tea !

Easy decision to consider my Wellington boots (‘wellies’) to remain appropriate as, even without more rain, the vineyard soils remained damp and ‘sticky’ underfoot from previous precipitation. One of my early morning at the domaine gate pre-departure photos this day might make some of you ‘wonder’ at the attire of a few of the older ladies. The fancy dress, or costumes, represented a pre-vendange email circulating ‘themes’ for particular days. Not something myself, or the vast majority of the workforce it seems, wanted to get involved in – tricky enough working in the vines without nonsensical attire. Each to their own though ! What did please me was the arrival yesterday of my young Italian chap friend (annoys me I can’t recall his name, if I ever knew it) from 2023 with his lovely & super well-behaved/well-trained dog, Acho, a Labrador cross type in appearance. Acho just has one of the loveliest, endearing, calm, placid natures of any dog I’ve ever come across – I was delighted to see them both. Their accommodation, for man and beast, was a large, ancient, Fiat van acting as a quasi motorhome, parked in front of the Mairie, Acho’s nightly bed being the front bench seats – not his master’s bed !

Usual early morning pre-departure gathering – some in fancy dress

Well behaved lovely Acho lying quietly on dining cave floor post evening meal

Whilst waiting for ‘kick-off’ departure a distraction from my looking around musings was the cry of a bird. This was a small falcon flying over the domaine buildings but unusually vocal, maybe seeking its mate. In the UK we know such falcons as ‘Kestrels’, quite commonly, and notably, seen hovering over motorway embankments, fields etc. This year I was to see at least one, often two, kestrels over the vines between Vosne and Nuits most days of the vendanges, with it also a year for seeing birds of prey most days in the Hautes-Cotes.

Pic taken to show Morey ElRdV very stony ground & steep slope

Our small sub team remained intact and continuing to operate autonomously. Pierre Gros’ start of the vendange advices to me that the whole team would come together to work Richebourg Grand Cru had not come to pass as that had been ‘done’ by the rest of the team without us. I wasn’t particularly ‘bothered’ as I’d had that experience in 2023 and found it slightly underwhelming for a storied GC. I was much preferring, and enjoying, the small sub team experience this year, and the differing terroirs we were going to which I’d not seen/experienced in 2023. In that vein our initial destination today first thing was back to Morey-St-Denis and ‘En la Rue de Vergy’ – again ! This surprised me simply because I’d thought we’d finished that yesterday afternoon !!! We returned to the same concrete road corner location above the Clos (des Lambrays) with the vehicles, and walked down slope on the southern edge of the Clos to the plot of the day before. In grey and overcast weather we did two more upslope row passes in this area on very steep, and notably stony (see photo), ground. Some of the grapes here were amongst the best I’d personally seen but there was little or no consistency of quality or volume from vine to vine, row to row. Walking back to the vehicles, picking completed, we had the chance to mingle and chat with the Domaine des Lambrays team who were exiting the higher up, above the road, to the tree line, plot they’d been working in. Perusing my ‘Climats et Lieu Dits’ afterwards confirmed the Lambrays personnel had been in village terroir ‘Les Larrets’. I was much taken with, and slightly envious of, their smart, uniform, mid-dark green polo shirts. I’ve never worked for a domaine with similar – nice touch I thought. Their porters were notable for the curious wheelbarrow-type ‘contraptions’ they were using to bring grape cases to the road/vehicles. These ’wheelbarrows’ were, necessarily given vines row width, quite narrow and at the same time long. Seemed to me they must have been a bit of a tricky ‘nightmare’ to push either uphill, and maybe more difficult downhill, whilst keeping level so their ‘cargo’ wouldn’t spill. The socialising with the Lambrays team was nice – seemed no rush on the part of leaders of either team to move on. Had me thinking how rare this sort of inter-action has been, for me at least, as over 15 harvests I can’t actually recall any previous inter-team mixing of this sort.

