View across valley to Marey-les-Fussey from HCDN Au Vallon

Domaine Michel Gros Vendange 2024 – Days 5 & 6, Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th Sept

A day of more kestrel sightings all through today as in over the vines between Vosne & Nuits as went both to & from the Hautes-Cotes, and in the Hautes-Cotes skies as well, with other birds of prey – the only non kestrels I could identify with confidence being the occasional buzzard.

With the Cote D’Or vines picked in 4 days (recall took 5 last year) from now on it was the Hautes-Cotes all the way. Our route into the Hautes-Cotes was always the same, albeit with a twist today in how we got there over the final kilometres as in not what I was expecting as not the route we’d followed in 2023.

Firstly, the pre-departure ‘routine’ included a less than pleasant ‘episode’. The small in number sub-team I’d been a happy part of from Days 1 – 4, as I’ve mentioned previously used two vehicles, namely the domaine’s large white ageing panel van driven by Louis and one of the two Renault mini-buses the domaine had hired for the vendange from the outset. The latter accommodated 9 folk in 3 rows of seats, being the same 9 of us from the outset – thus routine and order was by now well established. I’d enjoyed a daily front row seat alongside driver Fabian, and AN Other, usually Chrystelle. I’ve described a kerfuffle with the transport from Day 4 when we’d all come together as one large team but that had not directly impacted our van’s happy band. That changed for this morning.

I’d always been amongst the first to the vehicle as I was always keen to stash my bulky knee pads, gloves, camera etc so I wasn’t having to keep hold of all that outside any vehicle in the pre-morning departure gathering. On this morning I came to our Renault to find two young (age 20s I’d guess) female floosies sat in the middle row of seats. These two had only arrived I think yesterday & had certainly not been part of the vendange from the start. Kudos to them for appreciating transport seats would be at a premium but that said I was concerned for my yet to arrive fellow sub team workers, two of whom would be left ‘swinging’. I politely attempted, with language a barrier, to suggest to these two females they were occupying seats of established team/vehicle ‘regulars’ from Day 1. I might as well have been talking to a brick wall as they clearly couldn’t give a wotsit for what I was saying, brushed off my comments, and sat tight. The inevitable happened when the others came to embark. The two to miss out were a sweet mother & daughter local pair who came every day by car. They’d been part of the 2023 team so I guess were year on year regulars.

On Day 1 this year they’d greeted me very warmly seeing me again which was mutually very nice & were also very pleasant each morning with greetings etc. This morning I could tell they were quite shocked, if not a little upset, to be the last two to the vehicle to find their ‘normal’ seats occupied by Mesdame Floosies. Early birds definitely caught the worm(s) here. We departed leaving the mother and daughter, and others unable to find transport, milling around the yard. Am not sure how but eventually everyone seemed to get up into the Hautes-Cotes somehow. Not good, not impacting me personally, but just one of a number of issues through the vendange, the rest of which did (impact me) which I largely haven’t detailed to date but I will in my final piece summarising this harvest ‘experience’ for me and what that all means post 2024.

Our route into the Hautes-Cotes (‘H-C’) is/was always the same in that the first part consisted of cutting across the vines between Vosne and Nuits to the northern edge houses of the latter, then curving right through a residential area of bungalows onto the D25, west beyond the Intermarche, then staying on the D25 Rte de la Serree past Le Gentilhommiere hotel in the valley of the Le Meuzin small river/stream climbing towards the H-C. Arriving at the edge of Meuilley, we turn right onto the D115 Rue de Beaune then previously (as in 2023) travel only a short distance before, multiple times turning off right into the pretty hamlet of Chevrey then into the different Gros H-C plots.

Harvesting Machine in distance from HCDN Au Vallon

Single bunch of HCDN Au Vallon grapes on post

View across the HCDN landscape from Au Vallon

View across valley to Marey-les-Fussey from HCDN Au Vallon (Michel’s Land Cruiser in middle ground) (2)

Today, I’d blithely assumed we’d be headed for the largest Gros H-C site, that is the 7ha Fontaine St Martin but, no, our destination to come was actually the 2nd largest site, the attractive hillside Au Vallon. How we got to/entered Au Vallon ‘threw’ me a bit as on this occasion we didn’t turn off the D115 into Chevrey but instead, with Louis’ van leading, stayed on the D115 through wooded areas to its junction with the D8 which we turned right onto. This took us past the Maison Aux Mille Truffes, who’s truffle products I’ve bought in the past for family at home, and into Marey-les-Fussey with its number of vigneron properties e.g Joannet & Thevenot Le Brun to name two. Just through Marey-les-Fussey we turned right onto a vineyard road onto a sweeping descent then climbing slightly came to the bottom hillside edge of Au Vallon.

Quite why we took what appeared to me to be an unnecessarily long way round to get to/enter Au Vallon when last year we came out through woods on to its upper slopes having come through Chevrey I never established but who was I too question !

View downslope in HCDN Au Vallon landmark tree on boundary

View upslope HCDN Au Valllon

Well presented grape volume HCDN Au Vallon

All Pinot Noir here. Milling around to be directed where to start, and with whom as the high trained vines see workers in pairs, a harvesting machine could be seen in the near distance with its attendant tractors and trailers support. No idea who it was working for but if to hazard a guess I’d say the Nuiton-Beaunoy Co-operative, premises on the southern edge of Beaune. The fruit here in Au Vallon seemed pretty good compared to what we’d seen elsewhere and on the Cote. There wasn’t the quality or volume of 2023 but the incidence of mildew here was much lower. Conversely there seemed a bit more incidence of grey rot than on the Cote but not excessive in context. I can’t now recall whom I was paired working with, having not noted it, but partly recall might have been Guy as owner of Onyx (rather than the other Guy – my room share). The grapes were nicely presented & much easier to pick on the high trained vines than the low trained Cote one’s. Much leaf stripping though was essential. The weather was largely grey and overcast through the day with the odd patches of brief blue sky here and there. We worked steadily through the morning, initially uphill before breaking for lunch back in Vosne. Back again in the afternoon to continue/finish where we’d left off. My sub team group, which had stayed together as one of 4 or 5 small entities within the larger whole, were somehow efficiently ‘flying’ post lunch, completing our allocated rows more quickly than others. We finished earlier than usual around 16.30 and whilst I didn’t appreciate it at the time that was because the Paulee was to occur that evening.

Domaine Michel Gros is strangely odd to me in Paulee terms with that ‘celebratory’ event, curiously perhaps, coming part way through the vendange rather than conventionally at or near the end as always my experience at the other domaines I’ve worked for/at. The reason for this seems (can only be) that the Gros vendange, in football parlance, is a ‘game of two halves’ i.e the first ‘half’ being the Cote D’Or work, the second the Hautes-Cotes. I’d been intrigued in 2023 to note how many of the original starting team regulars worked only the ‘first half’ then disappeared off home thereafter. I gather this has been the case at Gros for a while hence the Paulee taking place when it does to accommodate those ‘part timers’ who will leave. Whatever !

It seemed I was the last person to hear about the pending Paulee, and only did so overhearing a mention of it in the yard on our return from the H-C prior to which I’d been oblivious as in no one had seemingly though to tell me – can only assume word of mouth had occurred elsewhere. I had to ask questions re starting time etc then hurried to get ready, badly in need of a shave after 5/6 days without one. Having got myself ready into suitably smarter clothes, with the rest of our accommodation building curiously quiet cum seemingly deserted, I made my way across the dark yard, rain now falling, through the dining cave, and out into the other yard area outside the cuverie, anticipating/assuming as 2023 that our pre dinner gathering for fizz and canapes would be in the cuverie. Err no ! Whilst the cuverie front was open, it was in complete darkness. Bemused, the location puzzle was solved for me as I turned around to see the new building across the street was open and fully lit, occupied by revellers.

Pre Paulee Fizz & Canapes in new building (4)

Pre Paulee Fizz & Canapes in new building (3)

Pre Paulee Fizz & Canapes in new building (3)

Acho with admirers pre Paulee Social (Office Lady Sarah top left)

I made my across through puddles from the steadily falling rain to join the gang. Its quite amusing, if not impressive, to see one’s fellow workers in ‘party attire’ after day to day working garb. Michel, moving amongst everybody, serving champagne (didn’t notice or ask which champagne it was), was particularly smart in blue shirt and gilet. Chapeau. One of my serious regrets this year was the minimal interaction I had, or rather didn’t have, with Michel in comparison with 2023. With Pierre largely ‘running the show’ this year, and my sub team/transport arrangements day to day, quite different from last year I didn’t see much of Michel other than at distance in the vines, and close up really only at breakfast.

