Wednesday – typed 02/10/2023

This was a very interesting day I thought – in retrospect; but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I wasn’t in the best of moods initially, having been kept awake past 2.00 a.m. by the noise made by the blasted Belgians. The morning dawned grey, with heavy clouds, temperature much cooler/fresher, although it was still warm, with everywhere very wet, although the rain had stopped. Initially, before heading to breakfast I went to my car for my rubber boots (new for this year green wellingtons) having already taken out from my luggage my waterproofs (cagoule and over trousers), rubber gloves and my latest knee pads – a heavyweight looking pair from De Walt which turned out to be great as they have two loop type fasteners top and bottom rather than an elastic top and loop bottom (my experience is the elastic straps soon stretch and thus make pads a poor top of the knee fit. The De Walts would hereafter become my preferred go to (other brands are available !).

Chat over breakfast with the senior guys inevitably turned to the previous night’s shenanigans. The common/usual morning greeting always routinely involves whether one had had a good sleep & doubtless, having been brought up a good Catholic (now somewhat lapsed) boy, I answered suitably here. The senior chaps have accommodation over the cuverie so they were ‘insulated’ from the worst but clearly aware of it. Michel was present, bless him, but was unblinking throughout. He’s such a lovely, nice man – clearly very tolerant, gentle, kind and doubtless seeing the best in everyone. Very definitely right up there with the nicest people I’ve met over the years in Burgundy. I couldn’t help but reflect, if it wasn’t around this time, that had similar circumstances occurred at Arlaud I very much doubt Herve Arlaud might have been so tolerant – I recalled one year when some younger types from Dijon misbehaved. They were not present the following day.

Early morning atmospheric NSG Aux Champs Perdrix awaiting teams arrival

Early morning harvesting machine in action – if an NSG 1er cru as think it was then scandalous)

M Gros Big Tractor on boundary of Aux Champs Perdrix & En la Perriere Noblet

View of NSG streets from Aux Champs Perdrix

View towards distant NSG Northern edge buildings & aerodrome beyond

View towards Vosne from NSG Aux Perdrix

Anyway, this impressed me no end, and all the more so when we got there, but breakfast conversation and similar in the Toyota once we’d set off, revolved around today’s terroir(s) having been purposely/specifically chosen for Les Caillottes (albeit not sure if this is the correct word but sounded like it). Essentially, due to the overnight rain, potentially sodden ground, Michel had chosen that we go high up and on stony ground (and how). At lunch from my ‘Climats & Lieux Dits’ bible I’d thought we’d been to NSG Les Argillats but only that evening, pouring over said book pre-supper, did Michel, seeing my studying, explain we’d been to Aux Champs Perdrix (a.m.) then shifted along (with only narrow grassed row between) to En la Perriere Noblot p.m. We were certainly high up, as high as vines get to. The manner in which Michel took the Toyota up there was very impressive and involved the low ratio gearbox (the only such occasion he used that). I’m not sure how the rest of the team eventually joined us, only seeing them arrive on foot, but guess they came by minibuses/vans as far as it was possible then walked up the rest of the way. Our Toyota crew were joined, whilst waiting for the full team, by one of the large vineyard tractors & trailer – so high were we, and so steep was it, that a vineyard tractor up there was an absolute non starter. Beyond the grass sward at the top of the rows was just scrub, vegetation, rocks and rough ground to the top of the hill. Also, whilst our initial ‘gang’ awaited the others I noted a harvesting machine somewhat below us and to our left towards Vosne. I couldn’t be sure where said machine was working but, to me, it seemed it more than likely must be in a premier cru terroir – not at all impressive if indeed the case.