Tractor to tractor grape cases transfer at summit of Morey

Morey En la Rue Vergy grapes – rare normal look this year (1)

Louis our sub team leader in vine Morey grape sorting

Lambrays Morey Larrets fruit

Lambrays Porter with wheelbarrow in Larrets

Lambrays team mingling with us prior to both teams exiting

From Morey we went further north which, given the domaine’s holdings, had to mean Gevrey – specifically ‘La Platiere’. I believe this was the plot of vines most recently acquired by the domaine but am not able to establish just when that was. On the flatlands eastern side of the D974 as one approaches Gevrey from the south. Located well towards the railway line, La Platiere sits below ‘Grand Champs’, itself below Croix du Champs, and is not, it seems, worthy of a mention in Jasper Morris’ Inside Burgundy book in the pages covering various notable Gevrey village sites. To me, unless it’s the soil, ‘La Platiere’ has little to commend it when looking at the likes of Bourgognes such as Pressonnier and (Arlaud’s) Roncevie.

The weather had improved markedly en route to Gevrey and, parking outside a small industrial shed type building, the only structure for some distance in a ‘sea of vines’, we made our way across a track to a small pile of cases in front of the vines in the sunshine, with high clouds and some blue sky above. The Gros vines (several rows) had been very clearly identified (unusually !) by red and white tape strung across the rows, and additionally, a large piece of white paper had been hung from the tape at its right hand end with ‘Michel Gros’ written on the paper in yellow ink. I was mildly amused at this, never having seen such overt identification – we are usually pointed to the appropriate rows of vines wherever as marked with whatever coloured paint the domaine uses to indicate its ownership – a dirty white for Gros. I could only assume that here whichever of our tractor drivers had previously deposited the cases had gone to the extra effort to clearly identify the target vines. I think, belatedly, we might have only made the one pass here pre-lunch as the rows are very long which is intimidating if one has any level of fatigue ! A slightly amusing incident occurred on departure as I was at the back of van or minibus, having loaded our bits and bobs of plastic water barrels, plastic cups, odd buckets etc but my driver seemingly hadn’t realised I hadn’t embarked and set off without me but, fortunately for me, having only pulled forward a few yards the vehicle was halted by the shouted warnings of my colleagues I was about to be left behind !! Much amusement as I made it into the vehicle – and so back to Vosne.

Arrival 1st look at Gevrey La Platiere – Gros rows extent tape marked

Note for avoidance of doubt on 1st row on right at Gevrey La Platiere

Post lunch, we returned to Gevrey and undertook two more passes. I was slightly hampered as I’d somehow forgotten my knee pads doh but managed ok without this time. Departing Gevrey I was intrigued where we’d go next but in the possibilities of my thought processes I hadn’t considered Boncourt-le-Bois, or actually the vinous & agricultural areas either side of the main railway line before reaching the above hamlet in the countryside north of Nuits. I was already familiar with the plots of vines we were heading for as Domaine Michel Noellat have vines in both the locations we’d be at this afternoon and I’d worked in those in 2019 & 2020. I’d have happily continued/been at Noellat but, I think for 2022 and since, that charming domaine had moved 100% to employment of contract picking team(s), dispensing with local and intern vendangeurs – a shame (for yours truly particularly as I’d loved 2019 & 2020). I’m assuming that as Michel Gros and Michel Noellat have vines either side of the railway (Bourgogne Cote D’Or I believe) then guess that may be the case for other Vosne domaines.

Both our locations are reached by turning left off the D974 main road (coming south) just after the Le Richebourg & Restaurant La Toute Petite Auberge businesses onto the initially narrow D109G. Our first target site is before, but alongside (very close !) to the railway. Turning off the road to the right before coming to the last few houses before the rail line a track takes one along the rear of those houses to the railway then turns right for a short distance to the vines – ours were just past the railway signal box and another railway associated building which seemed to relate to the overhead power supply. Not one of the most ‘compelling’ terroirs, and for this year, far from compelling grapes in either quality or quantity – in fact pretty poor in both respects and thus a tedious exercise. The only saving grace was we didn’t spend too long here and doubled, or tripled up, to a row it wasn’t too tedious. A close eye was kept on Onyx to be sure he didn’t get too close to the railway. This section of line between Dijon and Beaune (and beyond both I assume) always fascinates me at how busy it is with a wide of variety of very regular train traffic from TGV, local units, and all manner of freight trains. The signalling must be extremely efficient to ensure all runs smoothly. I was particularly intrigued (not that I’m a serious train spotter in the UK or France !!!) to note one passing freight train appeared to be hauled by a UK rail freight company diesel locomotive – I wasn’t aware, other than Eurostar, any UK originating trains operated into France, and not this far south.