3 of my sub team members

3 wise men – Michel Gros centre, Philippe right, Un autre left

Dining Cave emptying post Paulee

My room sharer Guy left & un autre

Reception prelude over we made our collective way into the dining cave, which the senior lady regulars had gone to some trouble to ‘dress’ for the occasion, and in which the tables had been moved to up & down the room lengthways format rather than the usual daily across. I didn’t note the entrée but the main course was a rather enjoyable veal and potatoes. Wine wise the evening was lubricated initially with two whites – these were 1) a Domaine Pradelle 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc (a Marsanne – Roussane blend; and 2) the Domaine’s own Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits 2022 Fontaine St-Martin Blanc (Chardonnay). The Pradelle was familiar to me from 2023 as some of you may recall. The owner of Pradelle was at wine school with Michel – they’ve remained long time friends and swap wines with each other. I’m not a huge fan of Rhone Blancs – the Pradelle was fresh & pleasant enough but I’d rather have the FSM. I’d brought a few bottles to Burgundy from the UK as usual, anticipating one or more evening socials with Bill, but as he’d returned to Switzerland said bottles were quasi surplus and, in number, potentially impacting the UK Customs regulations number of bottles I could acquire and take back to the UK, so I opened my sole bottle of Domaine Adhémar et Francis Boudin (Chantemerle) 2019 Chablis 1er cru ‘L’Homme Mort’ & shared this with a few others – was very well received, particularly by Michel and Philippe. The Paulee reds, all from magnums, were the domaine’s NSG 2012 Village, NSG 2011 1er cru, and Vosne 2013 Clos des Reas. The Reas particularly was atypically delish – definitely more than one glass necessary for ‘testing’ purposes ! And post speeches, with midnight having come around, so to bed !

Dinner White Wine 1

Dinner White Wine 1 (2)

Paulee 3rd red wine served – Clos des Reas 2013

Leaning (or not so) tower of food trays

Thursday 26th September
This was a free (post Paulee recovery !) day hence I inadvertently slept in to past 7.00 a.m. tut tut ! With heavy rain anyway working would have been out of the question. Post breakfast I spent the morning, with office lady occupant Sarah’s (such a nice lady) agreement, in the domaine office, using Michel’s desk working on ‘Bill stuff’, largely downloaded photos, re-sizing the same for email transmission, and captioning. Towards the end of the morning I took myself off to Beaune on an errand for a friend to collect a specific bottle, already ordered and paid for from the UK. Arriving at the Beaune merchant location (Vistavin – on an industrial park on southern edge of Beaune) it was just turned lunch hour so, knowing how the French love the lunch period, and with the business clearly not open, I initially chose to park up and kill time. That dragged so I decided to leave to get some petrol and come back – which I did. Subsequently a bit of a pantomime ensued with access to the business, a couple of phone calls being required, then a short trip to another close by associated wine business to finally obtain the bottle – phew !

Back to Vosne for more office work to while away the afternoon. Plenty of folk had clearly departed, including my room sharer, Guy, but bless him he’d left me a note with 3 cans of beer. Two other guys who’d been sharing the room next to us on our landing had also gone so I was alone – but that was good as it meant, with no others to consider, when I was in my room I could bolt the landing door outside my room to the stairs and so ensure no nonsense of Belgians etc trying to annoy me, leave furniture piled up outside my room door, or enter the room to misbehave with my luggage, possessions etc etc – all of which had already occurred. Not sure if dinner was on offer on this non- working day (don’t believe it was) I was content to enjoy bread & cheese in my room with wine leftovers and beers pre bed, now safe my beauty sleep couldn’t be spoilt by nonsense with the landing door bolted, ahead of Friday’s return to the H-C with influx of new faces & an improved transport situation.
MdMdlV

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 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

Domaine Michel Gros Vendange Sept 2024 Preamble

Bonjour Tout les Monde ! MdMdlV reporting in ahead of this latest Burgundy grape harvest (vendange); my 15th in total, ‘across’ 5 domaines, and my 2nd at the understated, modest, yet most excellent Domaine Michel Gros.

In the last couple of months, there’s been a welcome, and in part very interesting, regular number of personal emails from Pierre Gros (son of Michel who’s still ‘around’). Readers who followed my experience last year will recall we saw and heard not a lot from Pierre as his wife gave birth to their 2nd (I think – had thought 3rd but believe that’s incorrect) child not long after the harvest commenced, hence, he understandably disappeared with Father Michel, supposed to be stepping back, actually stepping in to ‘run the show’ which was brilliant for me as Michel is a lovely character, in a quiet way, with excellent English (though he denies this), appreciated my interest in all things terroir related, and seemed to either warm to me, or take pity on me, insisting on my taking favoured passenger seat status daily in his ageing Toyota Land Cruiser rather than slumming it in one of the minibuses or vans, and regularly talking me through various terroir, vinous, and domaine history aspects whilst we motored about.

Pierre’s emails commenced with seeking:- a) confirmation from regulars and previous attendees that we would be coming this year; and b) whether that would be for the full harvest including the Hautes-Cotes (me – of course, the whole thing), or just the first part encompassing the Cote d’Or vineyards. I’d been quite surprised at the extent of personnel changes after week 1 last year. He later moved on to ask us all to request/order the Domaine’s 2022 wines we wanted to buy with the benefit of 20% vendangeur discount – a handy ‘perk’ ! as these would need to be bottled, labelled, foiled and packed pre-harvest. With each of his emails, he included quite detailed commentary on the likes of what had happened/was happening in the vinous year and with such as flowering, veraison, weather influences/impact etc etc. I’ve never seen/had this sort of hugely interesting information flow before but very much appreciated it although from minute 1 there was a good deal of bad news around weather impacts as Bill has similarly, and from a wider perspective, covered off e.g the very wet weather thro the year (as featured in the UK, or parts of it), resultant mildew, odium, rot etc and consequently how the vignerons had been restricted in getting into the vines to address/treat the above.

I was eventually a little surprised at how early he did so when Pierre called the vendange start for Saturday 21st Sept, requesting the ‘lodgers’ arrive/convene for the evening of the 20th – can’t recall exactly when now but was a few weeks ahead but seemed to me this was a late starting year, which personally had not seen for quite a few years, and which might consequently go into early October – the potential for similarities to the into October 2013 shocker at Arlaud made me shudder cum wince recalling that annus horribilis!

So, after researching and mulling travel options, and equipping myself with the necessary tackle (new gloves) the afternoon of the 19th saw my departure from my NW England home with my BMW newly featuring Crit Air Sticker, Fulli peage badge, and UK Sticker to rear left of the licence (number) plate, the latter as an understated alternative to a large UK sticker elsewhere on the rear of the car. Last year I had such a larger UK Sticker on the rear window which prompted my wife at the time to pithily observe “could you not get a larger one” ! No m’dear, or smaller, as that was all that was then available in my local motor factors. The destination was again, as last year, Newhaven, Sussex for the DFDS Transmanche Ferries overnight crossing to Dieppe from whence to Vosne via Rouen, skirting Paris, then the A6 past Chablis, to Beaune, NSG, then arrive. My ferry departure timetable was 23.00 hrs, docking Dieppe 5.00 a.m French time which would allow pacing myself to Burgundy for anticipated arrival circa lunchtime/early afternoon. I had planned to leave home circa 14.00 hours, with DFDS requiring vehicles & passengers to ‘book in‘ 90 minutes pre sailing time i.e 21.30, for the circa 320 UK miles (c 510 km), which should allow no rush and some contingency. As it was I was ready to go by c13.30 so with little point waiting, off I went. Trouble free run to Newhaven with modest diversion into Lewes for a fuel top up at a favoured filling station. Was in plenty of time at the ferry terminal, joining 8/9 other cars and a couple of caravans in a queue to await passport checking etc. On the ferry, without a cabin for economy purposes, and not having ‘enjoyed’ the ‘airline’ seats last year, I joined several other folk on a padded circular bench seat in the forward viewing lounge to stretch out and seek some kip – which I actually got for a change !

On time into Dieppe with smart offloading & I was on my way in the darkness. Trouble free run to Rouen. Here, some apparent major route works had diversions and for a while I was nervous, despite my satnav, I might be heading for the likes of Le Havre or Brittany but with mentally fingers crossed I soon saw signs including Paris and the autoroute thereto.

It was somewhere after here my peage badge came into play for the first time with a serious degree of nervous anticipation on my part that it would work as the instructions and videos (latter watched several times up to home departure) suggested. Worry thee not, oh yee of little faith !!! Approaching the first peage, much more cautiously than confident others, as I got very close a ‘beep’ sound emanated within the car – presumably from the windscreen affixed badge, followed almost immediately it seemed by the approaching barrier ‘magically’ lifting, and green light on the peage kerb indicating ‘go’. Wow, serious result !!!! No more right-hand drive car solo occupant issues. Marvellous – this and the following same peage experiences being the highlight of my journey. Technology in action!

Trouble free run down to outskirts of Paris. Hereabouts I came majorly ‘unstuck’ last year having not at that point programmed the satnav instead seeking to rely on a printed route finder which actually turned out to be difficult to read & follow given the route and changes whilst keeping eyes on the roads. I actually found myself lost in Paris last year which included at one point unintentionally going round in a ‘circle’. Only parking up and belatedly setting the satnav to Nuits St Georges did I extract the car and myself, getting back on track after losing a shedload of time. This year the satnav did the business for me but, on very busy, slow moving, roads (this was c8.00 a.m. hence presumably Paris commuter traffic), with various direction changes I could very well see how I’d come unstuck last year.

Anyway, eventually leaving Paris behind, the A6 took me past Chablis and other notable places, with just a couple of Aire stops to clear the windscreen insects, to the outskirts of Beaune then a quick other autoroute ‘hop’ to come off at Nuits then following the route via Boncourt le Bois to arrive in Vosne at a, to me, impressive c11.30.

