This blog, started in 2016, gives you the news of the wine estate with a particular focus on the key steps of our choices to implement the bio-logical dynamic.
In summary, these are mainly agro-ecological practices, such as hedges or green cover between rows, intended to make the soil alive, promote biodiversity, and thus improve the resistance of the vine to diseases.
In addition, since 2017, we have made the choice of agroforestry, that is to say that we systematically design our new vineyard plantations in such a way that there are trees planted in the middle and at the edges of the plots.
The tree is indeed nourishing for the soil. It acts favourably on biodiversity and contributes indirectly to the fight against some diseases of the vine, in particular by offering bats, these “anti-pesticide allies”, benchmarks to enlarge their field of action.
We also see agroforestry as a choice for the future in front of global warming. Indeed, faced with climatic excesses, the tree acts as regulator.
Pierre-Louis precisely lines up the barrels in the cellar.
Tomorrow is the start of the “écoulages”.
The different batches of “free-run wine” and “press wine” will be stored in these barrels.
It's important that the barrels are perfectly horizontal to avoid the creation of air bubbles, which would be harmful to the wine.
Photo : Nathalie Coipel
Lucie's hand care for the wine!
For effective pumping-over, the must coming out of the pump needs to wet as much of the “cap” (the mixture of skins and pips that floats to the top of the tank) as possible.
In this way, the must is impregnated with the color and tannins contained in the cap.
That's why Lucie puts her fingers at the pump outlet, to disperse the jet of must as best she can.
Thank you for your energy, Lucie!
Photo : Nathalie Coipel
We're delighted to welcome back Lucia to the cellar, who joined us last year to assist our cellar master Sofia during vinification.
This year, Lucia replaces Sofia, who has just had a baby.
Valiant, smiling and even greedy, Lucia, 24, is amazing!
Energetic during the pump-overs, she is also responsible and decisive in her dealings with our oenologist Emilio De Longhi (from the Boissenot laboratory), who is also Italian.
Thank you, Lucia!
Photo : Nathalie Coipel
Jean-Baptiste’s blissful expression, as it was every time as a child he discovered a new species in the vineyards, woods and ditches of anthonic.
Let’s listen to his memories.
“The green and yellow snake was one of my favorite discoveries, along with the asp viper and the green lizard.
That’s why I’m so happy to see the first one back in abundance in our hedgerows.
And the joy of hearing Pierre-Louis (@picor_art) tell me about witnessing the capture of a snake by a short-toed eagle.
For one of my fondest childhood memories at Anthonic is of witnessing the exchange of a large garter snake by a pair of short-toed eagles ».
Jean-Baptiste dreamed of showing it to you, and he succeeded in photographing it: the Elanion blac.
This is the 1st year we’ve seen this bird of prey at Anthonic, with two adults and a youngster hunting above our vineyards every day.
The elanion blac (mistakenly called the white elanion) is a small bird of prey about the size of the kestrel, around 30 cm.
Its range is very curious.
It occupies southern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Asia as far as India, China and Thailand, and New Guinea.
Up until now, the European population has mainly been found in Portugal.
No doubt due to global warming, its range continues to expand in Europe. Established at the foot of the French Pyrenees over the last 30 years, it can now be seen throughout the South West and even as far as Brittany.
This is the first time Jean-Baptiste has seen it nesting in the Anthonic area.
Théophile wraps bottles of Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux in silk paper.
The tissue paper features a black and white version of the eagle taking flight, which appears in red on the label.
The designs on the label and silk paper were created by Pierre-Louis (@picor_art ) and designed to overlap in transparency.
Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux is our confidential gem (around 12,000 bottles a year since the 2022 vintage).
We are very proud to welcome two original frescoes to our vat room:
-PERSÉE, inspired by Cellini's sculpture "Persée tenant la tête de la Méduse" and created in 2022 by Picor (Pierre-Louis Cordonnier)
-ATHENA, painted on our vats this summer by Picor and Lilee Imperator.
The latter fresco was inspired by a true story: the Athena owl recently found in our house and set free by Jean-Baptiste.
This story is illustrated by Picor's fresco.
In the same vein, but true to her own style, Lilee Imperator features a withdrawn person who opens up by reaching out.
Athena, our new fresco, which runs over 4 vats, is therefore a hymn to freedom.
Bravo, artists!
The miracle of overgrafting: already the 1st bunches of BOUYSSELET on this Merlot plant grafted on May 9th!
From the Bouysselet bud inserted into the Merlot trunk (the white bandage is still visible), a branch has sprouted, bearing the future bunches of this white grape.
The top of the Merlot vine has been cut off.
The late development of this grape variety can be observed.
This is one of the reasons why we chose it, enabling us to graft it onto plots that are usually frosty.
The first real harvest of Bouysselet is scheduled for 2025, the date of our first vintage of "Blanc dans les arbres".
We welcomed Clothilde to study the biological life of our ditches, as part of an internship for her studies in biological engineering at Bordeaux University.
Taking samples for 5 weeks, Clothilde observed biodiversity in and along the banks of the ditches.
The results show a great diversity of freshwater invertebrates (e.g. odonates (dragonfly larvae), gammarids, mayflies...) present throughout the ditch, as well as a few aquatic animals, such as newts.
The same applies to the vegetation in the water and on the banks.
We are delighted with these encouraging observations regarding the impact of our activity on the ecosystem of our ditches.
Father's Day... and son's day! An opportunity for Jean-Baptiste to thank Pierre-Louis (Picor artist @picor_art ).
Not only did Pierre-Louis decorate the vat room and several of our buildings with his frescoes, but for the past year he has also been responsible for the upkeep of all the buildings.
Not to mention his invaluable help with the harvest and vinification. Thank you
What do the little owl and Santa Claus have in common?
Among the many birds of prey that inhabit Anthonic, the most paradoxical is undoubtedly Athena's owl.
Increasingly abundant thanks to plant cover, hedges and trees (#agroforestry), they nest right inside our buildings.
Although nocturnal, they can be observed morning and evening, and even in the middle of the day. Jean-Baptiste enjoys photographing them.
It's the smallest bird of prey, but the one you hear the most.
And it's not unusual for us to have a visit from one of them in the house.
Because, like Santa Claus, they come down the chimney!!
Transforming Merlot (a red grape variety) into Bouysselet (a white grape variety) is the magic of overgrafting, an important step towards our future “white wine in the trees”.
Why and how is overgrafting done?
Overgrafting makes it possible to change grape variety while preserving the root system of the existing vine.
Our Merlot vines, grafted last week, will produce Bouysselet from the 2025 vintage.
To achieve this, the Worldwide Vineyards team first isolated the budding Bouysselet vine shoot tips.
Surgrafting means, in this case, grafting a bud:
-making a notch in the stem
-taking a bud that has been kept moist
-insert it into the notch
-and hold it in place with a piece of cloth
This bud will connect to the cambium of the foot and develop. To encourage the Bouysselet shoot, other Merlot shoots will be eliminated during pruning this spring and next winter.
We dreamed of it: top rating for Moulis 2023 for Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux in the Revue du Vin de France.
When we took over the 10ha of this property in the Grand Poujeaux area in 2022, we decided to isolate around 3.5ha of exceptional terroirs (Günz gravel mixed with clay) for the grand vin.
Cabernet Sauvignon is king here (91% of the 2023 blend).
It expresses its full potential, enhanced by an original ageing process: 60% in new demi-muids (500l barrels) and 40% in amphorae.
12,500 bottles of this confidential wine were produced in 2023.
In addition to France, you can find it through our exclusive distributors in the United States, Quebec, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Italy.
Thank you Olivier Poels for these words that capture the spirit of this wine: "spectacular straightforwardness and precision", "scintillating, juicy mouthfeel", "very fine tannic signature".
Welcome to Eléonore, wwoofing with us to discover agroforestry!
A student at AgroParisTech, Eléonore is preparing a documentary on soil life based on her visits to various farms in Europe.
She is taking part in our activities, notably by planting trees as part of our agroforestry project.
In fact, since we started agroforestry, we take advantage of each replanting of vines to introduce rows of trees every 20 rows of vines.
Eléonore plants deciduous trees (linden, black poplars, elms, maples and white oaks) in a few plots that are currently uncultivated and will soon be replanted with vines.
And 500m more hedges!
Yesterday we planted hedges at Château Anthonic (where there are already 4km of them) and Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux (photos).
So agroforestry is making headway at Moulis!
When we took over Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux in 2022, we were planning to export the agroforestry model developed at Anthonic.
Converted to organic viticulture as soon as it was acquired, Château Lestage-Darquier already benefited from the planting of hedges last year.
Hawthorns, holm oaks, dogwoods, maples, wild apple trees, etc. were planted yesterday by @arbres_paysages_gironde
Bottling of our first vintage of Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux, our new gem!
The label and stamp on the wooden case were designed by Pierre-Louis (the Picor artist).
The eagle motif evokes the Château Anthonic label, where 2 eagles are fighting over a bunch of grapes.
The Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux label depicts the victorious eagle taking flight.
The drawing on the wooden case illustrates the passage of the prey, the bunch of grapes, from one eagle to the other, because of course they're friends!
Why and how do you do secaillage, or trellising maintenance?
Winter is, of course, the season for pruning vines.
But with climate change, we’re trying to postpone the budburst of the vines, and therefore the risk of loss due to spring frost.
At the moment, our team alternates between pruning the vines and inspecting, plot by plot, the condition of the wires, which may need to be repaired or tightened.
The vine is a liana. Trellising keeps it in check and allows tractors to pass through.
Tree pruning training morning with GIEE agroforesterie Médoc in our vineyards.
A GIEE (Groupement d'Interêt Économique et Environnemental - economic and environmental interest group) has been set up in the Médoc to make progress and share experiences in agroforestry.
Whether we've been at it for 10 years or 10 months, when it comes to trees, we're all just starting out.
So today we're training in the basics of pruning country trees and hedges with Eddy Renaud from @arbres_paysages_gironde.
Pierre-Louis (the Picor artist) repaints our concrete vats, under the eye of the Perseus fresco he created last year.
So why did we opt for concrete rather than stainless steel vats (less demanding in terms of maintenance) when we overhauled our vat room in 2009?
Apart from aesthetic considerations, the main reason was to save space and energy.
Indeed, thanks to their rectangular shape, concrete tanks take up all the available space.
In addition, concrete is a natural insulator, which means less need for electrical thermal regulation of the vats during vinification.
TEST: can you see exactly what's on our label (above)?
No? Then you'll appreciate the work of Pierre-Louis (the artist Picor), who redesigned the motif (bottom).
Our label was created 100 years ago.
Its design, original for a château, depicts two eagles fighting over a bunch of grapes.
It could be an allegory of the struggle between the wine trade and the estate...
Or perhaps it's simply an allusion to the many birds of prey that visit Anthonic today, as in the past.