Train interest aside, we exited our first underwhelming site, the way we’d come into it and back onto the D109G, and the narrow underpass beneath the railway, following the road immediately right and then, after a sharp left-hand bend, gently upwards onto the wider plateau. From the D109G, the extensive area of vines stretching north into the far distance were on our left, to the right an almost equally extensive area of sunflowers looking very ready for harvesting. Exiting the vehicles we seemed to mill about a while for no apparent reason(s) whilst our leaders sorted themselves out and how/when we got cracking. Arriving, I’d been particularly struck (one could hardly miss it !) by an incredibly large, in relation to the myriad others around it, sunflower – almost ‘triffid’ like. A definite photo opportunity.

Our bigger of 2 vehicles at Bourgogne Rouge plot on Vosne side of railway by signal or power building

Pre start rest at Boncourt le Bois BR plot

Back to our raison d’etre – grape picking ! Well, if any site encapsulated the 2024 vintage (for Gros at least) here we had it (or lack of !). I could hardly believe what we experienced & am now trying to describe. I was paired with another, quiet, older guy with our allocated row on the far right of the plot we were working with unused land to our right. We didn’t so much work our row as just, honestly, walk along it looking for grapes of which there were precious few cum next to none, and what very few there were highly unimpressive and materially mildew affected. Our bemused ‘stroll’ to the end of the row produced an end result of a smattering of poor grapes in my bucket, with the others not much better off. Quite remarkable as I could recall the Noellat years seeing significant volume from vines not too far away. We then moved as a group some yards west to more (all long here) rows. These rows were ‘better’ in a loose sense, as not as ‘bad’ as the first ones, but still the quantity and quality of fruit was poor. All seemed a notable waste of time and effort, and if I’ve ever worked an area of vines were machine harvesting might have been appropriate then here we had it.

By the time we’d finished our ‘efforts’ here and got back to the domaine it was c17.30. There was a suggestion of rain again for Tuesday – we’d see for what, whilst I didn’t realise it would be our last day on the Cote, before heading into the Hautes-Cotes on the Wednesday. Wine at dinner capped a nice end to the day – Vosne 2022 1er cru Brulees – maybe infanticide but very Yum !!!!

MdMdlV

Domaine Michel Gros Vendange 2024 – Day 2, Sunday 22nd Sept

Last year, as best I can recall now, we didn’t work Sundays which were free days but, and perhaps as only our second day this year, there was no sign nor prospect of such ‘luxury’ here.

After a very annoying occurrence during the night which badly, and inexcusably, saw the ‘beauty sleep’ of myself and room sharer, Guy, disrupted, to say nothing of our privacy (will say no more about this here), making my way over the yard to the dining cave building for breakfast it was apparent we’d also had light rain only overnight. The consensus amongst the Meteo sages over breakfast, including Michel (Gros), who’s weather forecasting ability had been impressively spot on last year, was that there’d be no more rain until the next night i.e 22nd/23rd. But, post breakfast, and meandering over to our gathering area outside the new building, I noticed others were busy moving in and out of the new building equipping themselves with the wet weather gear (clothing, rubber boots etc.) the domaine provided (laid out on pallets) for those stupid enough, or too lazy, to bring their own. With the odd curse to myself I hurried back to my room to get my Wellington boots (‘wellies’), cagoule, and over trousers albeit keeping the latter in their bag for now.