Quite sleepy hollow at Gros but I soon met Pierre who confirmed I had the same room as last year & would be sharing with a Guy (as in gee not guy). Was able to leisurely unload my luggage/gear, seemingly maybe first to arrive, have some of my journey (home prepared) sandwiches, then contemplate my next move. Gros wise the next key event was the evening social gathering, circa 19.30, ahead of our first communal dinner otherwise the afternoon was mine. Some little time ahead of the vendange I’d been in online touch with a gentleman on a UK wine forum – we’d corresponded for some time as amused like minds on aspects of the forum and individuals but had never, until now, met in person. My correspondent had told me he and his wife, on holiday in the south of France, would be calling at Domaine Ravaut, Buisson on their journey north thro France at c14.00hrs to collect ordered wines before continuing to the UK and their Scottish home. We’d loosely ‘talked’ of meeting at Ravaut (a domaine I have really appreciated for some years and visited myself 2/3 times but not for a few years).

Clearly my early arrival on the Cote now made this easily feasible when I’d anticipated the opposite. So, a leisurely temporary leaving of Vosne down to Buisson. Didn’t seem much activity at all as I might have expected in the vines (ok, lunchtime) but the same had applied late morning from NSG to Vosne. I mused was this a matter of domaines/maisons having started harvesting earlier and finished, or was it alternatively, the opposite ? We’d see. I’d no sooner got to Buisson and was manoeuvring my car outside Ravaut when my contact phoned me to see if I’d made it, told me he and his wife were leaving Pernand and would be with me shortly. By this time the Ravaut team had finished their lunch break and departed for the vines. Success, my man and wife, with newer BMW than mine, soon appeared and after warm greetings etc we made our way into Ravaut. A smiling M. Ravaut met us in the yard (name escapes me hear – Philippe ?), with smiley (sister ?) Celine also in attendance. I was humbly taken that I was recognised and warmly greeted not having called for a while. My friend acquired his wines then we were offered a viewing of the Ravaut cuverie set up in action – neat, busy, and impressive. Also with us was a very cute & friendly Cairn terrier, by the name of Larry – sweet little dog which the breed aren’t always ! I hadn’t thought of acquiring any Ravaut wines previously but the opportunity seemed to good to miss so I asked an agreeable Celine if I could order some wine for my collection at the conclusion of the Gros vendange. Ready agreement thus 6 bottles of Aligote and 6 of the Ladoix Village blanc reserved.

Guess the domaine…….

Ravaut Triage Setup2

Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut Triage Table

Ravaut Triage Setup3

Ravaut Triage Setup4

Larry (the Cairn) Ravaut (1)

Visit concluded, we exchanged parting pleasantries and went our separate ways. For the rest of my afternoon I toured slowly parts of the Cote de Nuits, mainly close to Vosne. I noted a team in a part of Richebourg very close to the Michel Gros vines so this must have been one of the other family Gros domaine teams. The latter part of my tour took me up to the Concouer-Corboin plateau were I was intrigued to note a different type of (machine) harvesting – of sunflower seeds by an impressively large combine harvester which chomped its way through the sunflowers with some ease !

Hautes-Cotes de Nuit Sunflower Seed Harvesting2

Domaine Michel Gros Daily Timetable Notice

Domaine Michel Gros Dining Cave at breakfast

Domaine Michel Gros Dining Cave

Gros Dining Cave 1st evening

Drifting back to Vosne I was gratified to find the Douche (shower) near my room actually had warm/hot water – had not been the case on arrival last year as I’d found to my chilly, bracing, teeth chattering cost ! Good to shower away the 24 hours plus travelling, change, meet the now arrived room sharer Guy, a nice man, change, and saunter to the courtyard (shared with Mugneret-Gibourg) for the evening social gathering then dinner (plenty of familiar from last year and new faces). And so to bed !

First day proper Saturday to come with, not too shabbily, a start of two Grand Crus !
MdMdlV

Sunday-Tuesday, Sept 24^th-26^th

Sunday
As with our previous Sunday at the end of Week 1 this was a free, non-working, day. Despite that I was up at my usual hour and was again on my own in the room as Chef, Jean-Michel, had again disappeared in his pickup vehicle, taking the opportunity to have the day off at home with his family. As had become usual, the first into the kitchen element of our dining cave were tractor driver and long term domaine harvest regular Philippe and myself. I only managed to ‘beat’ Phillipe into the kitchen area once and not by much ! He’s an incredibly nice guy, ex Sapeur-Pompier officer, disciplined, neat, tidy and organised in all he did, and one of my favourite people from the vendange. We were soon joined, again as usual, by Michel (Gros) and another ‘senior’, older guy – a long time harvest regular, Jean-Pierre – a guy of few words; a sub team leader and triageist in the vines. J-P was to leave later that morning with an impressive amount of domaine wine loaded into his car. I envied his ability to take material advantage of the vendangeur discount (well worth having !) available from the domaine when I knew UK Customs Import restrictions would limit me doh !

I had a number of activities lined up that I wanted/needed to address hence headed off to Beaune circa 9.00 a.m. My first, very necessary, ‘visit’ was to the BP Petrol Station on the south side of Beaune as I’d not bought any fuel since arriving in Southern England before subsequently boarding my ferry to France. My French leg journey, return trips to Beaune, and taxiing services for Florient and Padhraig had combined to trigger the fuel reserve warning on my thirsty BMW when I’d last been in it. I’ve always preferred to find BP stations since owning my previous BMW from new for BP’s Ultimate best fuel.

Post refuelling I headed around the Beaune ‘peripherique’ (as I like to call it) and just off the western side parked up under trees and walked into town, sleepier than usual on this day of the week although a goodly number of folk were out and about enjoying the nice sunny weather. My destinations were two fold:- the superb retailer which is Athenaeum ( Athenaeum) for wifely ‘holiday’ gifts’, and to find a souvenir type shop which might sell the stone coasters featuring domaine or wine ‘transfer’ imprints. Domestically we’d had a few of the latter for some years but some of them had cracked or been otherwise damaged. I ‘struck gold’ in Athenaeum as, after buying a cloth tote bag with nice vineyard scene which would go down well at home, I then belatedly noticed an item I’d been meaning to acquire for many a year. This is a Rat de Cave candlestick, modelled on those used throughout France in the 18th and 19th centuries, for lighting in wine cellars. Mrs MdMdlV is, domestically, a very keen afficionado of many things candle and tea light related – always a concern at potentially burning one’s home down ! But, I knew I’d move very quickly, if not instantaneously, into very ‘good books’ on my return to the UK if I produced said Rat de Cave – quickly purchased. Delighted with this I went back through the Place Carnot and onto the Rue Monge before I found a shop (one of only a few open as a Sunday) selling souvenirs, wine related artefacts, kitchenware etc which, happily, had a decent display of the desired coasters outside. The gentleman proprietor was happy to accompany back outside from the front of the shop and take my chosen four coasters from his display – two of the four chosen by me as relating to personal association as featuring Domaine Michel Noellat, 2019 & 2020 harvest employers.

So, good progress, two of my three tasks suitably accomplished I headed back out of Beaune to the Leclerc supermarket, off the D974, on the retail park before/adjacent to the A6. Here my ‘mission’ was twofold, namely:-
1) with a shopping list formed before I left the UK to acquire various regional products (tinned & otherwise), confectionery & drink (Cremants); and
2) get myself some food for lunch and dinner (sandwiches, crisps etc). Michel had politely made clear to me at breakfast that, as a non working day, lunch and dinner would not be provided – not a problem as I’d already assumed just that. I always enjoy a saunter around the Leclerc, a superior retailer to the Nuits Intermarche. I hadn’t really intended to buy any wine alongside my other shopping but, when idly ‘researching’ the Wine Sections, as I passed by on my way to my list purchases I couldn’t resist the surprise sighting (not expecting to see such a name in the Leclerc) of just a few (4) top shelf bottles of Domaine Laurent & Karen Boussey (Monthelie) 2020 Meursault ‘Les Meurgers’ . I’d had two previously enjoyable visits to the above domaine in Monthlie and, co-located, that of Denis Boussey, Laurent’s father. The wines of Laurent, a keen vineyard photographer, imho are markedly superior to his father’s. After my surprised double take at seeing the above bottles I did a quick mental calculation of how many bottles I could consider within the overall number of bottles I would take back to the UK & swiftly, with hand rubbing type satisfaction, removed three from the shelf. I would add to these later on my way around the store with two bottles of Domaine Vincent Prunier 2020 Auxey-Duresses Blanc, Auxey a village who’s wines I’ve long been keen on. I would have ideally liked to call, as in previous years, at Domaine Diconne in Auxey but had realised, reluctantly, that would not be possible in terms of time available and how many bottles I could repatriate without potentially falling foul of UK Customs.

Quite satisfied with my morning’s activities which would go a long way to setting me up for a smooth, post vendange departure ‘as and when’, I cruised back to Vosne. I’d seen just a handful of domaines in the vines heading to Beaune and similarly on my way back mostly, but not all, on the flat lands east of the route nationale.