In any case, thanks to Picor's work, you'll be able to contemplate this story on the label from the 2022 vintage onwards.
Agroforestry: Jean-Baptiste and our team trim the vineyard's hedges and trees!
4 km of hedges, some of them dating back to 2010, require a lot of maintenance!
Pruning them avoids competition with the vines, leaves gaps to prevent the accumulation of cold air masses in the event of frost, and allows tractors to pass through.
Similarly, trees planted in the middle of vines need to be kept in check, pruned as trogne for deciduous trees or espalier for fruit trees.
Jean-Baptiste, a tree enthusiast, took part in the task in good spirits.
The pruning of certain trees is truly the fruit of teamwork, with everyone giving their opinion on which branches to keep or cut.
Genesis of the new label for Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux (in video https://youtube.com/shorts/ZJaNrv9blD8?si=dns0Y5WtyOvD0AV6)
For this château, which we acquired in 2022, Pierre-Louis created the design (see video), assisted by Graham de dmselections for the label layout.
On the paper, the eagle, its frame and the name of the château are curved (in relief) to emphasize the delicacy of the design (ph. 3&4).
Why the choice of an eagle taking flight with a bunch of grapes?
This motif refers to the Château Anthonic label, which depicts two eagles fighting over a bunch of grapes.
The Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux label therefore represents the victorious eagle, taking flight with its prey!
400g, an even lighter bottle! Why are we doing this?
In 2022, we were pioneers in adopting a new 450g bottle for our wines, rather than a 500g one.
This was an obvious step in line with our commitment to agroforestry, which aims to fix more carbon.
Glass, through its manufacture and transport, is one of the most carbon-intensive components of a wine estate.
Reducing the weight of the bottle therefore means limiting our carbon impact.
Today, for Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2022 bottled the day before yesterday, we're adopting Verallia's Ecova Revol bottle, down to 400g.
Why not 400g one day for our fine wines too? What do you think?
3 things you need to know about LES AIGLES D'ANTHONIC 2022.
1)-It's in the Bordeaux Pirate 2024 prize list-
As last year with the 2021 vintage, our cuvée "Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2022" has indeed been selected as a "Bordeaux Pirate".
This is an association of winemakers promoting organic wines that are off the beaten track.
Each year, a blind tasting is organized to select the vintages worthy of bearing this label.
2)-Maturing 50% in Tava amphoras
Composed of 100% Merlot and aged half in Tava amphorae (the other half in 400l barrels), "Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2022" is certainly an original, fruit-driven wine.
3)-This year, we're further reducing the weight of the bottle to limit our carbon footprint.
2 years ago, we went from 500 to 450 g per bottle.
With the 2022 vintage of this cuvée, we're down to a 400 g bottle.
Do you know BOUYSSELET, the grape variety chosen for our « White in Trees »?
For our future white wine, we chose this grape variety, a descendant of Savagnin and half-brother of Chenin, recently rediscovered in Fronton, for 4 reasons.
1) Bouysselet produces rich, slightly tannic wines with good acidity and fleshiness.
As a pure grape variety, it is ideal for gastronomic wines.
2) This grape variety is a late ripener, an important criterion given the increased risk of spring frosts (climate change) and from a practical point of view since we can harvest it after our Merlots.
3) It's a hardy grape variety, not very susceptible to mildew, and its upright growth habit makes it easier to lift and thus to prevent mildew.
4 Finally, it likes deep sandy-loamy-clay soils or more superficial clay-limestone soils, which is where we're going to introduce it into our vineyards.
In the spring of 2024, we'll be grafting Merlot vines to Bouysselet for production as early as 2025!
Concentration and relaxation for the blending of the 2023 vintage this morning!
Advised by our oenologists, Marco and Edouard, cellar master Sofia, Lucia, Emmanuel, Théophile and Jean-Baptiste tasted all the batches of different grape varieties, vats and press wines.
They tested several possible combinations before determining the final blends of our wines.
Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux 2023 will be blended with an overwhelming majority of Cabernet-Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot.
As always, Château Anthonic 2023 will feature a large majority of Merlot, with Cabernet Franc in proportions comparable to Cabernet Sauvignon for the first time. Not forgetting the touch of Petit Verdot that is the hallmark of great Médocs.
The overall impression is one of excellent quality, with a hint of 2020.
New project! "White in trees", a white wine linked to our agroforestry approach.
Today we're tasting different white wine samples with our team.
The aim is to choose the white grape variety(ies) to be planted in our vineyard.
Our choice hasn't yet been made, but we already know that we'll be going off the beaten track...
A new adventure begins.
We'll tell you all about it, step by step!
To be continued...
Did you know? The wine you taste contains up to 15% press wine. That just goes to show how important run-off is!
Here's how it works: after the wine has run off from the tank ("vin de goutte"), the cap (skins and pips) is pressed to recover the more concentrated "vin de presse".
Pressing requires a great deal of skill and precision.
We are only interested in the press wine, whose color and structure will enrich the final wine blend, not the rustic or overly astringent one.
Depending on the size of the vat, we use a horizontal pneumatic press and/or a vertical press, with several pressing levels.
Each filled press therefore produces different qualities of press wine.
Another important distinction: when we empty the vats, we separate the pomace from the top and bottom of the cap.
The top of the cap gives the best presses, as it contains fewer pips.
As for the bottom of the cap, more extracted during vinification and richer in pips, it often yields less interesting presses.
Press batches are separated into barrels, which are tasted each week with our oenologist with a view to subsequent blending into 3 or 4 categories that will be a treasure trove for blending our different wines.
The wine you're tasting thus includes up to 15% presses, used for their contribution of color and tannins that are often bold and powerful.
Théophile is delighted when he can join the cellar team mobilized for the run-off.
Each in turn goes into the vat to empty it of the grape skins to be pressed to obtain the precious "vin de presse" which will be used in part in the final blend with the "vin de goutte", the first wine to come out of the vat.
The photo was taken as Théophile was leaving the vat.
Optical sorting, a major asset for the 2023 vintage!
This year in particular, we needed a high-performance sorting system for the harvest.
The historic Bordeaux mildew epidemic had affected our Merlots, a more sensitive grape variety, and our choice of organic farming didn't make life any easier.
And the heatwave in September amplified the phenomenon of some grapes drying out.
Of course, mildew doesn't affect the taste of the remaining harvest, but we had to get rid of these dry berries, which can have a negative impact on the wine.
We therefore invested in an optical sorting system to complete our harvest reception.
In concrete terms, after de-stemming, 1st sorting takes place on a roller table (to remove green waste); 2nd sorting takes place on a vibrating table (photo).
Optical sorting itself takes place in the 3rd sorting stage.
We ourselves determine the shape and color parameters of the berries we wish to keep, settings which we adapt according to the grape variety.
The machine-camera then analyzes EACH berry and blows away any that don't conform.
This extremely precise system has proved very useful, enabling us to totally neutralize the incidence of mildew.
Start of the Médoc Marathon recovery walk this morning at Château Anthonic.
Around 2,000 people set off in a festive atmosphere, with the Pauillac wind band providing the entertainment and Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2021 served for tasting.
Aurélie, Jean-Baptiste, Théophile and Pierre-Louis were on top form to help people discover the wines.
Why braid vines rather than trim them (2/2)
In addition to the reason presented yesterday (apex memory), it is generally considered that braiding rather than trimming is good for grape ripeness (a) and reduces the risk of mildew (b).
a) By cutting off the apexes (the ends of the branches), trimming encourages the development of the internodes, which delays ripening. Buds located on the shoot will develop, sometimes even creating grape clusters. However, this vine growth is indirectly to the detriment of the grapes.
b) In addition, the awakening of the lower buds linked to trimming means that new branches develop at the level of the grape bunches. This leads to a build-up of vegetation, creating the kind of humidity that is conducive to mildew, especially as young leaves are more susceptible to this disease.
By braiding the vine, bridging over the wire and bending it towards the ground, we cause a natural slowdown in the vine's growth, while new leaves will accumulate at the top of the wire and not in the sensitive area of the bunches.
To conclude. As braiding is done by hand and takes an enormous amount of time, we only do it on a few plots. With the benefit of 4 years' experience of braiding, we believe that it has helped us to limit the risk of mildew in these plots. As far as the impact on the wines is concerned, we haven't managed to make a comparison on a sufficiently large scale to be able to draw any relevant conclusions.
Braiding the vine to avoid stress (1/2).
Here's a first explanation for choosing braiding rather than trimming (more on this in the next post).
The vine is a liana. The apex, i.e. the tip of a shoot, is very important. From bud-break to flowering, the apex retains the memory of the previous season; it then listens to the new season, the climate, pests and diseases. Each apex is thus the organizer of the branch it directs, and will trigger the appropriate response in the event of aggression.
By trimming the vine, we cut off the apexes, depriving the stock of this precious data. Braiding allows us to domesticate the vine without cutting it. It involves taking two groups of strands and, by tying a simple knot, forming a bridge over the wire. After a few hours, the tendrils have done their work and the knots have become inseparable.
This manual work is obviously very time-consuming, which is why we can only do it on a few plots.
Hands, bonds and lots of delicacy for our baby vines.
Still busy with the desuckering, our team takes the opportunity to tie the young vines to the stakes.
These need to be guided in their growth by their still-fragile vines stocks.
It's a job that requires a great deal of patience and gentleness. Thanks to all!
Why do we «roll» the plant cover?
Seeded after harvest, the mixtures of plants (legumes, crucifers and cereals) that we use to cover our soils are now “rolled”.
Rolling is not mowing nor shredding.
The roller coats the plant by pinching it at the base, thus causing it to dry out naturally and pass through an intermediate stage of « cover » (hence its name) that protects the soil. This mulch protects the soil from drought and enriches it with organic matter as it degrades.
Welcome to Sofia in her "kingdom": the cellar!
Sofia joined our team as "cellar master" last month.
With the acquisition of Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux, our production area has increased to 36 hectares and the range of our wines is growing. We needed a person dedicated essentially to the elaboration of our wines, to supervise the cellar team.
We are looking forward to benefiting from Sofia's great experience acquired in Italy and in France, for the vinification of red and white wines!
Agroforestry is "the association of trees and crops or animals on the same plot of land".
We do not raise sheep, but we welcome them during the winter, before the budburst of the vineyard, as part of our agroforestry project.
Sheep are ecological weed killers, delay the passage of the tractor for the work under the row (good for our carbon footprint!) and feed on our good organic grass (good for them!). It's a win-win exchange!
They enrich the soil and stimulate life (micro-organisms) thanks to their excrement.
One point of vigilance: the balance to be found with the vegetation cover. If they are razed by sheep, they will give less biomass to incorporate as green manure in the soil. However, if the canopy is too high, the vines will be more sensitive to spring frost. Sheep can therefore help us to control their vigor.
And we enjoy the beauty and peace that the sheep bring!
Alexandre puts Les Aigles d’Anthonic 2022 in our amphorae!