Cuverie yard early a.m. gathering

New building with domaine wet weather gear laid out

The first destination of our select sub-team little band was another new (to work in) terroir to me – Nuits-St-Georges Aux Murgers, adjacent to Aux Vignerondes from yesterday, and below Chaignots & La Richemone. The small extent of the domaine’s holdings in Murgers and Vignerondes lead to grapes from these terroirs being blended into the Nuits-St-Georges 1er cru. Average production I believe circa 600-900 bottles. I’d asked Pierre about producing separate 1er crus but he shrugged and explained that amount of grapes/wine per individual terroir led to a preference to blend – understandable I suppose; as was our small in number sub-team of this year working these terroirs, which I’d not experienced last year. I’d not previously considered a valuable (to me) side effect of being in the smaller sub-team but, enjoying now, this was great ! Namely, we were away from the main group, but in particular, the ridiculous, undesirable, element of scumbag Belgian youth and their propensity, as well as being lazy/slow, to distract themselves by throwing bunches of grapes around the vines at unsuspecting individuals, as well as looking to tip buckets of filth, grapes etc over AN Other – apparently a bizarre ‘initiation’ ceremony for a new, first year, worker. Doubtless my previously making clear this would not happen to me or consequences would follow, and nor did I consider hurling grapes around, or throwing bread at meal times, to be ‘clever’, had led to my lack of popularity in Belgium – which I couldn’t care less about.

NSG 1er cru Les Meurgers fruit

NSG 1er cru Les Meurgers top of slope post completion

NSG 1er cru Les Meurgers top of slope post completion3

Team members in NSG 1er cru Les Meurgers

It didn’t take us long to work Murgers and, to be quite honest, I can’t now recollect much about it, even prompted by the few photos taken although the latter suggest the grapes here weren’t ‘bad’ in context of what we experienced elsewhere. Done by c10.30 we moved off to Vougeot, taking the D25 briefly from the Vougeot/Gilly RN74 roundabout then right onto & along the Rue de L’Ancienne Nationale, behind the Total Energies Filling Station on the RN74, stopping/parking outside the last couple of houses looking north just before the Rue rejoined the main road. Initially, I was bemused by our street location and where we might be going but what followed was probably the most bizarre entry, and subsequent exit, to vines I’ve ever had, or will have ! Our on-foot destination into the vines turned out to be down the narrowest of rough underfoot, weed-filled path (in Northern England we’d call this a ginnel – a narrow passage between buildings) between two homes, down which we carried everything we’d need including cases as well as bucket etc. Emerging from said path, hey presto (!) we emerged, on this grey, dank, overcast morning into an unprepossessing plot of Chambolle Village vines – namely Les Nazoires. Another first for me & quite bizarre in terms of access!

Chambolle Village Route Nationale side pre start

Chateau du Clos de Vougeot from RN74 ChambolleVillage

Vougeot frontage to unreal entry to Chambolle Village2

We moved around in Les Nazoires with 3 or 4 row passes before moving en vehicule to a RN 74 roadside location for what was either Les Mombies or Les Maladiere. It was the one of those two in which is the white roadside sign for the Caveau des Musigny – I think must have been the former but am far from sure now ! All this took us up to lunch, or time to depart to get back for said meal. I quite like these varied mornings or afternoons as time passes quickly without ‘dragging’ and the cooler weather was a definite plus. Bits of light rain/precipitation had come and gone through the morning but nothing serious to impact work.

Post lunch took us back to the Chambolle Village roadside location initially to the plot of either Mombies or Maladiere we hadn’t ‘done’ pre lunch. Nothing remarkable or memorable to comment on here, but our next location was a great deal more interesting. This was still Chambolle but quite different to our three previous largely flat locations. We were in a steepish/sloping “Les Argillieres”. The domaine describe this thus, note the reference to Musigny, which more than one of my colleagues verbally referenced to me:-
“The main parcel (42 ares) is situated in the Argillières, the name of which gives a clue of the nature of the soil. This parcel continues the Musigny vines in the North at the entrance of the Chambolle comb. This parcel produces a cuvée with an unusual strength and density for a Chambolle village, and in this view it is rather similar to a Premier Cru.”