Entering the domaine premises, having parked the car opposite, I headed for the dining cave intending to eat my sandwich lunch there and get one of my remaining stash of beers from one of the fridges. I was a little taken aback surprised, and not best pleased in truth, given the advices first thing of need to provide for oneself, to find lunch preparation under way for the remaining (the annoying, problematic, youth had all but one below departed on Saturday) Belgian element of three (Mother Francoise, the middle aged lady sax player, whom I’d never really taken to, her daughter, and the remaining 20 something pest, Bastian, perhaps her son who I was quite sure was one of the ring leaders in past bothers – he seemed to have lost much of his past cocky bravado now he was on his own), Philippe, Jean-Pierre and Michel. I readied myself to decline an anticipated invite but such was not forthcoming – rather rude to say the least I thought – so I headed down to the opposite end of the cellar to ‘enjoy’ my sandwiches, crisps and beer. Hum ! Finishing my lunch, I headed back through the kitchen, to my car & then bedroom to get laptop, camera, notebook etc to work thro the afternoon on stuff for Bill whilst following UK Sport on the internet. Coming back from my car I met Michel coming out thro the yard gates onto the street. He told me chattily he was off to visit his son in another village property he, Michel, owned in Vosne. I knew, or thought, Michel had three sons from his first marriage but chatting he surprised me by saying that he had 4 sons (Pierre, another who works in private banking in Paris, and two others). Michel further surprised, if not amazed me, in telling me the son he was off to visit had broken fibia and tibia in one leg in Clos des Reas on the first day of the vendange via jumping or similar over a row of vines – that was what I understood anyway. A goodly element of my surprise was that I’d no idea he’d had said son working with us on Day 1 or of the accident which had needed a hospital visit/treatment. Wishing his son a speedy recovery we parted but not before Michel reminded me there would be no evening meal – an ‘interesting’ comment after my lunch experience but one I took ‘on the chin’ ! Quasi related, I’d assumed Michel lived in Vosne, if not in the old, multi floored, house adjacent to Mugneret-Gibourg we were using, but this was not so. For the vendange Michel did indeed use some rooms off the first landing before the first floor my room and another were on. The ladies had rooms further up on two more floors. I can’t recall how it come out but someone told me he actually lived in Beaune with his second wife. This was mentioned to me as my informant, and have absolutely no recall who this was (honest !), also imparted that the 2nd Mrs Gros had no desire to live in a sleepy hollow wine village. During one of our Toyota trips Michel had laughingly said to me he wanted me to return to my wife in full health to which my response had been my wife was probably more bothered about clothes shopping than my vendange health. That comment had brought ready and amused shared agreement from Michel whilst he was driving. Recall of his comment at wives shopping came back to me when I was told of his maison being in Beaune. In a later conversation he told me where his Beaune house was – without too much detail near to Parc de la Bouzaise which I recalled from a randonee around the Beaune vineyards.

The afternoon passed peacefully & without interruption, the working yard of the domaine quiet outside the end of the cellar I was sat in for wi-fi range. Eventually, and thinking I should make myself scarce if there were to be supper for others, I initially retreated to my room with my working stuff before quickly sneaking back for a little bread & cheese plus the remains, from my second Beaune visit (before today), of a bottle of L & A Lignier, 2006 Morey St.Denis 1er ‘Cuvée Romain Lignier’ – very much enjoyed with my sandwiches, bread and cheese !

And so to bed for a rare early night. To come, at last, our final working day (or part thereof).

Monday
I’d meant to be up for 6.00 a.m. but slept to 6.10 before being in the dining cave for 6.45. It was at this point, from Phillipe I think, I finally learnt this would be our final morning. Breakfast included a pleasant surprise in that Michel, bless him – what a nice man, had already been out to a local boulangerie coming back with two large bags – one of pain au chocolats, the other croissants (and all good sized, ‘generous’ examples). Invited to help myself I happily tucked into a pain au chocolat with my Liptons breakfast tea which, after initial mornings of black coffees, had become my preferred daily starting drink of choice.

There still seemed to be plenty of us milling around the domaine gates pre departure, if not quite as before, but I also noted quite a few previously familiar faces to be missing – my friend Angela was no longer with us, nor was FonFon, Irishman Padhraig or Justine and, not to be missed, were the young couple of annoying work shy, do nothing, girl and boyfriend. I guessed that perhaps due to our vendange being protracted, and this being a Monday of a new working week lay behind the reduced team and absence of previous personnel. With the Citroen Jumpy not required I was happy to be back in prime position in Michel’s Toyota Land Cruiser in which we departed behind the minibuses and large white van, latter piloted as usual by the ever-engaging Flo of amusing bright blue framed spectacles.

My daily Michel Gros Toyota Land Cruiser taxi outside the cuverie pre a.m. departure

Car external temperature reading leaving Vosne a.m.

Early morning Vosne street view from domaine towards village centre

Final day early gatherings in street outside domaine – parking opposite

Final day early gatherings3 in street outside domaine – parking opposite

Cuverie early morning prep final day

Gabriel was still with us & as always giving us the benefit of his wisdom and expertise on anything and everything. Today he had again, for the first time in many days, brought his sweet dog with him although she remained in, or tied to the bumper of his car, at the domaine. There seemed to be something of an unedifying background to this dog which had deeply upset me when Gabriel first brought it with him on what I think was his second day. On that morning, which was wet and cold, I’d noticed it, before we departed for the morning, fastened to the rear bumper of his tatty, aged, dark red Peugeot 206 in the parking area. I’d tried, as is my wont, to befriend it (not scarred by my earlier Jack Russell experience) but had been a little shocked at the manner in which it continually pulled away from me, whilst cringing to the ground in highly subservient manner, and slightly wagging its tail in a pathetic way. I’d immediately taken the view that the animal, from appearance a Malinois type cross (but somewhat smaller than a full Malinois) had been, or was being, badly treated, if not beaten. On that initial day I’d tackled Gabriel directly at how the dog was behaving, and why that might be, making it quite clear I was upset and far from impressed. His response was matter of fact & that he understood my asking but said the dog was completely different with women i.e good, but had been ill treated before it came into his ownership. I wasn’t necessarily convinced and during the night that followed that day I had struggled to sleep properly thinking & worrying about the dog. If Gabriel had offered it to me I would have had a decision to make but would have taken it readily and if not able to give it a home myself (my cat back in England would not have been impressed) would have found it a decent one. On this day, in the little time before we headed to the Hautes-Cotes I did manage to make initial friends with, and show some human affection to Jessie, as was her name, when I was also joined by the very sweet Italian girl owner of Acho who certainly did know how to properly treat a dog.

Acho & Prunelle making sure everyone is sorted

Empty cases awaiting row distribution HCDN

More empty cases for the use of.

Francoise (L) & Odile (R) triaging cut grapes en caisse

Odile during rest break relecting on the vendange

The day was bright enough in Vosne as we left but cool & without any sunshine, the Toyota’s dash temp reading 8°C as we travelled. The Hautes-Cotes was a tad gloomy on arrival at the site we’d left before Saturday lunch – our 4th separate domaine HCDN terroir which I assumed was ‘Topet’ the fruit of which goes into the generic HCDN Rouge. We parked, as we’d done on the Saturday on the corner edge of a large grassy clearing just above the vines which dropped away down slope away from us. Initially, we strolled to the points in our initial rows from Saturday afternoon where we’d stopped for the day and recommenced to finish those rows off. I was again in tandem with the bespectacled young French guy and a new individual, a middle aged Afro-Caribbean lady. The latter who seemed of an unfriendly disposition, and not to know anyone, turned out to be a bit of a pest and annoying. Principally this was because she stopped on several occasions for lengthy (and loud) conversations on her mobile phone but when that wasn’t frustrating enough she failed to work suitably in tandem with myself and the French guy, i.e from and to the correct points between post sections. Early on in proceedings I decided that as it was our last day ‘that life was too short’ to let her bother me further and just to concentrate on myself. Finishing the first rows at the bottom of the vineyard we had a decent water break rest before turning around and working back up hill in new rows towards the vehicles. At one point as we worked Acho suddenly appeared beside me chasing something in the grass which turned out to be a mouse or vole. As he was about to grab it by my feet I managed to deflect him away with the prey animal escaping under a bucket and around a case thro the row to its other side. I thought I’d saved his target but learnt shortly thereafter he’d subsequently caught and eaten it !! There was plenty of volume of Pinot here again as the case across most of the Hautes-Cotes terroir but here again occasional rot to require disciplined self triage and quite a lot of what my colleagues called ‘rose’ bunches, not properly ripe or suitably coloured such that quite an amount of this stuff was dumped on the ground. At one point, and towards what was to become the conclusion, my group was joined in cutting/picking by both Michel and Philippe.