With his finger and with the flashlight, Alexander tests the filling level of the amphora by the pump.
But it is by hand, with a bucket that we have to finish, the finger is useful here to guide the flow of the wine.
Let's not forget to tighten the lid of the amphora and to fill the stopper with wine to control the level!
And our wine can begin its maturation in amphorae for more fruitiness and freshness!
Training in physiological vine pruning with Davy Chodjaï for our team yesterday.
Pruning, that technical gesture of great precision, deserves several mornings of training to perfect our employees. We practice two types of pruning, mixed Guyot and Royat cordon, with always the same objectives:
-to preserve the flow of sap so as not to harm the sustainability of the vine;
-to respect the vegetative balance of the vine (to adapt the number of buds to its vigor);
-to favor the stocking of the vines to secure the yields of the future years;
-and to organize the occupation of the free space between the vines to avoid overlapping of leaves and bunches.
Thanks to everyone for your involvement and motivation despite the wind and cold!
2022, a rich year in 9 images!
Thank you to our team that supports us in the challenge of our new adventure: Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux and agroforestry on gravel soil!
Thanks to those who ran with us (especially Théophile, Pierre-Louis and Emmanuel) in the Médoc marathon!
Thanks to our artists: Pierre-Louis (the artist Picor) for his magnificent fresco in our vat room and Nathalie (Nathalie Coipel) for her beautiful photos!
Thank you to those who recognize the quality of our wines, the result of our hard work in the vineyard (agroforestry) and in the cellar.
And of course, thank you all for your support and loyalty!
Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2021, our second wine, selected by the Revue du Vin de France!
We are very happy that our second wine is included in the strict selection of this beautiful article on "When Bordeaux changes its codes", in "Wines to follow closely".
The commentary fits perfectly with the spirit of this pure Merlot aged half in terracotta amphorae and half in 400 liter oak barrels.
For the past few years, we have decided to focus on fruit and drinkability in the vinification of the Aigles d'Anthonic.
Why and how to sow plant cover .
In all the vineyards (Château Anthonic and Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux), we are currently sowing mixtures of legumes (broad bean, vetch, clover, forage peas), cereals (oats and triticale) and crucifers (mustard and forage radish).
We adapt the precise content of the mixtures, plot by plot, according to the desired effects (aeration or nitrogen nutrition of the soil, improvement of its bearing capacity...) because these plants have different advantages.
These plant cover crops are sown in two rows (the other row is left as natural grass) to allow the passage of tractors later on.
The plants thus sown will indeed become high as you will see in real time. Because we are going to make you follow over a year what becomes on the same plot of land the vegetal cover that we have just sown.
On the picture, on the left you can see the plot on the day of sowing, October 12th, on the right it's November 2nd!
Zoom in on an important detail: Jonathan's hands.
What energy deployed to fill the cages for the pressing of the 2022 vintage!
Pressing is the moment when the marc (skins full of juice) is pressed to extract the press wine.
We distinguish between the first and second press wines (depending on when they are run off, the second being more concentrated) which we age separately.
During the blending process, they will be used to enrich the free-run wine (i.e. the must that has run out of the vats).
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cwn8dPFE_yA
A 300gr zucchini! This is the difference between these two boxes since we reduced the weight of our bottles from 500 to 450gr.
So, for a pallet of 100 boxes => 30 kg of zucchini!
On the scale of the estate in normal harvest => 6 tons of zucchini!
More seriously, a lighter bottle means a reduction of the carbon footprint not only because it consumes less CO2 during the manufacturing process, but also because it consumes less during the transport!
As we explained to you last April, we made this choice with our partner Verallia in line with our agroforestry commitment (hedges, trees and plant cover) which generates an increased carbon sequestration in our soils.
Our family has bought from the Bernard family the Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux, a 9.5 hectare property in Moulis-en-Médoc, where we will export our experience in organic viticulture and agroforestry.
The location of these vineyards, often bordering woods and streams, and the already green soil management by the Bernard family (natural grassing) lend themselves ideally to the implementation of agroforestry (hedges, trees and plant cover).
We have already officially started the organic conversion of these parcels located on the excellent terroir of Garonne gravel of Grand Poujeaux.
Jonathan and Aymeric, son and son-in-law of Brigitte and François Bernard, who you can see on the picture, are happy to join our team.
We are very happy about this new family, wine and agroforestry adventure that is beginning and that we will share with you on a daily basis.
Our son Pierre-Louis (the artist Picor) spent more than 65 hours to realize this fresco which decorates from now on our vat-house, become vat-house of collection...
Congratulations to the artist, here releasing his brushes!
The harvest should start at the end of the week under the encouragement of the god Perseus represented on this fresco
[Agroforestry Summer 1/2]: plant cover to protect from heat wave.
The plant cover, these plants planted in our vines in fall and rolled up in spring, is used to feed the soil by decomposing (green fertilizer).
AND the straw (mulch) formed in summer helps to decrease the temperature on the ground, as indicated by the readings taken at château Couhins in full heat (ph 2 and 3).
This year, the mulch is not very thick, as we rolled the cover early to limit the risk of frost on the ground.
Jean-Baptiste and the entire team thank you Théophile for your tireless commitment over the past two years!
Today you go on tour in the United States, the kind of job you joined the wine estate for but couldn’t do until then because Covid and lockdown have arrived.
This situation forced you to adapt to a whole other job, more administrative and more on the ground, where you were quickly very effective.
Thank you and enjoy the tour!
Admire Esfera, the new friend of Château Anthonic, lighter and less CO2 consuming !
In line with our agroforestry commitments (hedges, trees, plant cover) which generate an increased carbon sequestration in our soils, we have chosen, thanks to our partner Verallia to switch to a 450g bottle, which is 45g less than its sister Ecova that we were using until then.
A small gesture that weighs a lot!
A lighter bottle requires less energy to manufacture and transport, two areas where we will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
In concrete terms, Esfera has shoulders and a bottom similar to those of Ecova. But its waist (of wasp
Systematically planting hedges since 2010, we are starting to have high and dense hedges and have realized the interest of pruning and thinning them.
Indeed, when the hedges are close to the plots, limiting their height is important to limit the shade cast on the first rows of vines. But it is also interesting to thin them out (see photo) to create holes that will let the light through (sunshine for the grapes) and will favor aeration (against mildew).
We chose to reduce the hazelnut and dogwood trees which are two species of trees that are basitonic, that is to say that they have a propensity to promote the growth of their buds at the base, so that they will grow back easily. Such a pruning does not present any risk of killing these shrubs, on the contrary, it even increases their dynamics.
This bunch will become a painting !!
Our son Pierre-Louis wishes to paint a fresco from lees of vintage 2021. He has thus decided to take part in the harvest and vinification to follow his “raw material”, taking advantage of a sabbatical year in his studies.
If you wish to discover the other projects of this passionate painter, take a look at his account picor_art on Instagram.
Acoustic identification of three species of BATS with agents of the Parc Naturel Régional Médoc last night at Anthonic!
Let's explain why we are delighted to observe them in our vineyards(1), how our agroforestry system favours their presence(2) and what we learned yesterday(3).
(1)Bats are true indicators of the health of an ecosystem and play an essential ecological role, particularly as "natural insecticides", since in one night, a bat can consume almost half its weight in various insects, including certain butterflies that are pests of the vine.
(2)Bats use echolocation to find their way around, which is made possible by the obstacles encountered by the ultrasound they send out.
The presence of trees and hedges in the heart of the vineyard, linked to agroforestry, therefore also has the advantage of giving these chiropterans additional landmarks and thus enabling them to extend their hunting territory.
(3)Yesterday we understood that the presence of ditches and ponds is also important to provide water for lactating females (the bat is a mammal!).
Acoustic identification is done by amplifying the ultrasounds emitted by the bats.
Each species has its own frequency of emission, which corresponds to differences in the distances they can cover, with the noctules, at the lowest frequency, being able to go the furthest (up to 150m) whereas the Lesser Horseshoe, at the highest frequency, only covers 5-10m.
There is a lot of talk about it, but what is AGROFORESTRY (1)? How (2) and why (3) should it be implemented in the vineyard? Here are some answers based on the choices made at Château Anthonic.
(1) The French Agroforestry Association explains on its website that "agroforestry refers to all agricultural practices that integrate trees into the production environment and are inspired, in agronomic terms, by the forest model. (...) The reintroduction of trees into agricultural landscapes is the result of a global agro-ecological reflection and can in no way be presented as an isolated solution. (...) We must therefore think of trees as a link in a wider chain of reflection on soil vegetation cover and changes in agricultural practices. "
(2) In order to transpose these principles into our vineyard, we began in 2010 by systematically planting hedges along the ditches that criss-cross the vines, while favouring grassing of the vines.
With the organic conversion in 2016, we have systematized the vegetation cover of the soil by planting cereal, leguminous and/or cruciferous plants in autumn that we roll and leave on the ground in spring. The vegetation cover provides the soil with its humus ration, while protecting it from UV and drought, and limiting compaction.
Since 2017, we have been designing all new plantings of vines to include trees in the plot itself, while we are also generalizing trees in the vineyard borders. The agroforestry system that is thus being put in place is the result of a great deal of thought, particularly with regard to the choice of tree species planted (fruit trees and local deciduous trees) and the repercussions on the density of the vine plantation and even on its pruning method.
(3) We are making all these efforts because the interest of the tree is far from being limited to its power to store carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
The tree is a climate damper. By drawing and transpiring water from the deep layers, it cools the atmosphere in summer, while its presence limits the effect of the wind, which is responsible for significant water losses through evaporation.
The tree is an ecological hostel on all levels. Its branches are home to a variety of fauna and are a landmark for bats. It also contributes to the biodiversity of the soil, in particular by encouraging the presence of fungi (mycorrhizae) which will enrich the roots of the vine.
The tree also contributes to the drainage and fertility of the soil by restoring organic matter via the leaves that fall to the ground, the decomposition of its roots and the ramial chipped wood (RCW) that comes from its pruning (it must be pruned regularly so that it does not encroach too much on the vine).
In conclusion, planting trees in vineyards should not be the tree that hides the forest! It is part of a global agro-ecological system aimed at restoring complex ecosystems and encouraging biodiversity! Do not hesitate to come and see us to find out more than this too brief summary.
By its attitude, this buzzard confirms the interest of plant cover for biodiversity!
It elected as hunting ground one of the plots completely covered in green fertilizer (photo), that is a plot that has just been planted, and not one of the numerous other plots that are covered every other row (to allow passage on the row simply grassy).
Jean-Baptiste, who observes this buzzard from the window of the kitchen, found that it returns every day in this same plot.
Simply because it is there that it finds most easily food to eat!
As a reminder, plant cover is an agro-ecological practice that consists of planting cereals, legumes & crucifers that, when rolled in the spring and left on the ground, bring organic matter to the soil (hence the idea of “green fertilizer” ).