Lunch Main Course 13th Pork & Garlic Potatoes

My room share top nice bloke Chef Jean-Michel

Afternoon view of Vosne from NSG En la Perriere Noblet

M Gros Big Tractor at top of NSG En la Perriere Noblet

We did quite a few passes up and down the vines in these climats – I noted 5/6 but am not sure now if that was the full day or just morning or afternoon. The afternoon saw 60 cases taken to the domaine. Big quantity and super quality all day. I could certainly see why Michel had chosen today’s sites as, despite the overnight weather we didn’t get too dirty or muddy. It was here late on I witnessed a notable, fascinating, technique I’d never seen before on such a scale in any vines but basically this was a (full) cases carrying ‘train’ – the most impressive here I saw must have involved about 10/11 individuals with similar number of cases where one man (unless at front or back) had one hand on one case in front of him, his other hand on the case behind. Quite amusing and impressive to see such a case ‘train’ emerge from a steep row & an excellent technique to retrieve the relevant number of cases for transfer to tractor trailer and then on to the domaine.

Lunch today was most excellent – the main course a chunk of pork loin/steak with garlic potatoes. Yum!

Grapes from NSG En la Perriere Noblet

Some of the 60 afternoon full cases awaiting collection in NSG En la Perriere Noblet

Team rest break top of NSG En la Perriere Noblet

Team rest break2 top of NSG En la Perriere Noblet

Not so impressive was the Belgian ‘children’ being ‘at it’ again in the vines as featured throughout the vendange involving throwing bunches of grapes around, at each other, and at other unsuspecting victims. If this wasn’t ridiculous enough they took things to another level on occasion by filling the odd bucket with mud, grapes etc then finding a victim to sneak up on & empty it all over. Several times I had grapes whistle around me when I was bent picking. I was never sure if such were meant for me, probably not, but I was unimpressed from the point of view of having my camera slung around my back when not grabbing a chance to use it.

Afternoon view of Vosne from NSG En la Perriere Noblet

Another NSG Street View

View of NSG into the combe under low cloud

During an afternoon rest break I was intrigued to note a younger guy who’d only joined us that morning with a friend was wearing a Domaine Arlaud tee shirt. In friendly conversation with him he was intrigued at my 9 year involvement there & explained he’d worked two harvest with Arlaud (after my last there).

We finished the afternoon slightly earlier than usual as we were back at the domaine before 17.00hrs. On the way back to the domaine I enjoyed a brief watch from the car of a kestrel hovering low over the vines not too far from us. I was to see a bird of prey for most days, including later in the Hautes-Cotes, and not always Kestrels but sometimes unidentifiable (by me) small hawks & occasional buzzard rather than falcons. An ornithological aspect I did note this year was the strange total absence of swallow and/or house martins. I’ve always been used to seeing swallows swoop over the vines, sometimes in past years almost seeming to head straight for you before flashing away. What I wasn’t seeing here this year had been mirrored at home in England when I’d already noticed I’d not seen the usual summer visitors. No idea why unless migration conditions to Northern Europe had been particularly affected in 2023.

The other smaller picking team had spent the day in Chambolle.

Gear cleaning on our return was minimal in the circumstances – welcome !

I did have some weird camera issues during the afternoon which I could only put down to maybe damp getting in the on/off switch, or moveable zoom but ultimately all seemed ok in the end. I was also by now reminding myself at regular intervals to check the settings wheels on the top of the Canon G16 as its quite ‘easy’ that such get caught and without one realising once can be attempting to take photos without the right set up – for obvious reasons I have to use the ‘Auto’ setting default.

A quieter evening thank goodness, post meal for me focused on my now routine photo downloading, resizing and captioning. Day 5 would be quite different again and see our first, and only, venture south of NSG.

MdMdlV

Tuesday – typed 30/9/23

Was up at 6.00 a.m. this day, start had been pre-advised at 8.00 a.m.