Early a.m. HCDN sunshine looking upslope

Michel sorting teams out after a.m. arrival on HCDN

Glorious early a.m. sunshine down the HCDN rows

Full triaged case on tractor trailer

1st HCDN rest break c10.20 – Gabriel to right in hat

Come c11.00 a.m. I was a little startled to hear a final finish called as I’d been expecting we’d work to at least c12.00/12.30 & possibly a little beyond if that was necessary to get us to a suitable draw a line point (as had occasionally happened with Arlaud & M Noellat). As it was we left some yards of our final rows unfinished which I assume the domaine staff would complete later. Naturally my colleagues were keen to head back to Vosne but, as tradition for a vendange conclusion, not before various greenery was gathered to decorate/attach to the vehicles. Before everyone left and I missed my chance I shouted entreaties to request a final group photo shot – not just for myself but also for the Domaine as sometime in the last day or so Juliette had asked me if I would share my vendange photos for the Domaine’s use – ready agreement of course. From the two Group photos I took here I subsequently counted 24 individuals. To be added for final headcount would be me, Gabriel, Philippe, Sofiane and Jerome (the latter 4 not available for the photos as in the vines collecting cases onto the tractors and trailers). So, as our finale, 28 of us without including Michel, Pierre, Juliette and their other domaine employees. There were 3 additional guys helping in the cuverie so as I saw it we finished as approximately a reduced group of 31 from a peak headcount of somewhere between 50-60 in week 1.

Francoise (L) & Odile (R) triaging cut grapes en caisse

Odile during rest break relecting on the vendange

End of final morning group shot2

The dogs had exciting vendanges – this is lively Onyx

Final tractor on way out of HCDN towards Vosne

Top nice guy Phillippe in usual tractor position

Tractor team exiting – Left to Right Michel, Sofiane & Jerome

After the minibuses and white van had disappeared, I enjoyed a little welcome time alone with my reflective thoughts waiting by the Toyota once I’d collected & stowed in the rear the extraneous stuff such as water panniers, cups, a couple of spare cases, one or two items of clothing and a couple of the small blue tripod seats. This short quiet time was a brief, pleasant, interlude during which I watched both a hawk and then some noisy jays along the tree/hedge line on the vineyard edge. I was initially concerned, waiting for the final guys, then amused, to note my camera had ‘expired’ after the Group shots. As subsequently confirmed the battery had finally gone flat, without me noticing the reducing power level, but after lasting the full vendange – well done Canon ! I’ve owned my Canon G16 from 2014 thus, whilst maybe now not the last word in upto date camera technology, it has ‘survived’ quite some ‘abuse’ (wet, dirt etc) and given sterling service through 8 harvests. I’d like to be more ‘into’ photography but am not and, in truth, use my camera little outside my vendanges and the odd family holiday hence for now, and with the G16 still going, find it hard to justify expense of an upgrade, particularly when there’s always more wine to buy !

Eventually, with Philippe and Gabriel taking the laden tractor/trailer combos back to Vosne, I was joined by Michel, Sofiane and Jerome, three fine chaps all, for our final exit from the delightful, much enjoyed, Hautes-Cotes and return to Vosne via the now familiar route through the residential outskirts of Nuits St Georges, then the vines, to the Domaine.

Flo’s Camion suitably traditionally decorated for vendange end

Tractor collecting last HCDN cases in distance after team departure

Cuverie Giraffe with HCDN Pinot grapes

Cuverie team dealing with incoming grapes – nice young Italian in bucket hat

Julien performing cuverie technical job – stampage press

An earlier than usual lunch was salad starter, carbonara, cheese and fruit. I was pleased to see Gabriel, who’d beaten us back to Vosne with the first tractor departure, and was amongst the greedier element first into lunch, had brought dog Jessie into the dining cave (the other dogs were commonly present at lunch/dinner) and that she seemed very happy and enjoyed the odd titbit passed her way as well as being fussed over by folk passing her end of table position. Bless. Post wine and coffee, and back outside, quite a queue had formed to go into the office (bureau) to one by one see Juliette to receive wages and the complimentary ‘bonus’ 3 bottle box of wine before those then leaving (most folk) said their goodbyes – for me this notably included Sofiane (a really nice guy), young man of few words Julian, and originally from Lebanon Clodagh who was amongst the first to nicely chat to me on Day 1, and was one of our few who’d worked the full vendange. I’d agreed with Juliette I was happy to wait to collect my wages the following day – no rush.

After folk had largely drifted away, including room-mate Chef, & personally at something of a loose end, with my thoughts already turning to my own departure (I’d previously decided Tuesday having secured Juliette’s agreement I would be ok to stay one more night in my room but detecting I’d be pushing it to ask for longer !) I started my in room, and then to car, packing – separating work and non-work attire, and with the worn, dirty gear, I’d piled into a corner to all go in black bin liner. I binned my oldest, splitting, and well-worn pair of knee pads along with gloves past their further useful use date, keeping only my now favourite De Walt knee pads and good gloves. I also decided on my travelling clothing, keeping that to one side. With time to kill, and not enthused to get on my laptop immediately, I set off to the cuverie, & whilst passing through the shared yard saw the Mugneret-Gibourg team pressing in the entrance to their cuverie. The Mugneret-Gibourg sisters had from Day 1 been super friendly nice with/to me. We never saw each other without exchanging the time of day, or more besides. Lovely people. Their small cuverie team of 4/5, two of whom were also female, were similarly supa friendly, always calling greetings across the yard (their cuverie door was almost opposite the kitchen entrance end of the Gros dining cave). On this afternoon, intrigued by the pressing, after a few days were the M-G cuverie work had been ‘quiet’, seemingly completed, I wandered across to be told they were pressing Ruchottes-Chambertin grapes – wow ! The cuverie smell was headily to die for. Leaving them to continue I dived thro the Gros cave to the far end, up into the domaine yard proper, and into the Gros cuverie where I found Pierre had made a short visit – congratulations on the birth of Constance were in order & received shyly with thanks.

I can’t recall exactly what I did for supper – think it might just have been 3 or 4 of us finishing off leftovers. My car was as packed as it could be other than stuff needed for overnight and morning ablutions hence, after I’d used my laptop & wi-fi for the final time to book a DFDS Calais – Dover 18.00 hrs Tuesday ferry, I turned in for my last night. The old multi floored Gros house was now eerily quiet with myself the only occupier. All beds bar mine were stripped ready for laundry and rubbish had been collected to bin bags.

Tuesday
Just myself, Philippe who would also leave that morning for his Belfort home, and Michel at my final breakfast. Disappointingly, if unsurprisingly, the pain au chocolats from Monday morning had all gone so I had to content myself, no hardship, with Michel’s entreaties to finish off the croissants. I mused on my timetable for the day. I reasoned I should aim to be away from Vosne by approx. 11.00 a.m, to pace myself ( and the car for fuel economy), and allowing for comfort break stops, to arrive Calais ferry port check in by 17.00 hrs. I had scope in my UK wine import allowance to allow for a last 6 pack so decided to head for Domaine Arlaud to say my goodbyes there and, if possible, acquire some of their HCDN Chardonnay which I’ve always enjoyed (if not for a few years). After Arlaud I would have time to come back to Gros, collect my wages and wines, then head for the autoroute with a pitstop at the Nuits Intermarche to buy some lunch. I already agreed a Southern England overnight stop at my Aunt’s in Sevenoaks, Kent from where I would, on Wednesday, complete the last leg of my c650 mile return journey to North West England.

Heading for my car I met the just arriving Juliette (and Prunelle) and confirmed I’d be back for wages etc. Off to Morey, taking a route through the vines from the Vougeot roundabout, to Chambolle, then Morey passing Bonnes-Mares and MSD Ruchots amongst other terroirs. Dropping down thro Morey to the route nationale I caught, without being able to properly take in, with eyes needing to be on the street, a quick glimpse of the new, completed, Dujac premises extension which had been a building site when I last saw in 2020. At Arlaud cheery greetings from the cuverie guys, a great bunch, notably Mathieu and Climent. Cyprien turned out to be in a serious looking meeting with his main office lady but broke off to speak. To buy some wine would be problematic he explained he would need to pull one of the guys off what they were doing to label, foil, and pack what I wanted. This clearly would not work for me so I said I would leave, hopefully for 2024. Cyp professed himself very happy with the harvest – in line with my experience – quantity and quality. I bade my farewells and headed back to Vosne to be invited into the office by Juliette and given my wages. To my surprise, as I’d assumed without too much thought I’d be paid direct to my UK bank account, my wages were in cash – net of the cost of the discounted wines I’d subscribed for pre-vendange. I didn’t want to rudely study the paperwork but quickly noted I’d received my largest harvest salary by some distance even after paying for the aforesaid wines – nice ! In line of course with the hours worked as also by some distance my longest harvest worked. From this point it was just a matter of my wines being brought out on a palate for loading into my car reversed into the yard, confirming to Juliette I would send her all my harvest photos which she was keen to have, and then saying my goodbyes to all present – regrettably not including Michel who was unexplained absent – a pity.

And so, regretfully as in all good things must come to an end, I left the Rue des Communes for the last time. Quick ‘pitstop’ at the Nuits Intermarche to acquire lunch & bottled water then across town to join the A31 at the Nuits interchange heading north, soon leaving Burgundy behind, and eventually to Calais, just needing a foot down, quick spurt in the final kilometres to arrive on time.