Do you know that we name « eyes » the buds left on the vine when pruning?
The «eyes» I see here come rather from the holes left by old branches but the coincidence is funny!
As for the ties (these “white ribbons” attached by hand), they are pieces of cloth used after the pruning to attach the vinefoot to the wire.
Do you know why we are experimenting to create hedges on BOTH sides of this ditch?
When trimming the hedges that already crisscross the vineyard, we kept the branches to create new hedges. The branches used for cutting were cut in bevel. The other ones were recovered to cover the ground: by degrading, they will create an environment favorable to the growth of the hedge.
We begin the experiment of planting a hedge on each side of the ditch so that as they grow they form a VEGETAL ARCH that completely covers the ditch, which will have a double advantage.
First, as the ditch will be protected from light, there will be no more vegetation growing in it and we will no longer have to maintain it. Second, this canopy of hedges will create an ecosystem favorable to biodiversity.
Our little trick for successful cuttings?
Knowing that the cutting must be pushed deep into the ground (same length in the ground as on the outside) and that the diameter of the hole must be smaller than that of the cutting (to avoid oxygen that would dry the wood), making a pre-hole is an essential operation. Some use a rebar. At Anthonic, we use an old shaker stick from a harvesting machine! Which shows that, from the pruned branches to the old material, nothing is lost !
Do you know why this vine has been hand-braided and never trimmed since its pruning last winter?
Plaiting the vine is useful as a method of prophylaxis against mildew.
Indeed, the usual operation of trimming (or cutting the branches that have become too long) has the indirect effect of stimulating the awakening of the lower buds. New branches then develop at the level of the grape clusters, causing a buildup of vegetation favorable to the moisture favorable to mildew, especially since the young leaves are more sensitive to this disease.
By plaiting the vine, making a bridge over the wire and bending it towards the ground, we cause a natural slowdown of the growth of the vine, while the new leaves will accumulate at the top of the thread and not in the sensitive area of the clusters.
Braiding is done by hand and takes an enormous amount of time, which is why we don’t do it on all our plots but where we have done it, it has helped us to limit the risk of mildew.
We dedicate the star and excellent comment we’ve received today in a famous French wine book for Château Anthonic 2007 to all those who have helped in those difficult days.
2017 means namely for us the terrible frost that deprived us from 95% of the crop. Everything for that vintage was more complicated but the wine is excellent as showed by this star.
We dedicate this star to our faithful team, our friends and their help for the harvest and our children who helped in the vineyard during the summer even when in the same time studying with their earbuds... Many thanks to each of you! You can be proud!!
To get a non-chlorinated water to prepare the herb teas for the care of our vines, we made this recovery system of rainwater.
It’s simple to understand with the picture below and the gif made by our son @picor_art . https://www.facebook.com/chateauanthonic/videos/934291520323493/
The barrel on the right recovers the 1st water falling from the roof: it’s not useful because it’s dirty from the rinsing of the roof. When this barrel is full, the ballcock raises and let pivot the gutter in the left barrel.
We pump the water of this last barrel to prepare the herbal teas for our vines because they are more effective with non-chlorinated and not dirty water.
Our team is happy to announce, from the top of the big oak of Anthonic, that our wineestate is now organic certified!
We are now sowing a green cover on our soils (every two rows to let a possibility of passing) in the whole vineyard.
To cover the soils is namely one of the pillars of agroecology. Plants and cereals will contribute to enrich and aerate the soils and favor the present fauna, all measures important for a living soil.
We use a blend of a lot of organic seeds.
Plant cover is good not only for ladybirds but also for soil's life and thus for the vines !
We use several blends of plants as plant cover like faba bean (on the pic with the ladybirds) mixed with vetch and triticale (ancien wheat).
They soon will be all rolled and left in the spot between the rows. When decomposing these plants will give organic matter and nitrogen to the soils. It's the reason why they are called "green fertilizer", they constitute a natural fertilizer.
You're welcome on 6th & 7th April for the open doors at château Anthonic, the occasion to visit our vineyard in 3rd year of conversion to organic viticulture and our plantations of vines in agroforestry (with trees).
Of course, there will be also a tasting of our wines!
What a symbol!
Planting today of the first trees integrating our vines (AGROFORESTRY) by the "Vignerons du Vivant", these young people becoming integrated through an "organic" training to the vines jobs.
We are reflecting on this project of agroforestry for a long time and have prepared it by leaving a space for the future trees when planting our last plots of vines. We are now so happy to see the trees (more in the next post).
The hedges crossing our vineyards aim to create wildlife corridors connecting the wooded areas, which provide uninterrupted passageways for the fauna.
Hedges are also refuges for birds and insects and relays for bats, all natural predators of vineyard pests.
In autumn the hedges are besides a feast for the eyes!
Welcome to the bats!
Present again in Anthonic, they constitute a natural alternative to insecticide as they are predators of some vineyard pests (eudémis and cochylis).
The network of hedges crossing our vineyard and soon the trees planted in agroforestery aim precisely notably to create relays for the bats. They can thus
We're now entering the 3rd year of the conversion to the organic viticulture for our whole vineyard.
This challenge isn't always easy (in particular because of the oceanic climate) but we are very happy with our choice, for example whe we see the numerous and beautiful butterflies dancing in our vines !
A space of 4,5 meters has been left free in the midden of this recently planted plot of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Next autumn we're going to plant there a row of broad-leaves trees (mostly maple trees). Later they will be short pruned in order not to compete with the vines.
This illustrates one of the advantages of agroforestry (planting trees in the vines): to produce, with the cut branches of the trees, biomass that will be transformed in humus, for a more living soil for the vines.
Planting of our first parcel of vines in AGROFORESTRY, i.e. with trees.
On the picture you can see that one row is missing in the middle. In autumn we'll plant there espaliered fruit trees.
The aims of the association vines/trees are in particular to give the protection of the trees to the vines (through mycorrhiza and micro-climate) and to the soils (fertility).
It's also very gainful for the biodiversity, for example to give landmarks to bats that are also predators for some pests of the vines.
It's not a soup but a nettles fertilizer that Philippe is preparing on the picture!
He mixes the nettles he has mowed with water. The blend is then covered to ferment protected from light. After a few days it will be filtered and used diluted with the next treatment of the vines.
The aim of the nettles fertilizer is to support the growth of the vines and stimulate the microorganisms (bacteria etc..) of the soil.
Exciting training day for our team with Marceau Bourdarias on the "green work" (crown suckering, trimming of the vines).
These spring work prepare actually already the pruning of next winter.
Marceau explained us how to favour the sustainability of the vineyard and the quality of the crops, notably with respect of the sap flux of the vines.
The plant cover we have sown to structure, enrich and aerate the soil in the vines and therefore make it more alive is now in flowers. There are the mustard and its beautiful yellow flowers but also the broad bean whose flowers are probably delicious because they attract and treat a lot of bees.
At this time Anthonic rhymes with bucolic !
This autumn we have sowed "plant cover", each other row to let the tractor go on working on the row with grass.
It’s a mixing of three types of plants (cereal, leguminous and cruciferous plants) whose effects on the ground and the vines are complementary.
The goals of this planting are: to structure the ground, to enrich it with the nitrogen fixed by the leguminous plants and with the nutrient released by the cruciferous plants and to aerate it in depth thanks to the roots of these plants.
It’s a fact: diseases able to harm the vines do exist since the end of the 19th century. In the region of Bordeaux, the oceanic climate make the vine particularly sensitive to fungal diseases, mildew and powdery mildew, that are microscopic fungus affecting the leaves and/or the grapes.
The vines must thus be treated; if not, there is no crop.
The conventional option (that is not-organic) favours chemical treatments known as “systemic”, what means that they get into the sap of the plant. These products have an action on the plant for 15 days; thereafter, they must be renewed.
The organic viticulture use only products that don’t stem from the chemical synthesis (for example the traditional “Bordeaux mixture”) and that are “contact products”, what means that they stay and protect the leaves and the grapes until they are “washed out” by an important rain.
In the organic way, the frequency of treatments depends thus on the weather (more often, if they are more “washing out” rains) and on the stage of the growth of the vines (you should treat as long as new leaves come). If the summer is dry, it’s therefore useless to renew the protection when the growth of the vines is stabilized, that is, in general, end of July.
After 16 years of rigorous work at château Anthonic, Jean-Bernard Despatures, our technical manager, leaves us to become one of the partners of a winery in Belgium. He made possible our conversion to organic viticulture thanks to his precise knowledge of our vines and terroir and thanks to his enthusiasm. Thank you!
Welcome to Emmanuel Chety who succeeds him. Emmanuel is a very curious man, always wishing to learn more and to get more training, and above all he is passionate about organic viticulture, that he knows well, as he has been practicing it for more than 6 years on the 40ha winery of his family.
His experience will be precious for Anthonic during the delicate period of the conversion to organic.
The frost ravaged almost 100% of our vineyard. Looking forward to the resumption of the activity of the vines and, perhaps, the emergence of new buds, what can we do?
With Albane Bervas, our adviser for the organic, we discover the “organic-attitude”. Albane explains us that the vines, after such a stress, need the benevolent and friendly hand of the human being. She recommends us to have compassion for the vines and to trust them. This BIODYNAMIC APPROACH fill us with wonder. We understand that the conversion to organic is not only a paradigm shift (from healing to prevention); it’s also a life philosophy.
In concrete terms, we’ve to be kindly in spirit with the vines and take care of their stress and our stress with the same infusion of valerian (see the picture!).
This year we initiate at château Anthonic sexual confusion. No obscenity but a good practice to avoid the use of insecticide against the worm of the cluster.
Capsules scattered in the vineyard emit pheromones which cause confusion among the butterflies. Males and females of the 2 species laying on the vine are no longer able to locate them, which limits their reproduction. The bosses larvae on bunches are so limited. This avoids the driving of grains by the caterpillars and the problems of grey rot likely to settle on these wounds.
At the end of the season the unsightly capsules are recovered.
In fact, the conversion to organic viticulture has no impact on the usual work of the vines in winter, except that we prune them on a plowed soil. Now like before, the pruning work, with a careful respect of the structure of the vine stocks, keeps our team busy for nearly 4 months.
The only effect of our conversion came oddly from our insurance agent, when we concluded our insurance against hail and frost. His reaction was timid and cautious. The discussion went about the potential increased risks due to the new way of growing.
But, as always between people of good faith, we ended up finding a solution satisfactory for all.
To help us in the fundamental change of the conversion, we appeal to Albane Bervas, a specialist in organic viticulture.
She comes to château Anthonic each month to watch our vines.
Thanks to her experience and her passion for organic, she makes recommendations on the aspects we should pay attention to keep our vines healthy and surrounded by a living nature (fauna and flora).
The terroir of Château Anthonic is of clay-limestone. In these heavy soils, de-grassing was mainly necessary to enable the tractors to pass through the vineyards after rain.