The domaine quote the vine age across the various areas of Chambolle Village as 50 yrs old. We somehow managed to get the vehicles to the top of the slope before we alighted and walked down to pick coming back up as customary. Before descending I managed to grab a quick picture of our little group for ‘posterity’ ! We had two passes at different points in this terroir, one almost on the ‘corner’ of the hill around which was Musigny with ‘Les Amoureuses’ below. We weren’t that far away as best I could tell from the Domaine Michel Noellat Chambolle Village I’d worked in during the 2019 and 2020 (Covid affected) harvests – but Argillieres seems pretty special and is now my Village site favourite. I can’t now, with passage of time, recall grape quality, and quantity here but my brief end-of-day scribbles don’t include anything negative. I do remember at some point during the vendange, and from a hillside site (could have been this one), musing to myself (easy to do a lot of musing whilst working !) on whether I had formed a sufficiently solid impression that grape quality was better, & mildew damage seemed less, from altitude sites but I never ultimately decided on thoe aspects to fully convince myself one way or another – it was that sort of a harvest ! The rain, or drizzle, immediately post lunch & in Chambolle Argillieres had been kind to us i.e held off but the heaviest was to come/return as we concluded our afternoon in yet another new to me terroir, and the one that reflecting post vendange completion, was my favourite – for no other reason than I liked it best, even on a wet and grey late afternoon.

Chambolle Village hillside vines around hill from Musigny

Commencing hillside Chambolle Village around hill from Musigny GC

My select bunch sub team at top of hillside Chambolle Village

Our final p.m destination, after a little more vehicle travelling, and after our van had to pause a while in Morey centre to await the other which had become detached, was another first:- Morey En la Rue de Vergy (‘ElRdV’). Am not sure why but, curiously on a personal basis, notwithstanding 9 harvest years of working and living in Morey-St-Denis, I’d never been up to the high parts of the village, and not above Clos des Lambrays or Clos de Tart. The other producers with vines here (ElRdV) I know are, in no particular order:- Bruno Clair, Aurelien Verdet, and Lignier-Michelot but doubtless, there are others.

Morey from above Clos des Lambrays

Positioning to start MSD En la Rue de Vergy in rain (1)

Positioning to start MSD En la Rue de Vergy in rain (2)

Top section of MSD En la Rue de Vergy with our camion

We approached by going high up the village until, with Cote Rotie on our right, we turned left onto a well-made concrete/cement type road, with the Clos des Lambrays below us, and the likes of other village sites La Bidaude and Les Larrets above us. We proceeded the length of the road until it turned sharply left, and steeply, down the southern edge of the Clos des Lambrays at which point we disembarked the vehicles, then walking (little hard to stop oneself’s momentum becoming too much so steep was the road) a little way downslope and right into En la Rue de Vergy at its bottom edge. I noted with interest the Clos des Lambrays had been picked – not a bunch of grapes in sight ! We had time to do one pass here, upslope, one person to a row. Finishing this one pass that was ‘it’ for the day, the rain, typically, stopping as we left ! Our return to Vosne was a meandering tour through the vines, with it a late almost 17.30 by the time we got back, well behind the rest of the overall team who’d clearly been back a while !

At summit of MSD En la Rue de Vergy post completion

Fruit bucket MSD En la Rue de Vergy

Onyx post completion of MSD En la Rue de Vergy

View back to MSD Hautes from above Lambrays

Somewhat fatigued, a shower was the order of the day. A word on our evenings:- dinner was circa 20.00 hours, in practice more often than not a little later. Pre-dinner, unless one had one’s own beer, the drinks offering was red wine and cassis, or just the red wine if one didn’t care for it with cassis. For the most part i.e lunch, pre-dinner drinks, and unless Michel and/or Pierre opened more ‘superior’ wines with dinner (as they invariably did e.g NSG Village, NSG Chaliots, Bourgogne Cote d’Or, HCDN Fontaine St Martin) the red is/was an interesting wine I’d become familiar with in 2023. In brief, the domaine takes the pressings from all their other cuvees, and presses again to extract the max residual juice – this then forming our unclassified ‘Vin de Table’ – the latter my name for it. Very drinkable always. I suppose I should have asked if 2021/22/23 but that never occurred to me. As in 2023 the catering was provided by an external ‘Traiteur’ who delivered daily (twice I think) in large ‘warm’ boxes. Our catering team, with last year’s chef (my then room-mate) indisposed at the eleventh-hour pre-vendange for personal reasons this year, was a very young twosome who travelled in daily from Dijon. The young lady of the twosome was Manon, an engaging, bubbly & always cheery personality, her colleague/friend (never established if he was actually the boyfriend) a hardworking young man with blond highlights & tattoos who’s name now escapes me. Both were very friendly and chatty with me at all times which was appreciated and responded to accordingly. They had to prepare the dining cave, dish out the meals into large serving dishes and provide for each table, and then clear up, wash up etc afterwards. They did well.