And so endeth my 14th vendange, my first with the most excellent Domaine Michel Gros, courtesy of the well-timed initial opportunity alert from Bill which enabled me to ‘sign up’ at the outset. Thank you Bill, and for publishing my photo illustrated experiences. My favourite vendange ? Not really, not because I didn’t enjoy it – I absolutely did – but because I don’t have a favourite. Each harvest is a differing unique experience. What set this one apart was a new domaine, the manner in which the domaine conducted the harvest which was very professional, a very well-paced working environment with our never being worked unduly hard, weekend breaks, excellent accommodation and meals (up there with the best I’ve experienced), super people with Michel Gros just a fabulous stand out supa nice man, and odd quirks for me such as this being the first of fourteen harvests were I didn’t (need to) get involved in such as bucket cleaning (and was actively told not to !). New terroir experiences were very welcome, Richebourg wow (!) and, whilst ‘purists’ and others might look down their noses and/or be ‘sniffy’ about the Hautes-Cotes, I just loved being up there and experiencing those terroirs. To the domaine, and most of my fellow vendangeurs, thank you – it was wonderful; hope to see you all again next year.

I think I deserve a glass or two of Burgundy now – what shall I open 😊 ?

MdMdlV

Saturday SEPT 23rd

No, this wouldn’t be our last day yet. I’d not heard any whispers as to when we’d be ‘done’ so onwards and upwards again to the Hautes-Cotes and to the same site from yesterday – which I’d taken to be ‘En Fretoilles’. Seemed a lot cooler first thing on this morning, the Toyota’s dash digital temp reading 7/8 degrees C, and which started cloudy, grey and overcast. As mentioned in my Day 13 words we’d ‘lost’ Pierre Gros some days earlier due to his wife’s confinement &, as always after Pierre’s absence, before we left Vosne Michel left instructions for the cuverie team in his absence. I never ascertained the nature of the instructions but, from what I saw from a distance, such looked very comprehensive, filling more than one side of a page of an A4 writing pad. Once again, from the car during our journey out of NSG towards Meuilley, I saw 2/3 small wild deer moving along a field hedge line – safe from the Sunday chasse on this day.

Vista down row of HCDN En Fretoilles (or Topet) vines

Michel with little height advantage looking for the tractor

Water Station

Vista over HCDN En Fretoilles (or Topet) vines

Michel2 with little height advantage looking for the tractor

Once we arrived Michel went on ahead from the parking area whilst we sorted ourselves out with buckets and personal ‘equipment’ – in my case secateurs, gloves, knee pads and camera with my drink cup clipped to the belt of my pants. Making our way through the trees and down into the vineyard I was much amused to see Michel ahead of us – I say amused as, at the end (or beginning !) of a row some way in front of/below us he was on his large mobile phone whilst standing on an upturned empty case looking into the distance. All looked slightly comical but what I guessed he was doing was looking to sight a far-off tractor on the other side of the vineyard (hence his wanting height !) and presumably to sort out, and make sure of, empty case distribution along the rows we’d be working on. In terms of sub teams I can’t recall exactly now but believe there to have been certainly 3, possibly 4. We were still seeing a few departures and one or two new faces. The Hautes-Cotes weather first thing mirrored that we’d left behind in Vosne i.e cloudy, grey & overcast yet no overt threat or sign of rain. Certainly jumper and/or jacket weather.

There seemed to be a bit of ‘messing about’ in terms of setting up teams to specific rows of vines but eventually we got started. I was paired (doubled up) with a young, diffident, bespectacled French guy of few words who’d only recently joined & who was taking no chances with the weather dressed, similarly to myself, in navy cagoule and over trousers. We worked well in tandem, of similar ability/speed, albeit with few words exchanged. Long rows here as I may have said previously, and with a slight curve on them, and downslope topography, we couldn’t sight the end of the rows until very close which mentally seemed to make the rows seem even longer. Plenty of leaf stripping required. Sizeable volume of fruit again albeit some rot evident requiring a careful approach and self- triage of affected bunches. As the morning wore on the weather improved to become sunny, warmer and with some blue sky before reverting again to grey and cloudy as we came up to lunch time. During the spell of nicer weather at one point we were distracted by the sound of (non jet) aero engines. Such came from a number of historic (WW2 ?) vintage looking aeroplanes, maybe 8-10, in loose formation, none bomber size large, which flew lowish above us across the vines from the direction of Arcenant towards Marey-les-Fussey and beyond causing us all to stop and watch. No one seemed to know what these planes were all about, presumably on their way to/from some sort of display/historic event. My own knowledge of historic aircraft was lacking, French ones even more, so as to prevent any sort of identification, and nor did I hear any knowledgeable comment from any of the others. An interesting diversion nevertheless – one never knows what one might see during a vendange ! We also had overflights here from one or two birds of prey. At the end of the row, with welcome drinks break, I was much amused to see the elderly owner of lively pooch Onyx giving the dog some welcome canine hydration by Onyx slurping his adept fill of water from paper cup refilled a couple of times. Onyx was a bit of a scream with us, seemingly of inexhaustible energy, very friendly, and always ready for ‘play’, with his ‘party piece’ being if one approached him with a view to a stroke he would stand, tail wagging, until one got very close whereupon he’d bark, jump back, and then tear off in a circle at speed with more excitable barking, wanting to be chased, before coming to a halt, panting, tail wagging ready to have the same play all over again. Very engaging & very much a fun dog.

Full cases at end of row in HCDN En Fretoilles (or Topet)

Finishing row in HCDN En Fretoilles (or Topet)

Acho resting from his digging but Onyx still at it

Onyx not giving up with his hole

Onyx still full of energy

Back to Vosne for lunch in the Citroen Jumpy again with young Justine from Alencon as chauffeur, Michel not wanting me to be detained waiting for the Toyota guys even though I’d have been happy to hang about

Post lunch a surprise ! Justine and boyfriend weren’t working the afternoon as due to leave later (that wasn’t the surprise !) so the Jumpy crew were reduced to self, Angela, and FonFon. I might have returned to the Toyota but seeing Angela and FonFon sitting in the Jumpy I thought “why not” and with a tad of initiative got behind the wheel. Michel signalled he was ok with this and once I’d learnt where the handbrake was (the opposite of where I’d expected) we were free to go. In this, my 14th vendange, this was the first time I’d been ‘allowed’ to drive anything (other than my own car !). Quite a nippy little machine, my only slight alarm coming on our route across the vines from Vosne to Nuits when, on a very rough section of vineyard track, whilst seeking to avoid the larger pot holes, I inadvertently dipped a wheel briefly off the tarmac to the briefest consternation of my passengers but kept the thing on the straight and narrow 😉. We’d been up to the Hautes-Cotes that often knowing the route wasn’t an issue, even remembering the last section of rough track through the woods above Chevrey to the morning’s site, but all three of us were somewhat surprised when we got to the parking area to find no sign of anyone else or any other vehicles !!! We sat there for what seemed quite a while but just when I was beginning to worry that perhaps we should be somewhere else (!) the minibuses and van arrived from the opposite direction we’d come from – phew !

Once again, we had to cope, as on the previous day, with rain starting to fall just before we were about to start on the afternoon rows, requiring under cover shelter in the same copse of pines as previously. Some person or individuals had clearly been camping or similar in this sheltered copse as the remains of a fire were visible along with various elements of litter including drinks cans. Naughty. The rain soon blew over allowing us to set too on the next rows below those from the morning but against a cloudy grey sky albeit there was no further rain to bother us. The stand out feature of the afternoon for me was another quite hilarious doggy moment. This involved both Acho and Onyx who at one point suddenly started excitable, and almost violent scrabbling & then digging, with much excitable whining and the odd bark, in the grassy middle between two rows. Quite what caused this wasn’t clear to me but someone suggested a mouse, vole or similar. The two dogs had their own gradually increasing size of hole close to each other but both went ‘at it’ for quite some minutes, oblivious to the grape picking going on around them. Acho seemed to tire, or lose interest, more quickly but Onyx persisted until he’d excavated a larger hole than his companion (large enough to get a human foot in) before he too seemed to decide he wasn’t going to achieve anything other than very mucky paws and face ! A very engaging and amusing distraction. My own sub team finished our rows before the other teams so went to help wrap up with the laggards.

Pinot in En Fretoilles (or Topet)

Onyx and Acho with latter’s owner

View back up completed row in HCDN En Fretoilles (or Topet)

Leaving completed row in HCDN En Fretoilles (or Topet)

Coming up to 16.00 hrs I was a tad surprised we were shifted to a wholly new site, roughly back in the direction of Au Vallons, but accessed from going deeper into the woods. The land here initially sloped gently downwards from our grassy parking spot before a sharper, almost roller coaster type dip about half way down then with a rise to the wooded edge on the far side. Again high trained vines, fully grassed areas between the rows, wide enough for tractor passage. We worked until a halt was called at the usual time (would have been somewhere between 17.00hrs – 17.30hrs) by which time we were probably about a third or more down the rows. I had become increasingly irritated (kept to myself), as the afternoon wore on to the close, by a young female, probably early 20s, track suited, make up, nail polish etc. She and her similar in type boyfriend had joined us a day or two before and I hadn’t noticed previously but this ‘young lady’ was extremely work shy, and some, just seeming to hang around her boyfriend or ‘fiddle about’ in the cases of grapes ‘pretending’ to triage. This pair, her and boyfriend, were notable also for being amongst the first individuals to have ‘their noses rapidly in the trough’ at lunchtime, and greedy with it. If our table had run out of bread there was absolutely no question of either of them getting off their posteriors to go and cut some more – as the rest of us regularly did icon. We were to see a lot more of their behaviours on our next working day and, whilst the guy picked fairly solidly, his girlfriend continued to show her lack of desire such that ultimately I inevitably came to the conclusion she was ‘conning’ the domaine in terms of pay, benefits etc for practically zero effort/return. If we’d continued much longer my ‘patience’ would have ‘cracked’ and I’d have been moved to say something but as it happened that didn’t come about.