We rapidly evolved towards a natural grassing over between the rows in order to minimise herbicide use, which remained directly under the rootstocks only.
From Autumn 2016 therefore, our organic conversion resulted in a return to fully working the soils under the vines.
And now: action!
Understanding the conversion to organic viticulture engages a fundamental change, which could be expressed simply as a paradigm shift from healing to prevention.
We abandon the logic of caring for our vines when they are sick, and we enter into a dynamic where our vines naturally regain their resistance to disease.
The conversion period is therefore critically important because it is when the vine, deprived of synthesised chemical ‘help’, must rebuild its natural defences.
It is a change of position, somewhat like the Little Owl we found in our son Henri’s room, with its head pointing to the floor!
This blog, started in 2016, gives you the news of the wine estate with a particular focus on the key steps of our choices to implement the bio-logical dynamic.
In summary, these are mainly agro-ecological practices, such as hedges or green cover between rows, intended to make the soil alive, promote biodiversity, and thus improve the resistance of the vine to diseases.
In addition, since 2017, we have made the choice of agroforestry, that is to say that we systematically design our new vineyard plantations in such a way that there are trees planted in the middle and at the edges of the plots.
The tree is indeed nourishing for the soil. It acts favourably on biodiversity and contributes indirectly to the fight against some diseases of the vine, in particular by offering bats, these “anti-pesticide allies”, benchmarks to enlarge their field of action.
We also see agroforestry as a choice for the future in front of global warming. Indeed, faced with climatic excesses, the tree acts as regulator.
Pierre-Louis precisely lines up the barrels in the cellar.
Tomorrow is the start of the “écoulages”.
The different batches of “free-run wine” and “press wine” will be stored in these barrels.
It's important that the barrels are perfectly horizontal to avoid the creation of air bubbles, which would be harmful to the wine.
Photo : Nathalie Coipel
Lucie's hand care for the wine!
For effective pumping-over, the must coming out of the pump needs to wet as much of the “cap” (the mixture of skins and pips that floats to the top of the tank) as possible.
In this way, the must is impregnated with the color and tannins contained in the cap.
That's why Lucie puts her fingers at the pump outlet, to disperse the jet of must as best she can.
Thank you for your energy, Lucie!
Photo : Nathalie Coipel
We're delighted to welcome back Lucia to the cellar, who joined us last year to assist our cellar master Sofia during vinification.
This year, Lucia replaces Sofia, who has just had a baby.
Valiant, smiling and even greedy, Lucia, 24, is amazing!
Energetic during the pump-overs, she is also responsible and decisive in her dealings with our oenologist Emilio De Longhi (from the Boissenot laboratory), who is also Italian.
Thank you, Lucia!
Photo : Nathalie Coipel
Jean-Baptiste’s blissful expression, as it was every time as a child he discovered a new species in the vineyards, woods and ditches of anthonic.
Let’s listen to his memories.
“The green and yellow snake was one of my favorite discoveries, along with the asp viper and the green lizard.
That’s why I’m so happy to see the first one back in abundance in our hedgerows.
And the joy of hearing Pierre-Louis (@picor_art) tell me about witnessing the capture of a snake by a short-toed eagle.
For one of my fondest childhood memories at Anthonic is of witnessing the exchange of a large garter snake by a pair of short-toed eagles ».
Jean-Baptiste dreamed of showing it to you, and he succeeded in photographing it: the Elanion blac.
This is the 1st year we’ve seen this bird of prey at Anthonic, with two adults and a youngster hunting above our vineyards every day.
The elanion blac (mistakenly called the white elanion) is a small bird of prey about the size of the kestrel, around 30 cm.
Its range is very curious.
It occupies southern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Asia as far as India, China and Thailand, and New Guinea.
Up until now, the European population has mainly been found in Portugal.
No doubt due to global warming, its range continues to expand in Europe. Established at the foot of the French Pyrenees over the last 30 years, it can now be seen throughout the South West and even as far as Brittany.
This is the first time Jean-Baptiste has seen it nesting in the Anthonic area.
Théophile wraps bottles of Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux in silk paper.
The tissue paper features a black and white version of the eagle taking flight, which appears in red on the label.
The designs on the label and silk paper were created by Pierre-Louis (@picor_art ) and designed to overlap in transparency.
Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux is our confidential gem (around 12,000 bottles a year since the 2022 vintage).
We are very proud to welcome two original frescoes to our vat room:
-PERSÉE, inspired by Cellini's sculpture "Persée tenant la tête de la Méduse" and created in 2022 by Picor (Pierre-Louis Cordonnier)
-ATHENA, painted on our vats this summer by Picor and Lilee Imperator.
The latter fresco was inspired by a true story: the Athena owl recently found in our house and set free by Jean-Baptiste.
This story is illustrated by Picor's fresco.
In the same vein, but true to her own style, Lilee Imperator features a withdrawn person who opens up by reaching out.
Athena, our new fresco, which runs over 4 vats, is therefore a hymn to freedom.
Bravo, artists!
The miracle of overgrafting: already the 1st bunches of BOUYSSELET on this Merlot plant grafted on May 9th!
From the Bouysselet bud inserted into the Merlot trunk (the white bandage is still visible), a branch has sprouted, bearing the future bunches of this white grape.
The top of the Merlot vine has been cut off.
The late development of this grape variety can be observed.
This is one of the reasons why we chose it, enabling us to graft it onto plots that are usually frosty.
The first real harvest of Bouysselet is scheduled for 2025, the date of our first vintage of "Blanc dans les arbres".
We welcomed Clothilde to study the biological life of our ditches, as part of an internship for her studies in biological engineering at Bordeaux University.
Taking samples for 5 weeks, Clothilde observed biodiversity in and along the banks of the ditches.
The results show a great diversity of freshwater invertebrates (e.g. odonates (dragonfly larvae), gammarids, mayflies...) present throughout the ditch, as well as a few aquatic animals, such as newts.
The same applies to the vegetation in the water and on the banks.
We are delighted with these encouraging observations regarding the impact of our activity on the ecosystem of our ditches.
Father's Day... and son's day! An opportunity for Jean-Baptiste to thank Pierre-Louis (Picor artist @picor_art ).
Not only did Pierre-Louis decorate the vat room and several of our buildings with his frescoes, but for the past year he has also been responsible for the upkeep of all the buildings.
Not to mention his invaluable help with the harvest and vinification. Thank you
What do the little owl and Santa Claus have in common?
Among the many birds of prey that inhabit Anthonic, the most paradoxical is undoubtedly Athena's owl.
Increasingly abundant thanks to plant cover, hedges and trees (#agroforestry), they nest right inside our buildings.
Although nocturnal, they can be observed morning and evening, and even in the middle of the day. Jean-Baptiste enjoys photographing them.
It's the smallest bird of prey, but the one you hear the most.
And it's not unusual for us to have a visit from one of them in the house.
Because, like Santa Claus, they come down the chimney!!
Transforming Merlot (a red grape variety) into Bouysselet (a white grape variety) is the magic of overgrafting, an important step towards our future “white wine in the trees”.
Why and how is overgrafting done?
Overgrafting makes it possible to change grape variety while preserving the root system of the existing vine.
Our Merlot vines, grafted last week, will produce Bouysselet from the 2025 vintage.
To achieve this, the Worldwide Vineyards team first isolated the budding Bouysselet vine shoot tips.
Surgrafting means, in this case, grafting a bud:
-making a notch in the stem
-taking a bud that has been kept moist
-insert it into the notch
-and hold it in place with a piece of cloth
This bud will connect to the cambium of the foot and develop. To encourage the Bouysselet shoot, other Merlot shoots will be eliminated during pruning this spring and next winter.
We dreamed of it: top rating for Moulis 2023 for Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux in the Revue du Vin de France.
When we took over the 10ha of this property in the Grand Poujeaux area in 2022, we decided to isolate around 3.5ha of exceptional terroirs (Günz gravel mixed with clay) for the grand vin.
Cabernet Sauvignon is king here (91% of the 2023 blend).
It expresses its full potential, enhanced by an original ageing process: 60% in new demi-muids (500l barrels) and 40% in amphorae.
12,500 bottles of this confidential wine were produced in 2023.
In addition to France, you can find it through our exclusive distributors in the United States, Quebec, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Italy.
Thank you Olivier Poels for these words that capture the spirit of this wine: "spectacular straightforwardness and precision", "scintillating, juicy mouthfeel", "very fine tannic signature".
Welcome to Eléonore, wwoofing with us to discover agroforestry!
A student at AgroParisTech, Eléonore is preparing a documentary on soil life based on her visits to various farms in Europe.
She is taking part in our activities, notably by planting trees as part of our agroforestry project.
In fact, since we started agroforestry, we take advantage of each replanting of vines to introduce rows of trees every 20 rows of vines.
Eléonore plants deciduous trees (linden, black poplars, elms, maples and white oaks) in a few plots that are currently uncultivated and will soon be replanted with vines.
And 500m more hedges!
Yesterday we planted hedges at Château Anthonic (where there are already 4km of them) and Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux (photos).
So agroforestry is making headway at Moulis!
When we took over Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux in 2022, we were planning to export the agroforestry model developed at Anthonic.
Converted to organic viticulture as soon as it was acquired, Château Lestage-Darquier already benefited from the planting of hedges last year.
Hawthorns, holm oaks, dogwoods, maples, wild apple trees, etc. were planted yesterday by @arbres_paysages_gironde
Bottling of our first vintage of Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux, our new gem!
The label and stamp on the wooden case were designed by Pierre-Louis (the Picor artist).
The eagle motif evokes the Château Anthonic label, where 2 eagles are fighting over a bunch of grapes.
The Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux label depicts the victorious eagle taking flight.
The drawing on the wooden case illustrates the passage of the prey, the bunch of grapes, from one eagle to the other, because of course they're friends!
Why and how do you do secaillage, or trellising maintenance?
Winter is, of course, the season for pruning vines.
But with climate change, we’re trying to postpone the budburst of the vines, and therefore the risk of loss due to spring frost.
At the moment, our team alternates between pruning the vines and inspecting, plot by plot, the condition of the wires, which may need to be repaired or tightened.
The vine is a liana. Trellising keeps it in check and allows tractors to pass through.
Tree pruning training morning with GIEE agroforesterie Médoc in our vineyards.
A GIEE (Groupement d'Interêt Économique et Environnemental - economic and environmental interest group) has been set up in the Médoc to make progress and share experiences in agroforestry.
Whether we've been at it for 10 years or 10 months, when it comes to trees, we're all just starting out.
So today we're training in the basics of pruning country trees and hedges with Eddy Renaud from @arbres_paysages_gironde.
Pierre-Louis (the Picor artist) repaints our concrete vats, under the eye of the Perseus fresco he created last year.