Matters went a little awry for yours truly before we set off as, mustering with others at the front of the domaine/in the yard, once again my attention was irresistibly drawn to the water obsessed Jack Russell terrier mentioned in my Day 2 words. Long a dog lover, ‘shaped’ by my Mother’s love of dogs which meant invariably as a family we always had one or two dogs, I went to stroke the very focussed terrier but, like lightning, before I had a chance to pull back my hand, he bit hard on my left forefinger gashing the skin and causing blood flow. The dog really was quick ! All sorts of thoughts of the likes of rabies, infection from the dog’s dirty water fascination, etc etc all passed quickly through my mind whilst I contemplated my bleeding, gashed, and quite/very painful finger. One of the more senior ladies, seeing my plight, insisted we return to the accommodation house ground floor room where a first aid kit was produced, my finger sprayed with something, then carefully plastered and bandaged up. Unfortunately, inside a hot, sweaty, glove the bandage didn’t last long and after a couple of replacements I gave up & did without. My finger was painful along the gash line for about a week but ok thereafter and no other ill effects – perhaps fortunately. My wife and daughter have, for years, been telling me off for stroking ‘strange dogs’ & I could just imagine their likely combined reactions of ‘told you so’ and mega amusement (as inevitably the case on my eventual return to the UK).

View down the cuverie – cement tanks to left

Evening grapes delivery – Pierre Gros in light grey hoody

Once the above ‘distraction’ was over we once again headed to Vosne La Colombiere to conclude activities there from the previous afternoon. Once again the majority of the team were on foot, walking to the site whilst, slightly embarrassingly, Michel called out to yours truly, again insisting I take the Land Cruiser front seat – who was I to argue 😉. The rear of the Toyota always importantly carried our (plastic) water ‘barrels’, cups, and various other bits and pieces. We finished La Colombiere without incident or note circa mid-morning and now came some excitement ! Maybe not for the walking team who once again were on foot from La Colombiere to……….drum roll !!!!………..Richebourg Grand Cru, or maybe more accurately, Les Veroilles ou Richebourg, with our (the car individuals) entering the site through a gap in northern edge brick wall. Whilst we waited for the walking group to arrive one of the Gros vineyard tractors arrived (for subsequent case collecting) but my attention was drawn to another domaine already working in Richebourg adjacent to our rows. A smartly dressed lady clearly seemed to be in charge & readily exchanged pleasantries with yours truly whilst I took photos of elements of her team, some notably keen to have their pictures taken. I had no idea who this other team were until some days later when, showing Michel some of my photos, he explained (relating the historic family divison of, and holdings in, Richebourg) that the lady was Caroline Parent, and in another photo the older gentleman (with wrap around shades) was her father Francois Parent – of Domaine Parent, Pommard.

Vosne La Colombiere grapes (1)

Caroline Parent talking to father Francois (in shades)

Domaine Parent porter in Richebourg

Domaine Parent Vendangeurs at Richebourg entrance

My 1st Richebourg grapes (they got better)

M Gros Full Richebourg case1

In my wildest vendange dreams, going back to Chassagne 2006, I’d never envisaged working in:- a) Vosne-Romanee; or b) a terroir such as Richebourg GC hence to be here was something of a ’pinch me’ moment. We worked here, with 2 row passes, until lunch. Once my initial excitement at being in Richebourg was over, & I was working, then ultimately it was just another set of vines etc. For my rows I wasn’t ultimately terribly/overly impressed by vines or grapes though. Michel did explain to me at one point that the vines belonged to an aunt in the family yet this lady would never allow replanting for some reason. Back to Vosne for lunch – so glad I wasn’t walking, and at same time feeling sorry for those who were – this was day 3 and, apart from the small team working other sites separately who were en vehicule, the majority had yet to experience transport ! Lunch main course meatballs and rice.

Gros In Vines Tractor arrives Richebourg

Gros Team in Richebourg start or rest break

M Gros Full Richebourg cases

Domaine M Gros sub team rest break Richebourg

My Sub Team & Others on Richebourg rest break

Back to the same area post lunch, but Richebourg had been finished, and now the southern element of Vosne premier cru Aux Brulees, adjacent to Richebourg, was to be the subject of our afternoon attentions. The rows here were long. I found the afternoon notably tiring & was asked a few times “Was I OK” – which made me wonder at my own appearance ! As we completed the last rows of Brulees, on a corner, as the road swings, and at the end of a row of vines was a memorial headstone to a Monsieur Ecard. I’d never seen anything like this in vines previously in any vendange. I was subsequently to learn the late J-F Ecard had been a domaine employee, and husband of senior lady employee, sub team leader/in vine triager, and bucket cleaner, Odile. I could only assume the location of the memorial stone perhaps reflected some particular spot of significance.