Once the finish call came we, as just 3 of us, (self, super Angela, and FonFon) had the Citroen Jumpy smartly away before the other vehicles and lead the ‘convoy’ of the other vehicles all the way back to Vosne. We’d have been the first back into the parking area at the domaine but I made a tactical error as we came into Vosne. From the start of the vendange the street on which the domaine sat had been made one way only (from north to south) by temporary road sign by the Mairie. As a consequence, throughout the vendange when we returned to Vosne at lunchtime/evening (and I was previously Michel’s passenger) from the south we’d taken a quasi circular route to the left of the Mairie, past Domaine Georges Noellat and others, continued a short way, then turned right down a narrow street to come out facing the Liger-Belair bar/restaurant/accommodation building I’ve referred to in one of my earlier diary words (where we’d watched the France v. Uruguay World Cup rugby one evening in week 1). Turning right there it was only yards to Domaines Mugneret-Gibourg and Michel Gros. Being well behaved (generally) and law abiding, whilst I noticed the one-way street sign had gone as we came into Vosne past Clos des Reas, I wasn’t confident I should ‘break the habits’ of the vendange and take the direct route up the street to the domaine. Thus I took the route above we’d been using all vendange……………but as the only vehicle to do so as my minibus and van chauffeuring colleagues seized their moment such, to my chagrin on behalf of my passengers, we were the last vehicle into the domaine parking area having been the lead vehicle all the way from the Hautes-Cotes – doh ☹ !!!

Panniers ready for emptying in En Fretoilles (or Topet)

My Sub Team rest break in En Fretoilles (or Topet) – Alex to foreground

Rest after completion of long rows in HCDN En Fretoilles (or Topet)

That was essentially ‘it’ for this day, with a number of departures of folk we would not see again, other than, when logging onto the wi-fi for my evening home-work, I noted I’d received an email ‘circular’ from the domaine (Juliette) to the vendangeur emailing list which was a forwarding mail from Pierre (Gros) with family photos and the following narrative:-

“Annonce naissance Constance”
Bonjour à tous,
Camille et moi sommes heureux de vous annoncer la naissance de notre fille Constance jeudi à 8h31.
Elle pèse 3,3kg et se porte bien. Son grand frère Jules est très fier, quoiqu’encore un peu intrigué.
Vous trouverez ci-joint quelques photos de la merveille.
A bientôt
Amitiés
Pierre et Camille GROS

To save use of Google Translate, the above was the happy announcement from proud parents, Pierre Gros & wife, Camille, of the birth the previous Thursday of new daughter Constance, weight 3.3 kg, as a sister to big brother, Jules, the latter described as very proud if not a little intrigued. Bless. I’m afraid I don’t know the age of young Jules but a nice and happy ending to our Day 14 with a new vendange bebe!

MdMdlV

Friday SEPT 22nd

Into Day 13 and on we go with no sign of a finish, blimey !

The morning had dawned bright & sunny with blue skies greeting us as, again, we returned to the Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Fontaine St Martin vineyard (‘HCDN FSM’) and its Pinot Noir – a Domaine M Gros Monopole.

Michel, Gabriel & Tractor team case collecting in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Morning picking of HCDN Fontaine St Martin Pinot

My sub team hard at it in HCDN Fontaine St Martin Pinot

One Vine Pinot in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Gabriel was his irrepressible non-stop talkative self in the back of the Toyota en route; the phrase “give it a rest” might have been coined for him ! Not much to say about our morning’s activities as pretty much the same as previously on this site. Same sub team for me which I was happy with. The Pinot Noir grapes from vines high up on this site were largely of pretty high quality – there was some rot to be dealt with but not much. I can’t recall the similar sort of incidence of burned berries and dry, brown leaves as had on occasion been evident on the Cote below. Whilst my few photos of the morning show the sunshine and blue skies, it was also pretty cool (as in temperature !) which is reflected in the attire, including footwear, exhibited by my colleagues. Incidentally, there are a couple of photos with a chap in blue pants and short boots, in one wearing a white tee shirt, another with him in orange jacket. Both photos have the same gent with a blueish rucksack on his back. This is Irishman Padhraic of lost, then found, bag ‘fame’.

A quick word or two on the domaine’s wet weather wardrobe provision – this was quite impressive and better than I’d ever seen elsewhere. I can’t remember now which was our first, or potentially first, wet day but on that morning, whenever it was, Pierre or Michel had opened up the main, roller shutter, door of the new, somewhat unfinished, building in parking area across the road from the original domaine buildings proper. This new building (videos of its build progress etc on the domaine’s web site) is not the new cuverie as I’d imagined but to be a bottle store (and presumably some other purposes). On the immediate left in the interior opened up by Pierre or Michel, on pallets, was quite a sizeable ‘wardrobe collection’ of wet weather attire i.e waterproof coats, jackets, over trousers and boots. All were neatly arranged in marked sizes and all carrying the name of the domaine. These were available for vendangeur use should individuals e.g moi, not have their own ‘stuff’. Very impressive and another of how this first class domaine operates & consideration for its workforce.

So, another morning passed by. Back to Vosne as usual for lunch (sorry, didn’t note, and can’t now recall, the menu).

Just before our post lunch departure it started to spit with rain. I’d left my jacket in my room hence had to hurry back quickly and get it so as not to be left behind or hold up departure. Good job I did (go for it) as it turned out to be essential.

We were back to the HCDN again but a surprise. Initially, through Chevrey and into the woods, I thought we were heading back to the above Marey-les-Fussey Au Vallons site but, no, and with the woods a bit of a maze of very rough tracks, we turned in the direction of Arcenant before parking on the track edge in quite a sizeable open area of uncultivated ‘oasis’ within the woods. Not anywhere we’d been, or passed through/by before. We trudged on foot ahead of/away from the vehicles for a short distance before turning left through a grassed gap in the trees for approx. 50 yards/metres, emerging at the top of a gently sloping quasi amphitheatre of vines, as before high trained and road tractor width, which went left to right across the site to more forest/woods on the far right-hand side. I’m not absolutely sure of the name of this site but it’s one of either:-
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits En Frétoilles; or
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Topet.

If I had to have a bet (am not a betting man !) then I reckon its ‘En Frétoilles’ as I think I did ask Michel about this with his reply accordingly. If so then ‘Topet’ is another site we went to later. For subsequent photos of later days I’ve captioned them as ‘En Frétoilles’ or ‘Topet’ given my uncertainty. Fruit from both of the above sites goes into the domaine’s Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge. The wines from grapes from FSM and Au Vallon are labelled accordingly, identifying those sites.

Storm Clouds over HCDN early p.m

HCDN Woods our shelter from early p.m. rain

Sheltering from arrival rain early p.m. in HCDN Bourgogne Rouge

Sheltering2 from arrival rain early p.m. in HCDN Bourgogne Rouge

As we arrived on foot through the trees to (let’s call it) En Frétoilles’ the rain started properly, leading us collectively to shelter in a copse of pine trees looking out over the amphitheater of vines backed by woods at its top and northern edge. A very pretty, attractive site – if not in proper rain ! Ultimately the rain passed over to allow us to work the rest of the afternoon, although initially the odd shower followed requiring one’s jacket hood to be raised if a hat wasn’t being worn. The rows were again notably long here, requiring us to be doubled, or tripled, to a row. I found this afternoon another tiring one hence some relief when ultimately end of the day was called, with a bit of a weary trek back to the vehicles. Michel was keen here, for some reason, for me not to have to wait for the Toyota’s return hence I found a spare seat in the domaine’s Citroen Jumpy driven by a young man who seemed to be Justine’s boyfriend with Justine, Angela and FonFon my fellow passengers.

The above would have been ‘it’ for recording the events of this day except for an occurrence I had not anticipated.

Historically, I’ve never worn a hat during a vendange or other times in my life come to that, other than the very odd fleeting occasion of extreme heat, but for this one & with age bringing about a crown bald patch on my otherwise decent head of hair (!) I’d brought two hats – an American style cap and a British style straw hat from a decent named maker which is my wife’s but she has never worn it – universal fit ! I’d been slightly amused when chatting to Cyprien Arlaud when I first arrived on the Cote when he said to me as we were parting “make sure you wear a hat”. I didn’t query then what prompted him to make this, unusual for me, comment but as it was circa 30 degrees C at the time perhaps such was caring & understandable. I did indeed take to wearing a hat for this vendange, the straw one for me being the more appropriately stylish. When the weather turned cooler and occasionally wet, I’d forsaken it, but a few days back on a warmer day I’d gone to look for it again in my room & not been able to find it. With no sign of it in either our dining cave, or in the Toyota, and after mulling the matter I’d eventually decided I thought I could remember hanging it on an end of row post low down in FSM during a late afternoon water break. With no opportunity to return to FSM I accepted I’d probably lost the chapeau unless, in due course, any member of the domaine staff subsequently working in FSM would see it and retrieve it (if in ok condition – doubtful).