So why did we opt for concrete rather than stainless steel vats (less demanding in terms of maintenance) when we overhauled our vat room in 2009?
Apart from aesthetic considerations, the main reason was to save space and energy.
Indeed, thanks to their rectangular shape, concrete tanks take up all the available space.
In addition, concrete is a natural insulator, which means less need for electrical thermal regulation of the vats during vinification.
TEST: can you see exactly what's on our label (above)?
No? Then you'll appreciate the work of Pierre-Louis (the artist Picor), who redesigned the motif (bottom).
Our label was created 100 years ago.
Its design, original for a château, depicts two eagles fighting over a bunch of grapes.
It could be an allegory of the struggle between the wine trade and the estate...
Or perhaps it's simply an allusion to the many birds of prey that visit Anthonic today, as in the past.
In any case, thanks to Picor's work, you'll be able to contemplate this story on the label from the 2022 vintage onwards.
Agroforestry: Jean-Baptiste and our team trim the vineyard's hedges and trees!
4 km of hedges, some of them dating back to 2010, require a lot of maintenance!
Pruning them avoids competition with the vines, leaves gaps to prevent the accumulation of cold air masses in the event of frost, and allows tractors to pass through.
Similarly, trees planted in the middle of vines need to be kept in check, pruned as trogne for deciduous trees or espalier for fruit trees.
Jean-Baptiste, a tree enthusiast, took part in the task in good spirits.
The pruning of certain trees is truly the fruit of teamwork, with everyone giving their opinion on which branches to keep or cut.
Genesis of the new label for Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux (in video https://youtube.com/shorts/ZJaNrv9blD8?si=dns0Y5WtyOvD0AV6)
For this château, which we acquired in 2022, Pierre-Louis created the design (see video), assisted by Graham de dmselections for the label layout.
On the paper, the eagle, its frame and the name of the château are curved (in relief) to emphasize the delicacy of the design (ph. 3&4).
Why the choice of an eagle taking flight with a bunch of grapes?
This motif refers to the Château Anthonic label, which depicts two eagles fighting over a bunch of grapes.
The Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux label therefore represents the victorious eagle, taking flight with its prey!
400g, an even lighter bottle! Why are we doing this?
In 2022, we were pioneers in adopting a new 450g bottle for our wines, rather than a 500g one.
This was an obvious step in line with our commitment to agroforestry, which aims to fix more carbon.
Glass, through its manufacture and transport, is one of the most carbon-intensive components of a wine estate.
Reducing the weight of the bottle therefore means limiting our carbon impact.
Today, for Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2022 bottled the day before yesterday, we're adopting Verallia's Ecova Revol bottle, down to 400g.
Why not 400g one day for our fine wines too? What do you think?
3 things you need to know about LES AIGLES D'ANTHONIC 2022.
1)-It's in the Bordeaux Pirate 2024 prize list-
As last year with the 2021 vintage, our cuvée "Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2022" has indeed been selected as a "Bordeaux Pirate".
This is an association of winemakers promoting organic wines that are off the beaten track.
Each year, a blind tasting is organized to select the vintages worthy of bearing this label.
2)-Maturing 50% in Tava amphoras
Composed of 100% Merlot and aged half in Tava amphorae (the other half in 400l barrels), "Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2022" is certainly an original, fruit-driven wine.
3)-This year, we're further reducing the weight of the bottle to limit our carbon footprint.
2 years ago, we went from 500 to 450 g per bottle.
With the 2022 vintage of this cuvée, we're down to a 400 g bottle.
Do you know BOUYSSELET, the grape variety chosen for our « White in Trees »?
For our future white wine, we chose this grape variety, a descendant of Savagnin and half-brother of Chenin, recently rediscovered in Fronton, for 4 reasons.
1) Bouysselet produces rich, slightly tannic wines with good acidity and fleshiness.
As a pure grape variety, it is ideal for gastronomic wines.
2) This grape variety is a late ripener, an important criterion given the increased risk of spring frosts (climate change) and from a practical point of view since we can harvest it after our Merlots.
3) It's a hardy grape variety, not very susceptible to mildew, and its upright growth habit makes it easier to lift and thus to prevent mildew.
4 Finally, it likes deep sandy-loamy-clay soils or more superficial clay-limestone soils, which is where we're going to introduce it into our vineyards.
In the spring of 2024, we'll be grafting Merlot vines to Bouysselet for production as early as 2025!
Concentration and relaxation for the blending of the 2023 vintage this morning!
Advised by our oenologists, Marco and Edouard, cellar master Sofia, Lucia, Emmanuel, Théophile and Jean-Baptiste tasted all the batches of different grape varieties, vats and press wines.
They tested several possible combinations before determining the final blends of our wines.
Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux 2023 will be blended with an overwhelming majority of Cabernet-Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot.
As always, Château Anthonic 2023 will feature a large majority of Merlot, with Cabernet Franc in proportions comparable to Cabernet Sauvignon for the first time. Not forgetting the touch of Petit Verdot that is the hallmark of great Médocs.
The overall impression is one of excellent quality, with a hint of 2020.
New project! "White in trees", a white wine linked to our agroforestry approach.
Today we're tasting different white wine samples with our team.
The aim is to choose the white grape variety(ies) to be planted in our vineyard.
Our choice hasn't yet been made, but we already know that we'll be going off the beaten track...
A new adventure begins.
We'll tell you all about it, step by step!
To be continued...
Did you know? The wine you taste contains up to 15% press wine. That just goes to show how important run-off is!
Here's how it works: after the wine has run off from the tank ("vin de goutte"), the cap (skins and pips) is pressed to recover the more concentrated "vin de presse".
Pressing requires a great deal of skill and precision.
We are only interested in the press wine, whose color and structure will enrich the final wine blend, not the rustic or overly astringent one.
Depending on the size of the vat, we use a horizontal pneumatic press and/or a vertical press, with several pressing levels.
Each filled press therefore produces different qualities of press wine.
Another important distinction: when we empty the vats, we separate the pomace from the top and bottom of the cap.
The top of the cap gives the best presses, as it contains fewer pips.
As for the bottom of the cap, more extracted during vinification and richer in pips, it often yields less interesting presses.
Press batches are separated into barrels, which are tasted each week with our oenologist with a view to subsequent blending into 3 or 4 categories that will be a treasure trove for blending our different wines.
The wine you're tasting thus includes up to 15% presses, used for their contribution of color and tannins that are often bold and powerful.
Théophile is delighted when he can join the cellar team mobilized for the run-off.
Each in turn goes into the vat to empty it of the grape skins to be pressed to obtain the precious "vin de presse" which will be used in part in the final blend with the "vin de goutte", the first wine to come out of the vat.
The photo was taken as Théophile was leaving the vat.
Optical sorting, a major asset for the 2023 vintage!
This year in particular, we needed a high-performance sorting system for the harvest.
The historic Bordeaux mildew epidemic had affected our Merlots, a more sensitive grape variety, and our choice of organic farming didn't make life any easier.
And the heatwave in September amplified the phenomenon of some grapes drying out.
Of course, mildew doesn't affect the taste of the remaining harvest, but we had to get rid of these dry berries, which can have a negative impact on the wine.
We therefore invested in an optical sorting system to complete our harvest reception.
In concrete terms, after de-stemming, 1st sorting takes place on a roller table (to remove green waste); 2nd sorting takes place on a vibrating table (photo).
Optical sorting itself takes place in the 3rd sorting stage.
We ourselves determine the shape and color parameters of the berries we wish to keep, settings which we adapt according to the grape variety.
The machine-camera then analyzes EACH berry and blows away any that don't conform.
This extremely precise system has proved very useful, enabling us to totally neutralize the incidence of mildew.
Start of the Médoc Marathon recovery walk this morning at Château Anthonic.
Around 2,000 people set off in a festive atmosphere, with the Pauillac wind band providing the entertainment and Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2021 served for tasting.
Aurélie, Jean-Baptiste, Théophile and Pierre-Louis were on top form to help people discover the wines.
Why braid vines rather than trim them (2/2)
In addition to the reason presented yesterday (apex memory), it is generally considered that braiding rather than trimming is good for grape ripeness (a) and reduces the risk of mildew (b).
a) By cutting off the apexes (the ends of the branches), trimming encourages the development of the internodes, which delays ripening. Buds located on the shoot will develop, sometimes even creating grape clusters. However, this vine growth is indirectly to the detriment of the grapes.
b) In addition, the awakening of the lower buds linked to trimming means that new branches develop at the level of the grape bunches. This leads to a build-up of vegetation, creating the kind of humidity that is conducive to mildew, especially as young leaves are more susceptible to this disease.
By braiding the vine, bridging over the wire and bending it towards the ground, we cause a natural slowdown in the vine's growth, while new leaves will accumulate at the top of the wire and not in the sensitive area of the bunches.
To conclude. As braiding is done by hand and takes an enormous amount of time, we only do it on a few plots. With the benefit of 4 years' experience of braiding, we believe that it has helped us to limit the risk of mildew in these plots. As far as the impact on the wines is concerned, we haven't managed to make a comparison on a sufficiently large scale to be able to draw any relevant conclusions.
Braiding the vine to avoid stress (1/2).
Here's a first explanation for choosing braiding rather than trimming (more on this in the next post).
The vine is a liana. The apex, i.e. the tip of a shoot, is very important. From bud-break to flowering, the apex retains the memory of the previous season; it then listens to the new season, the climate, pests and diseases. Each apex is thus the organizer of the branch it directs, and will trigger the appropriate response in the event of aggression.
By trimming the vine, we cut off the apexes, depriving the stock of this precious data. Braiding allows us to domesticate the vine without cutting it. It involves taking two groups of strands and, by tying a simple knot, forming a bridge over the wire. After a few hours, the tendrils have done their work and the knots have become inseparable.
This manual work is obviously very time-consuming, which is why we can only do it on a few plots.
Hands, bonds and lots of delicacy for our baby vines.
Still busy with the desuckering, our team takes the opportunity to tie the young vines to the stakes.
These need to be guided in their growth by their still-fragile vines stocks.
It's a job that requires a great deal of patience and gentleness. Thanks to all!
Why do we «roll» the plant cover?
Seeded after harvest, the mixtures of plants (legumes, crucifers and cereals) that we use to cover our soils are now “rolled”.
Rolling is not mowing nor shredding.
The roller coats the plant by pinching it at the base, thus causing it to dry out naturally and pass through an intermediate stage of « cover » (hence its name) that protects the soil. This mulch protects the soil from drought and enriches it with organic matter as it degrades.
Welcome to Sofia in her "kingdom": the cellar!
Sofia joined our team as "cellar master" last month.
With the acquisition of Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux, our production area has increased to 36 hectares and the range of our wines is growing. We needed a person dedicated essentially to the elaboration of our wines, to supervise the cellar team.
We are looking forward to benefiting from Sofia's great experience acquired in Italy and in France, for the vinification of red and white wines!