Tomorrow, Monday, would be a dry day when we operated for the most part north of Vosne before a mid to late afternoon session back in the Vosne locale across the railway lines at Boncourt-le-Bois.

MdMdlV

Domaine Michel Gros Vendange 2024 – Day 1, Saturday 21st Sept

After travelling, arrival day and evening socials/dinner, this was ‘it’, day one for this vintage which, maybe more than usual, has had one wondering what might be in store given the much-trailed 2024 weather issues and effects to this point.

Had forgotten what sort of timing I’d used last year for getting up, ready, and early into breakfast but settled on rising here at c6.30 which seemed ok when I made it into the dining cave to see only the well-known older regulars from last year who presided over laying out breakfast materials and brewing the all-important very strong black coffee. Tea bags of varying types were available but to ‘brew up’ required a tea bag in mug with a microwave to heat the water – a dubious-looking microwave of some ‘vintage’ who’s turntable no longer turned !!!

I’d come prepared with my own bananas, breakfast bars and soft apricots which would suit me thro the vendange rather than the huge hunks of bread, chunks of butter, and confiture the regulars were used to/put away, and dip into their coffee – not for me !!!

Back to my room post breakfast for teeth brushing and gathering my stuff:- camera, knee pads, gloves, and, on this dry-looking day, old Merrell trainers which are my gardening/exterior of the home footwear in the UK. Ambling to the plot across the road from the domaine gates where we habitually gather, and were the vehicles are (tractors x 4; 2 v Renault Minibuses, large white Peugeot van, plus assorted smaller white vans and blue 9-seat Citroen Jumpy, any number of familiar from last year faces greeted me cheerily and enquired as to my health etc.

The standout feature for me was the new Gros building which had been under construction last year, and I recall may have been started in 2022. Purpose various to give the domaine more covered space. Immediately, the building looked finished but closer inspection revealed not – both in exterior & interior aspects (roof edgings, no guttering/downpipes etc, and inside a bathroom, toilet and shower area to be fitted out. The building though, I guessed work having paused for the vendange, is quite attractive different in terms of what I can only describe as 3D type brickwork (see photo[s], which hopefully Bill will publish, which I’ve not seen before and certainly differentiates it from others of similar type. The exterior whiteish smooth hardstanding (concrete ?) is complete as are impressive & neat exterior walls edging along the street.

Return of Onyx yay !

Day1 c8.00 am gathering in front of new building pre dearture

Amongst one of the later arrivals, in battered large white panel van, I was delighted to see one of last year’s canine specials, the largely white, wolfish looking, in practice very friendly, Onyx – and, bless him, as I called his name thro the van side window he wagged his tail for me from within. His elderly, dishevelled looking, short gent, Guy, greeted me warmly. We would partner up cutting rows in HCDN En Fretoilles in days to come.

Temporary office lady, Sarah (ex Patriarche), all the while recording our individual attendances via clipboard, is a long-term substitute for last year’s fiercely efficient Juliette whom, Pierre Gros had told me in response to my pre vendange email enquiry, is on a long-term sickness absence (reason not given and I didn’t ask).