Rest break2 for my sub team in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Sunlight HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Tractor dropping empty cases whilst rest of us sheltered

Weary figures resting by the Toyota HCDN Fontaine St Martin

During the morning of this day in FSM I was paired with the very pleasant young lady Angela who hailed from Schwartzbach. At one point whilst we were adjacent to each other in our row, and exchanging an occasional chat, out of the blue she startled me by quietly mentioning that she’d ‘heard’ something about my hat and my accommodation. She was carefully & diplomatically coy in her remarks and whilst I tried to check understanding and extract a little more info she would not be forthcoming but it was obvious she maybe knew more of my hat than she’d admitted. I was nonetheless very grateful that she’d decided to speak to me and at the coincidence that had us working together in the same row without which I wondered if I would have heard anything at all. I didn’t have time or opportunity to pursue at lunchtime but after the close of our working day, and back at the domaine after cleaning self and knee pads in the yard, I made my way to our accommodation house. I dumped my gear in our room and had a good look around in terms of cupboards, chest drawers, under the beds etc etc but couldn’t see anything. Sure in my own mind Angela wanted me to know I decided to start at the bottom of our building (a cellar) and work upwards through all the accessible areas for a sign of my hat. Nothing, thus a little frustrated I returned to my room, wearily plonking myself on the bed to ponder matters before standing up and moving to turn on the room light.

Chef and self commonly had the room exterior shutters closed but windows opened which necessitated the high ceiling’d centre light fitting of 3 unshaded bulbs being on. As I moved away from the light switch, out of the corner of my eye, there it was – my hat, hanging on one of the bulbs. I only noticed it now by ‘accident’ as it were. I guess the high ceiling and our comings and goings over the last few days often with the room in a degree of darkness meant neither of us had noticed the hat and its straw coloured nature. It was immediately obvious to me, seeing it now, putting “2 + 2 together to get more than 4”, that my hat had disappeared at the same time my bed had been ‘vandalised’ by the rubbish bin contents and thus one of the damn stupid Belgian ‘children’ youth was responsible.

It must have been a lucky ‘shot’, or maybe taken several attempts, to get the hat to hang on the light bulb, as I could not reach it standing on my bed, or that of Chef’s which was closer to being under the light fitting, and needed something else to reach. Looking around I could not immediately see a suitable implement or tool but then my eyes alighted on Chef’s quite long blue shoe/sock horn thing on top of his luggage. I grabbed it, precariously stood on the edge of his bed and, fortunately, with my first levering lunge managed to flip the hat off the light fitting and on to the floor. Eureka, and massive thanks to considerately helpful Angela. I decided not to mention the hat elsewhere other than subsequently to Chef & Angela, deriving a degree of satisfaction that the low life who’d deprived me of it would not be aware of its retrieval – as it was the weather hereafter was such that I didn’t need it (the hat) which I removed to the locked safety of my car – Grrrr !!!!

What will tomorrow, Saturday, Day 14 bring ?

We’ll see but maybe some Doggie action amongst the work meanwhile a few other aspects:-

1. In my Day 12 commentary I mentioned a partially drunk bottle of Voillot ’93 Meursault 1er Les Cras and that I couldn’t recall who’d produced the bottle. I must be getting more affected by advancing years than I thought as it was a leftover swapsie from Bill & my evening in Beaune (Bill has mentioned it, and other bottles from our evening, in Big Red Diary). Sorry Bill !
2. Also in my Day 12 ‘edition’ there’s a weird photo caption issue. In the second group of photos, top left, is a photo of a young lady, chin on her hand, sat on an upturned bucket, looking to the camera during one of our rest breaks. For some reason I can’t fathom, particularly as the caption I have in my saved photos is correct, the website caption refers to “Time for lunch………..etc”, the same as from an adjoining photo. The caption should read “Super Angela HCDN FSM”, the subject being my very same hat informant colleague.
3. Lastly, as we neared the finish of our harvest efforts I got to thinking to myself I would regard this as a Michel (Gros) made vintage. Why do I say that ? Well, nominally eldest son Pierre is taking over from Michel who seems to be taking the slow process into retirement as Herve Arlaud has done. Pierre was prominent, particularly in the cuverie where he was most of the time, at the start of the harvest and for the first few days. But, and I can’t recall when I noticed, initially by his car not being present (he came daily – believe he and family live in Dijon), that he was no longer around – although he was present at the mid point Paulee. This was due to his wife expecting their 2nd child whose birth was imminent. More on this from Day 14’s words.

MdMdlV

Thursday SEPT 21st

In my out on the street (or in the car) predicament, all of my own making, during the early hours of this Thursday I sort of dozed fitfully on occasion, the night passing slowly until, hallelujah, around 6.00 a.m. I was very relieved, from my car, to see Michel come and open the gates. Too embarrassed to reveal myself immediately, I waited for him to disappear then quickly headed into the yard, to the house, and up to my room to ‘freshen up’, get out of my evening attire, into my work clothes and gather my work stuff before heading to breakfast, cool as a cucumber, as if nothing had happened.

I had a decision to make over my contact lenses (monthlies not dailies) but, as they felt ok I decided to leave them in – and as it happened they were fine although I guess c36 hours wear isn’t recommended. Chef Jean-Michel was asleep when I entered our room hence only later in the day did I admit to him what had happened – he was suitably amused !

Aside from my self-inflicted nocturnal ‘issues’ the big development at breakfast was a hugely relieved Padhraic being back in possession of his bag ! So happy for him. Turned out last evening Juliette had very kindly taken him back up to Au Vallon in her car & they both searched some more and found the bag – in an area where Padhraic and I hadn’t looked as, at the time, he had felt we were looking in the right area as best he could recollect. Where it was found was an area we’d worked on during the morning of the day in question before we moved some way to a different part of the vineyard post lunch. Very good/kind of Juliette to take the trouble to help him & a great outcome.

Angry Sky from HCDN Fontaine St Martin looking towards Villars-Fontaine

About to start first morning row in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Mercedes from Uruguay in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Pinot grapes2 in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Pinot grapes3 in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

We were back to Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Fontaine St Martin (‘FSM’) again for the Pinot on this morning which was largely grey, cloudy and overcast although by lunchtime to some extent it depended on which way one looked as in one direction could be lighter cloud and almost blue sky but the other way the sky was a lot murkier. Certainly a lot cooler. We did two passes of the Pinot Noir rows this a.m., our sub team buoyed by Mercedes’ varied music playlist accompanying our efforts, before usual adjournment for lunch back in Vosne. A quality lunch this day as well – boeuf borguignon. Yum !

Time for lunch leaving HCDN Fontaine St Martin

End of first row completion rest break in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Time for lunch leaving HCDN Fontaine St Martin

The afternoon turned out most unexpectedly ! We returned back to FSM with, initially, no hint of what was to come. But, it wasn’t long before storm clouds started to gather quite rapidly whilst we worked, then continuous rolls of thunder started to reverberate across the valley, albeit at that stage without lightning or rain. As it hadn’t rained I was a little surprised when work was aborted circa 3.00 p.m with a call to return to Vosne. Perfect timing though, weather guru Michel demonstrating his prowess cum local knowledge, as no sooner had we got back to Vosne to the point of disembarking vehicles then the rain came, and how !!! Heavy rain of the bouncing variety then continued for the rest of the afternoon.

Angry sky2 late afternoon HCDN Fontaine St Martin

At the vans late afternoon HCDN Fontaine St Martin

My Toyota taxi late afternoon HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Row in HCDN Fontaine St Martin – note leaf stripping

Tractor moving empty cases in HCDN Fontaine St Martin

Tractor team collecting full cases HCDN Fontaine St Martin

My taxi service was once again requested as earlier in the day Padhraic had asked if I could take him into NSG as he wanted to buy some chocolates for Juliette as a deserved ‘thank you’ for her invaluable assistance in retrieving his missing bag from Au Vallon. As we drove to NSG I mentioned I was aware of an upmarket chocolatier in the pedestrianised area although my knowledge was dated hence I couldn’t be certain the business was still there. I parked up, staying with the car, in that parking area on the left as one passes through the centre of NSG & the road turns sharply left heading south. Padhraic hared off to find what he was after whilst I watched, in intrigued, curious, fashion two gendarmes dealing with an Opel Insignia and its driver only yards from me. I’ve no idea what was going on but eventually the Opel was allowed to go, the gendarmes following in the other direction.

Success for Padhraic in acquiring upmarket confectionery and a return to a soggy Vosne.

Usual clean up for me, with an infrequent shave, then laptop work either side of dinner. I can’t recall who produced it but a few of us enjoyed a glass of the remainder of the Voillot 1993 Meursault Les Cras I’d brought back from my Beaune soiree. To follow Michel Gros 2010 Clos des Reas (4 magnums) accompanied dinner.

And so quite a relief to be back in bed as normal after my night before ! How much longer had we to go and what else did we have to do ? Questions, questions – no answers for now; and another one – could this be the longest vendange for yours truly ?

MdMdlV