Agroforestry is "the association of trees and crops or animals on the same plot of land".
We do not raise sheep, but we welcome them during the winter, before the budburst of the vineyard, as part of our agroforestry project.
Sheep are ecological weed killers, delay the passage of the tractor for the work under the row (good for our carbon footprint!) and feed on our good organic grass (good for them!). It's a win-win exchange!
They enrich the soil and stimulate life (micro-organisms) thanks to their excrement.
One point of vigilance: the balance to be found with the vegetation cover. If they are razed by sheep, they will give less biomass to incorporate as green manure in the soil. However, if the canopy is too high, the vines will be more sensitive to spring frost. Sheep can therefore help us to control their vigor.
And we enjoy the beauty and peace that the sheep bring!
Alexandre puts Les Aigles d’Anthonic 2022 in our amphorae!
With his finger and with the flashlight, Alexander tests the filling level of the amphora by the pump.
But it is by hand, with a bucket that we have to finish, the finger is useful here to guide the flow of the wine.
Let's not forget to tighten the lid of the amphora and to fill the stopper with wine to control the level!
And our wine can begin its maturation in amphorae for more fruitiness and freshness!
Training in physiological vine pruning with Davy Chodjaï for our team yesterday.
Pruning, that technical gesture of great precision, deserves several mornings of training to perfect our employees. We practice two types of pruning, mixed Guyot and Royat cordon, with always the same objectives:
-to preserve the flow of sap so as not to harm the sustainability of the vine;
-to respect the vegetative balance of the vine (to adapt the number of buds to its vigor);
-to favor the stocking of the vines to secure the yields of the future years;
-and to organize the occupation of the free space between the vines to avoid overlapping of leaves and bunches.
Thanks to everyone for your involvement and motivation despite the wind and cold!
2022, a rich year in 9 images!
Thank you to our team that supports us in the challenge of our new adventure: Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux and agroforestry on gravel soil!
Thanks to those who ran with us (especially Théophile, Pierre-Louis and Emmanuel) in the Médoc marathon!
Thanks to our artists: Pierre-Louis (the artist Picor) for his magnificent fresco in our vat room and Nathalie (Nathalie Coipel) for her beautiful photos!
Thank you to those who recognize the quality of our wines, the result of our hard work in the vineyard (agroforestry) and in the cellar.
And of course, thank you all for your support and loyalty!
Les Aigles d'Anthonic 2021, our second wine, selected by the Revue du Vin de France!
We are very happy that our second wine is included in the strict selection of this beautiful article on "When Bordeaux changes its codes", in "Wines to follow closely".
The commentary fits perfectly with the spirit of this pure Merlot aged half in terracotta amphorae and half in 400 liter oak barrels.
For the past few years, we have decided to focus on fruit and drinkability in the vinification of the Aigles d'Anthonic.
Why and how to sow plant cover .
In all the vineyards (Château Anthonic and Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux), we are currently sowing mixtures of legumes (broad bean, vetch, clover, forage peas), cereals (oats and triticale) and crucifers (mustard and forage radish).
We adapt the precise content of the mixtures, plot by plot, according to the desired effects (aeration or nitrogen nutrition of the soil, improvement of its bearing capacity...) because these plants have different advantages.
These plant cover crops are sown in two rows (the other row is left as natural grass) to allow the passage of tractors later on.
The plants thus sown will indeed become high as you will see in real time. Because we are going to make you follow over a year what becomes on the same plot of land the vegetal cover that we have just sown.
On the picture, on the left you can see the plot on the day of sowing, October 12th, on the right it's November 2nd!
Zoom in on an important detail: Jonathan's hands.
What energy deployed to fill the cages for the pressing of the 2022 vintage!
Pressing is the moment when the marc (skins full of juice) is pressed to extract the press wine.
We distinguish between the first and second press wines (depending on when they are run off, the second being more concentrated) which we age separately.
During the blending process, they will be used to enrich the free-run wine (i.e. the must that has run out of the vats).
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cwn8dPFE_yA
A 300gr zucchini! This is the difference between these two boxes since we reduced the weight of our bottles from 500 to 450gr.
So, for a pallet of 100 boxes => 30 kg of zucchini!
On the scale of the estate in normal harvest => 6 tons of zucchini!
More seriously, a lighter bottle means a reduction of the carbon footprint not only because it consumes less CO2 during the manufacturing process, but also because it consumes less during the transport!
As we explained to you last April, we made this choice with our partner Verallia in line with our agroforestry commitment (hedges, trees and plant cover) which generates an increased carbon sequestration in our soils.
Our family has bought from the Bernard family the Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux, a 9.5 hectare property in Moulis-en-Médoc, where we will export our experience in organic viticulture and agroforestry.
The location of these vineyards, often bordering woods and streams, and the already green soil management by the Bernard family (natural grassing) lend themselves ideally to the implementation of agroforestry (hedges, trees and plant cover).
We have already officially started the organic conversion of these parcels located on the excellent terroir of Garonne gravel of Grand Poujeaux.
Jonathan and Aymeric, son and son-in-law of Brigitte and François Bernard, who you can see on the picture, are happy to join our team.
We are very happy about this new family, wine and agroforestry adventure that is beginning and that we will share with you on a daily basis.
Our son Pierre-Louis (the artist Picor) spent more than 65 hours to realize this fresco which decorates from now on our vat-house, become vat-house of collection...
Congratulations to the artist, here releasing his brushes!
The harvest should start at the end of the week under the encouragement of the god Perseus represented on this fresco
[Agroforestry Summer 1/2]: plant cover to protect from heat wave.
The plant cover, these plants planted in our vines in fall and rolled up in spring, is used to feed the soil by decomposing (green fertilizer).
AND the straw (mulch) formed in summer helps to decrease the temperature on the ground, as indicated by the readings taken at château Couhins in full heat (ph 2 and 3).
This year, the mulch is not very thick, as we rolled the cover early to limit the risk of frost on the ground.
Jean-Baptiste and the entire team thank you Théophile for your tireless commitment over the past two years!
Today you go on tour in the United States, the kind of job you joined the wine estate for but couldn’t do until then because Covid and lockdown have arrived.
This situation forced you to adapt to a whole other job, more administrative and more on the ground, where you were quickly very effective.
Thank you and enjoy the tour!
Admire Esfera, the new friend of Château Anthonic, lighter and less CO2 consuming !
In line with our agroforestry commitments (hedges, trees, plant cover) which generate an increased carbon sequestration in our soils, we have chosen, thanks to our partner Verallia to switch to a 450g bottle, which is 45g less than its sister Ecova that we were using until then.
A small gesture that weighs a lot!
A lighter bottle requires less energy to manufacture and transport, two areas where we will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
In concrete terms, Esfera has shoulders and a bottom similar to those of Ecova. But its waist (of wasp
Systematically planting hedges since 2010, we are starting to have high and dense hedges and have realized the interest of pruning and thinning them.
Indeed, when the hedges are close to the plots, limiting their height is important to limit the shade cast on the first rows of vines. But it is also interesting to thin them out (see photo) to create holes that will let the light through (sunshine for the grapes) and will favor aeration (against mildew).
We chose to reduce the hazelnut and dogwood trees which are two species of trees that are basitonic, that is to say that they have a propensity to promote the growth of their buds at the base, so that they will grow back easily. Such a pruning does not present any risk of killing these shrubs, on the contrary, it even increases their dynamics.
This bunch will become a painting !!
Our son Pierre-Louis wishes to paint a fresco from lees of vintage 2021. He has thus decided to take part in the harvest and vinification to follow his “raw material”, taking advantage of a sabbatical year in his studies.
If you wish to discover the other projects of this passionate painter, take a look at his account picor_art on Instagram.
Acoustic identification of three species of BATS with agents of the Parc Naturel Régional Médoc last night at Anthonic!
Let's explain why we are delighted to observe them in our vineyards(1), how our agroforestry system favours their presence(2) and what we learned yesterday(3).
(1)Bats are true indicators of the health of an ecosystem and play an essential ecological role, particularly as "natural insecticides", since in one night, a bat can consume almost half its weight in various insects, including certain butterflies that are pests of the vine.
(2)Bats use echolocation to find their way around, which is made possible by the obstacles encountered by the ultrasound they send out.
The presence of trees and hedges in the heart of the vineyard, linked to agroforestry, therefore also has the advantage of giving these chiropterans additional landmarks and thus enabling them to extend their hunting territory.
(3)Yesterday we understood that the presence of ditches and ponds is also important to provide water for lactating females (the bat is a mammal!).
Acoustic identification is done by amplifying the ultrasounds emitted by the bats.
Each species has its own frequency of emission, which corresponds to differences in the distances they can cover, with the noctules, at the lowest frequency, being able to go the furthest (up to 150m) whereas the Lesser Horseshoe, at the highest frequency, only covers 5-10m.
There is a lot of talk about it, but what is AGROFORESTRY (1)? How (2) and why (3) should it be implemented in the vineyard? Here are some answers based on the choices made at Château Anthonic.
(1) The French Agroforestry Association explains on its website that "agroforestry refers to all agricultural practices that integrate trees into the production environment and are inspired, in agronomic terms, by the forest model. (...) The reintroduction of trees into agricultural landscapes is the result of a global agro-ecological reflection and can in no way be presented as an isolated solution. (...) We must therefore think of trees as a link in a wider chain of reflection on soil vegetation cover and changes in agricultural practices. "
(2) In order to transpose these principles into our vineyard, we began in 2010 by systematically planting hedges along the ditches that criss-cross the vines, while favouring grassing of the vines.
With the organic conversion in 2016, we have systematized the vegetation cover of the soil by planting cereal, leguminous and/or cruciferous plants in autumn that we roll and leave on the ground in spring. The vegetation cover provides the soil with its humus ration, while protecting it from UV and drought, and limiting compaction.
Since 2017, we have been designing all new plantings of vines to include trees in the plot itself, while we are also generalizing trees in the vineyard borders. The agroforestry system that is thus being put in place is the result of a great deal of thought, particularly with regard to the choice of tree species planted (fruit trees and local deciduous trees) and the repercussions on the density of the vine plantation and even on its pruning method.
(3) We are making all these efforts because the interest of the tree is far from being limited to its power to store carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
The tree is a climate damper. By drawing and transpiring water from the deep layers, it cools the atmosphere in summer, while its presence limits the effect of the wind, which is responsible for significant water losses through evaporation.
The tree is an ecological hostel on all levels. Its branches are home to a variety of fauna and are a landmark for bats. It also contributes to the biodiversity of the soil, in particular by encouraging the presence of fungi (mycorrhizae) which will enrich the roots of the vine.
The tree also contributes to the drainage and fertility of the soil by restoring organic matter via the leaves that fall to the ground, the decomposition of its roots and the ramial chipped wood (RCW) that comes from its pruning (it must be pruned regularly so that it does not encroach too much on the vine).