Aux Brulees memorial to former domaine employee (and husband of Odile)

Vosne View over Aux Brulees

M Gros Vineyard Tractor against Vosne Aux Brulees angry sky

Michel Gros age 67 setting picking example

Twin Sister Vendangeurs wow (1)

Halt called at 17.11 p.m. Back at the cuverie, ahead of the main, on foot, ‘pack’, I took the opportunity to grab some cuverie photos, had my first shave since arrival and, praise the lord, proper hot water was now available for the shower ! Pre supper, more than one person from the walking brigade, in passing mentioned on the return from Aux Brulees that someone had been asking about me !!! I was bemused by this but after a little thought had to assume it must be a roving Mr Nanson !

M Gros Tractor Musclemen

Lunch

China’s Fon Fon with unique hat

Belgian Mother & Daughter pre supper music recital (1)

Young Italian couple at lunch – owners of Acho

Our evening supper was notable for trouble and bad behaviour from one dining table which included a group of 20 something male Belgians, who’s in vine antics had already left me wholly unimpressed. Here they were throwing food around, very noisy, and just a collective, embarrassing, pain in the proverbial. I had intended to work on my laptop but, disgusted, at 21.00 hrs decided an early night was preferable. Unfortunately, considerable noise, continued until past 2.00 a.m. – not conducive to sleep. The evening had previously brought some thunder and eventually rain which became increasingly heavy for most of the night – wet weather gear seemingly would be the order of the day on the ‘morrow – mental note to self to get my rubber boots (‘wellies’ in England) from the car. The rain and its aftermath would ‘drive’ our activities on Day 4.

MdMdlV

(Typed 24/9/23)

Up at 6.09 for breakfast to be ready for a 7.15 departure for Vosne 1er cru Clos Des Reas – part deux. As circa 2 hectares clearly this monopole isn’t a site one can see off quickly, albeit as someone used to Arlaud’s 5ha of Bourgogne Roncevie requiring multiple visits, to complete Reas before lunch as we did was good going/satisfying. In finishing in Reas our sub team worked south down mid plot then we turned round and worked back towards the village picking the rows nearest to Rue de la Fontaine. At some point in our first pass someone complimented me on my speed (of picking):- “You are fast”. Similar had happened the day before and in all I would receive similar compliments 4x during the harvest – not bad for an old guy missing the last two years. Of course, out and out speed is to a degree irrelevant as it’s a team business with the name of the game to ideally stay aligned across the team for steady movement, grape collection etc etc. Over the Reas wall and across the street are starred names such as Leroy & Mugneret. Further along are the neat, tidy and well-presented premises of Domaine Michel Noellat I remembered fondly from my 2019 & 2020 harvests & where I’d anticipated I might have been this year except for 2023 they are using a Contract Picking Team for the whole of their terroirs. Coming to Domaine Michel Gros this year it slightly amused me to recall using the shower room at M Noellat once looked out over the Clos des Reas – and now I was standing in it !

Clos des Reas Edge to Village Street

Grape Sorting closing stages of Clos des Reas

Jack Russell crazy about water 2

My Best Vendange Friend Close Up

Whilst making my early way along the row closest to the Reas wall I noted a familiar looking car come past – it was (Mum) Isabel Noellat’s Mini Convertible. An idea formed and as I was well ahead in my row as I came to the gate mid way along the Reas wall I downed bucket, secateurs and gloves nipped across the road and to the door of the Noellat offices. The whole family (near enough) was there including father, Alain, Sophie (now mother of 3 boys after birth of her latest earlier this year), Isabel, and Sebastian’s wife (name escapes me now). We only had time for quick pleasantries and my explaining my sudden, bizarre, appearance which amused but Sophie, as ever the happy, smiley, glass most definitely in the full category personality, told me they were starting (their harvest) the following day. Rushed goodbye’s and I was back thro the Reas gate and back to picking which, with not many vines, was soon done.