My pre-vendange strategy now came into play here ! Last year, whilst I’d participated, amongst others, in working in Clos des Reas, Richebourg, and Vosne 1er Brulees, I’d missed out on the likes of Clos de Vougeot Maupertuis and Echezeaux plus some other ‘lesser’ terroirs. The latter top sites had been worked, as had a number of the other attractive to me terroirs, by a smaller sub-team split off from the whole workforce, and with their own moving around transport. Consequently, in response to one of Pierre Gros’ later pre-vendange emails I’d asked, politely not cheekily, if I might be part of any smaller team this year. His reply had been a no problem affirmative with the obvious caveat that I remind him on the first morning (as here) which now I politely did. He readily & casually confirmed ‘the plan’ pointing me to one of the two Renault minibuses with senior ‘players’, driver Fabian and Christelle, both of whom I knew slightly from last year. Isn’t it good when a plan comes off 😉 ? The sub-team also utilised a large white ageing (presumably domaine-owned) Peugeot van driven by a youngish guy, name of Louis, who I didn’t recall from last year.

If any readers at this point just want to know what we did during the day without reading more then I can summarise thus:- Morning:- Vougeot, then Echezeaux to neatly take us up to lunch. Afternoon:- a plot of Nuits-St-Georges Village (think this was La Charmotte, if not then Aux Saint Juliens) followed, by a ‘close of play’ Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Aux Vignerondes.

To Vougeot in more detail. Little tricky to describe exactly where we entered the Clos and the Gros vines are (just slightly along from the entry in the wall). If one imagines The Clos ‘roughly’ as a rectangle then our location was very roughly south west; Grands Echezeaux being on the other side of the wall. The Gros vines are ‘further round’ coming from the south, nearer to the Chateau (if still a way from it), than the Domaine Michel Noellat Vougeot vines I’ve worked in previously. Assuming Bill publishes the appropriate photo(s) one can gain a better idea of our location by assessing against where the Chateau is over the sea of vines.

Rooftops and chimneys of Chateau du Clos Vougeot across the vines

View along Vougeot top wall to our vehicles

Row pass finish rest period Vougeot

Row pass finish rest period2 Vougeot

Vougeot better grapes – not many like these

Fairly mixed quantity & quality of Vougeot grapes

This day was by some margin the best day weather-wise of our vendange – after this matters, meteo wise, became clouded in uncertainty (and worse) but a bright, cloudless, sky morning set the tone for the day – I subsequently saw 25°C during the afternoon, must have been on the vehicle dash. As a Saturday, Vosne was very sleepy as we left (the rest of the workforce were ‘doing’ Clos des Reas) with the main road quiet before we turned off it and took a back route to the Vougeot wall. The clear sky already featured two distant hot air balloons to the east. These were a portent of quite a bit of aerial activity through the day with any number of different aircraft – the NSG aerodrome must have been busy. Three, presumably French Air Force fighters or training aircraft, flew over mid-morning east to west heading for the top of the Cote D’Or escarpment. No idea what type they were – but distinctive with long noses and fuselage before stubby un-swept wings, and short further rear fuselage to the upright tail. I can’t recall now how many rows of vines Gros have here or whether we were doubled up in the rows, guess we were. As a first sighter to this vintage, the grapes were very much less than impressive – scrappy, bitty, small bunches and clear evidence of mildew. I was subsequently to ask Pierre Gros about the yield here. He came back to me with 4 differing terroir yields – I’ll cover those off in Day 2 or Day 3s words – but suffice to say not ‘good’, quite the contrary.

From Vougeot seemed but a short ‘hop’ to the Gros Echezeaux plot. This was very appealing on the eye (or mine anyway) indeed. I’m confused.com as I type this in terms of Lieux-Dit. Say this as I’d understood, or thought I did, that the Gros plot is in ‘Les Loachausses’ but where we were, with a bit of gentle upslope altitude, is at odds with the map in my ‘Climats & Lieux Dits’ “bible”. I’ve worked in both the Arlaud & Michel Noellat plots, which are actually very close to each other, and they are both in Les Treux to my understanding. I’m going to have to ask but for now guess we were in “Du Dessus” or ‘Les Poulailleres’.