Whilst we, the main bunch, were finishing Reas and moving on to the NSG site below the smaller team element were dealing with Echezeaux (this and Richebourg came to the domaine 3 years ago) and NSG Aux Murgers which, with some Aux Vignes Rondes, forms the basis for the domaine’s NSG 1er cru.

Other domaines vehicle towards Vosne Chaumes & Malconsorts

Other domaines vehicles in NSG Vines from Au Bas de Combe (2)

Other domaines vehicles in NSG Vines from Au Bas de Combe

Resting2 at NSG Au Bas de Combe after Clos des Reas

Back to us as the main bunch we were once again on foot (another Randonee !) south to NSG Bas du Combe. Interesting site this, a first for me, but sits below 1er cru Aux Boudots which I know well, and liked so much, from Domaine Michel Noellat. After a rest from walking there we worked here for a short spell up to lunch then walked back to the domaine for lunch – all this walking and no Minibus use yet for the main picking group is aiding the Domaine’s carbon footprint !!!!

Ultimately I reckon I would judge the food here for this harvest as the best I’ve experienced (in 14 harvests). Arlaud was pretty consistently good also but I reckon the Gros bought in catering, and chef use to finish off/serve is a great combo. Today, forgetting the entrée, we had chicken, gratin dauphinois, the cheese fixture, and fruit (an apple for me) for dessert.

I was spared the walk back to NSG Bas du Combe as, about to set off, Michel (Gros) called me back and insisted I share a ride with him in his ageing Toyota Land Cruiser. This was to be my transport for most of the vendange hereafter and glad of it/not to be in the minibuses was I. Michel told me he has been a devotee of Toyota’s for c30 years and likes to mention this when visiting Japan promoting his wines. It didn’t take us too long to finish Bas du Combe (not a large parcel) then we switched across the village to make a late afternoon start on Vosne La Colombiere. The view up to the village and rear of the properties along the Rue des Communes (including Gros, Mugneret-Gibourg, and Lamarche) was interesting from here – I reckoned I could now see what the crane in the front courtyard of Lamarche was all about i.e lifting materials etc over the property for what looked, from a distance, to rear extension works.

Vosne La Colombiere day close tractor movement(1)

Vosne La Colombiere grapes (unsteady camera operator)

Vosne La Colombiere in vines triage

Vosne La Colombiere starting 1st row towards village

Vosne La Colombiere view towards RN74

My sub team had the outside rows (right hand side of the plot looking up it) with the rear of the buildings on the D109 on our right, including that of Domaine Rene Cacheux. Late in the day halt called & once again I was glad of my new taxi status. Curiously, Michel seemed to have taken pity on me even though I was, and felt, fine – something which would continue. I know my gait has changed since my left hip procedure, added to my long time right sided back issues, with one leg longer than the other (common post hip procedures as I understand it). So back to the domaine, and as I’ve always done, I set to intending to wash, or help wash, the buckets when they arrived back but as I was setting out said pails I was admonished by one of the team leaders, a large, formidable, long time domaine servant lady, Odile. She made it quite clear it was her role, with a lady accomplice, and my involvement was unnecessary – fair enough, first time in 14 years, I’ll take that – at least I offered!

There was one final postscript to the day. Whilst the bucket situation sorted itself out and we queued to wash our hands attention was drawn to a hilarious (for me anyway) scene involving a cute little Jack Russell terrier. This animal had already fascinated me, arriving first thing with his owner from NSG, but upright and with supreme balance, with forelegs perched on the owner’s bicycle handlebars, back legs on the owner or similar. Here though the dog was absolutely and utterly fascinated cum obsessed with the water in the drain away shallow gutter in the yard as led to street drain. Some observed the dog might be looking at his reflection in the water (I doubted it given the dirty colour) or biting bubbles in the water was the attraction. Whatever, I’ve never seen anything remotely like it, as the dog was up and down the water channel, nose almost permanently down in the water, oblivious to everything/all around him.

And, other than shower (water still not properly hot/warm !), then evening meal that was it for our second day.
Day 3 – more doggy antics with a twist and amazing vineyard sites all to come.

MdMdlV