Decent bunch of Echezeaux grapes

Decent bunch of Echezeaux grapes2

Domaine’s case collecting tractor in Echezeaux

Echezeaux grapes – overall much better than Vougeot

Echezeaux grapes about to depart pre lunch2

Fallow Gros Echezeaux for Spring 2025 replanting

At this point I halted my typing as time for dinner loomed. This was an opportunity to ask Michel about my puzzle. This got me absolutely nowhere as he seemed as bemused as me, confirming their vines are indeed in ‘Les Loachausses’, so for now I’m baffled but thinking is there an error in the mapping in my above ”bible” ? Whatever……….!! The Gros plot we were looking at had above it a fallow section of neatly tilled soil where whatever vines had existed previously had been pulled out – no sign remaining. Someone in our group told me replanting here was planned for Spring 2025. I could but guess in that obtaining the vines back they’d been ‘inherited’ in a poor state. So, in totality the Michel Gros overall plot consisted of the existing rows of vines below, and the ‘empty’ section, and also, maybe curiously, included two old-vine planted rows above the ‘empty’ section which we rattled through after the main element. What was clear, and good, was the quality of the grapes in Echezeaux. A very significant improvement on Vougeot and almost ‘normal’ – whilst quality of what grapes there were looked very good, and signs of mildew were much less prevalent, more volume would have been ‘good’. Anyway, a decent way to go into lunch.

Post lunch took us to another, for me, new location & an unusual one too. Assembling, we were almost, apart from a narrow tarmac road, but up to a fence separating us from the car park of the NSG Intermarche ! We seemed to hang about here for a while prior to getting going, not sure why. Just along the road to our right from where we were standing was a white, flat bed truck with bored looking driver – turned out he was from Louis Latour, waiting for his picking team to arrive – they subsequently did after we had got going and, sizeable in number, picked rows adjacent to us.

About to start NSG Village plot adjacent to Intermarche Store

Pre start of NSG Village by Intermarche store

View from NSG Village of Cote D’Or upslope

Whilst we were waiting to get going I noted with amusement a woman sat alongside the two laundromat washing machines on the outside of the Intermarche who was accompanied by two largish dogs of mastiff or fighting type breed. Some minutes later the inevitable happened in that Onyx managed to find a gap in the fence to the car park, and without regard for his size, immediately started fighting with one of the aforementioned dogs. Fortunately, the woman was accompanied by a guy who hadn’t been visible previously and between them they separated the snarling dogs &, with much shouting from us, naughty instigator Onyx came back to us without ‘damage’. Ten out of ten to him for bravery though ! It was hot, hot, hot here as the afternoon progressed with 2/3 passes of the quite ling village grapes rows. Something of a thirst-inducing slog ! Mixed results in that some decent grapes but again mildew evident.

From the above site we moved not too far away, to another new one to me to add to my ‘worked in collection’. This was mid-slope NSG 1er Aux Vignerondes, on the north side again of NSG, situated between Aux Boussselots & Aux Murgers. I wrote ‘split site’ here but can’t now recall exactly what I meant by this but have a recollection the lower set of rows upslope ended in a grassy sward with another set of rows above this, which saw us split into two groups to work the rows. Again small yields were the order of the day. Completing work in this premier cru took us to a close for this first day.

Mixed quality NSG 1er cru Aux Vignesrondes grapes.

Part team in NSG 1er cru Aux Vignesrondes late in day

View to NSG from 1er Aux Vignesrondes

Back to the domaine and room I figured, if I were quick, I’d be well placed to be the first of the 4 of us guys in the 2 rooms on our landing to get in the unoccupied shower but, to my frustration, whilst I was dumping my working gear, collecting my washbag, towel etc the Dutch guy in the next room beat me into the shower – nothing for it but to wait what seemed an age for him to do his ablutions.

At some stage either here or earlier M. Nanson had messaged me to mention he’d be finished in Vosne c19.00 hrs and suggesting a meet up at the Liger-Belair La Cuverie de Vosne, conveniently all but next door to me. Eventually, a little after the appointed hour, contact ! Nice bottle of Chablis lubricated a brief conversation before ‘Sir’ had to head off to his car, and a return to Switzerland for the duration of my vendange, meaning no Beaune session for once and thus 3 ‘redundant’ bottles I’d brought from the UK (2 of which subsequently returned with me).

And so to bed ! Day 2 to come with a marked change in the weather, another NSG 1er cru, plenty of Chambolle village before concluding in a charming site in dear ole Morey-St-Denis.
MdMdlV