In conclusion, planting trees in vineyards should not be the tree that hides the forest! It is part of a global agro-ecological system aimed at restoring complex ecosystems and encouraging biodiversity! Do not hesitate to come and see us to find out more than this too brief summary.
By its attitude, this buzzard confirms the interest of plant cover for biodiversity!
It elected as hunting ground one of the plots completely covered in green fertilizer (photo), that is a plot that has just been planted, and not one of the numerous other plots that are covered every other row (to allow passage on the row simply grassy).
Jean-Baptiste, who observes this buzzard from the window of the kitchen, found that it returns every day in this same plot.
Simply because it is there that it finds most easily food to eat!
As a reminder, plant cover is an agro-ecological practice that consists of planting cereals, legumes & crucifers that, when rolled in the spring and left on the ground, bring organic matter to the soil (hence the idea of “green fertilizer” ).
Do you know that we name « eyes » the buds left on the vine when pruning?
The «eyes» I see here come rather from the holes left by old branches but the coincidence is funny!
As for the ties (these “white ribbons” attached by hand), they are pieces of cloth used after the pruning to attach the vinefoot to the wire.
Do you know why we are experimenting to create hedges on BOTH sides of this ditch?
When trimming the hedges that already crisscross the vineyard, we kept the branches to create new hedges. The branches used for cutting were cut in bevel. The other ones were recovered to cover the ground: by degrading, they will create an environment favorable to the growth of the hedge.
We begin the experiment of planting a hedge on each side of the ditch so that as they grow they form a VEGETAL ARCH that completely covers the ditch, which will have a double advantage.
First, as the ditch will be protected from light, there will be no more vegetation growing in it and we will no longer have to maintain it. Second, this canopy of hedges will create an ecosystem favorable to biodiversity.
Our little trick for successful cuttings?
Knowing that the cutting must be pushed deep into the ground (same length in the ground as on the outside) and that the diameter of the hole must be smaller than that of the cutting (to avoid oxygen that would dry the wood), making a pre-hole is an essential operation. Some use a rebar. At Anthonic, we use an old shaker stick from a harvesting machine! Which shows that, from the pruned branches to the old material, nothing is lost !
Do you know why this vine has been hand-braided and never trimmed since its pruning last winter?
Plaiting the vine is useful as a method of prophylaxis against mildew.
Indeed, the usual operation of trimming (or cutting the branches that have become too long) has the indirect effect of stimulating the awakening of the lower buds. New branches then develop at the level of the grape clusters, causing a buildup of vegetation favorable to the moisture favorable to mildew, especially since the young leaves are more sensitive to this disease.
By plaiting the vine, making a bridge over the wire and bending it towards the ground, we cause a natural slowdown of the growth of the vine, while the new leaves will accumulate at the top of the thread and not in the sensitive area of the clusters.
Braiding is done by hand and takes an enormous amount of time, which is why we don’t do it on all our plots but where we have done it, it has helped us to limit the risk of mildew.
We dedicate the star and excellent comment we’ve received today in a famous French wine book for Château Anthonic 2007 to all those who have helped in those difficult days.
2017 means namely for us the terrible frost that deprived us from 95% of the crop. Everything for that vintage was more complicated but the wine is excellent as showed by this star.
We dedicate this star to our faithful team, our friends and their help for the harvest and our children who helped in the vineyard during the summer even when in the same time studying with their earbuds... Many thanks to each of you! You can be proud!!
To get a non-chlorinated water to prepare the herb teas for the care of our vines, we made this recovery system of rainwater.
It’s simple to understand with the picture below and the gif made by our son @picor_art . https://www.facebook.com/chateauanthonic/videos/934291520323493/
The barrel on the right recovers the 1st water falling from the roof: it’s not useful because it’s dirty from the rinsing of the roof. When this barrel is full, the ballcock raises and let pivot the gutter in the left barrel.
We pump the water of this last barrel to prepare the herbal teas for our vines because they are more effective with non-chlorinated and not dirty water.
Our team is happy to announce, from the top of the big oak of Anthonic, that our wineestate is now organic certified!
We are now sowing a green cover on our soils (every two rows to let a possibility of passing) in the whole vineyard.
To cover the soils is namely one of the pillars of agroecology. Plants and cereals will contribute to enrich and aerate the soils and favor the present fauna, all measures important for a living soil.
We use a blend of a lot of organic seeds.
Plant cover is good not only for ladybirds but also for soil's life and thus for the vines !
We use several blends of plants as plant cover like faba bean (on the pic with the ladybirds) mixed with vetch and triticale (ancien wheat).
They soon will be all rolled and left in the spot between the rows. When decomposing these plants will give organic matter and nitrogen to the soils. It's the reason why they are called "green fertilizer", they constitute a natural fertilizer.
You're welcome on 6th & 7th April for the open doors at château Anthonic, the occasion to visit our vineyard in 3rd year of conversion to organic viticulture and our plantations of vines in agroforestry (with trees).
Of course, there will be also a tasting of our wines!
What a symbol!
Planting today of the first trees integrating our vines (AGROFORESTRY) by the "Vignerons du Vivant", these young people becoming integrated through an "organic" training to the vines jobs.
We are reflecting on this project of agroforestry for a long time and have prepared it by leaving a space for the future trees when planting our last plots of vines. We are now so happy to see the trees (more in the next post).
The hedges crossing our vineyards aim to create wildlife corridors connecting the wooded areas, which provide uninterrupted passageways for the fauna.
Hedges are also refuges for birds and insects and relays for bats, all natural predators of vineyard pests.
In autumn the hedges are besides a feast for the eyes!
Welcome to the bats!
Present again in Anthonic, they constitute a natural alternative to insecticide as they are predators of some vineyard pests (eudémis and cochylis).
The network of hedges crossing our vineyard and soon the trees planted in agroforestery aim precisely notably to create relays for the bats. They can thus
We're now entering the 3rd year of the conversion to the organic viticulture for our whole vineyard.
This challenge isn't always easy (in particular because of the oceanic climate) but we are very happy with our choice, for example whe we see the numerous and beautiful butterflies dancing in our vines !
A space of 4,5 meters has been left free in the midden of this recently planted plot of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Next autumn we're going to plant there a row of broad-leaves trees (mostly maple trees). Later they will be short pruned in order not to compete with the vines.
This illustrates one of the advantages of agroforestry (planting trees in the vines): to produce, with the cut branches of the trees, biomass that will be transformed in humus, for a more living soil for the vines.
Planting of our first parcel of vines in AGROFORESTRY, i.e. with trees.
On the picture you can see that one row is missing in the middle. In autumn we'll plant there espaliered fruit trees.
The aims of the association vines/trees are in particular to give the protection of the trees to the vines (through mycorrhiza and micro-climate) and to the soils (fertility).
It's also very gainful for the biodiversity, for example to give landmarks to bats that are also predators for some pests of the vines.
It's not a soup but a nettles fertilizer that Philippe is preparing on the picture!
He mixes the nettles he has mowed with water. The blend is then covered to ferment protected from light. After a few days it will be filtered and used diluted with the next treatment of the vines.
The aim of the nettles fertilizer is to support the growth of the vines and stimulate the microorganisms (bacteria etc..) of the soil.
Exciting training day for our team with Marceau Bourdarias on the "green work" (crown suckering, trimming of the vines).
These spring work prepare actually already the pruning of next winter.
Marceau explained us how to favour the sustainability of the vineyard and the quality of the crops, notably with respect of the sap flux of the vines.
The plant cover we have sown to structure, enrich and aerate the soil in the vines and therefore make it more alive is now in flowers. There are the mustard and its beautiful yellow flowers but also the broad bean whose flowers are probably delicious because they attract and treat a lot of bees.
At this time Anthonic rhymes with bucolic !
This autumn we have sowed "plant cover", each other row to let the tractor go on working on the row with grass.
It’s a mixing of three types of plants (cereal, leguminous and cruciferous plants) whose effects on the ground and the vines are complementary.
The goals of this planting are: to structure the ground, to enrich it with the nitrogen fixed by the leguminous plants and with the nutrient released by the cruciferous plants and to aerate it in depth thanks to the roots of these plants.
It’s a fact: diseases able to harm the vines do exist since the end of the 19th century. In the region of Bordeaux, the oceanic climate make the vine particularly sensitive to fungal diseases, mildew and powdery mildew, that are microscopic fungus affecting the leaves and/or the grapes.
The vines must thus be treated; if not, there is no crop.
The conventional option (that is not-organic) favours chemical treatments known as “systemic”, what means that they get into the sap of the plant. These products have an action on the plant for 15 days; thereafter, they must be renewed.
The organic viticulture use only products that don’t stem from the chemical synthesis (for example the traditional “Bordeaux mixture”) and that are “contact products”, what means that they stay and protect the leaves and the grapes until they are “washed out” by an important rain.
In the organic way, the frequency of treatments depends thus on the weather (more often, if they are more “washing out” rains) and on the stage of the growth of the vines (you should treat as long as new leaves come). If the summer is dry, it’s therefore useless to renew the protection when the growth of the vines is stabilized, that is, in general, end of July.
After 16 years of rigorous work at château Anthonic, Jean-Bernard Despatures, our technical manager, leaves us to become one of the partners of a winery in Belgium. He made possible our conversion to organic viticulture thanks to his precise knowledge of our vines and terroir and thanks to his enthusiasm. Thank you!
Welcome to Emmanuel Chety who succeeds him. Emmanuel is a very curious man, always wishing to learn more and to get more training, and above all he is passionate about organic viticulture, that he knows well, as he has been practicing it for more than 6 years on the 40ha winery of his family.
His experience will be precious for Anthonic during the delicate period of the conversion to organic.
The frost ravaged almost 100% of our vineyard. Looking forward to the resumption of the activity of the vines and, perhaps, the emergence of new buds, what can we do?
With Albane Bervas, our adviser for the organic, we discover the “organic-attitude”. Albane explains us that the vines, after such a stress, need the benevolent and friendly hand of the human being. She recommends us to have compassion for the vines and to trust them. This BIODYNAMIC APPROACH fill us with wonder. We understand that the conversion to organic is not only a paradigm shift (from healing to prevention); it’s also a life philosophy.
In concrete terms, we’ve to be kindly in spirit with the vines and take care of their stress and our stress with the same infusion of valerian (see the picture!).
This year we initiate at château Anthonic sexual confusion. No obscenity but a good practice to avoid the use of insecticide against the worm of the cluster.
Capsules scattered in the vineyard emit pheromones which cause confusion among the butterflies. Males and females of the 2 species laying on the vine are no longer able to locate them, which limits their reproduction. The bosses larvae on bunches are so limited. This avoids the driving of grains by the caterpillars and the problems of grey rot likely to settle on these wounds.
At the end of the season the unsightly capsules are recovered.
In fact, the conversion to organic viticulture has no impact on the usual work of the vines in winter, except that we prune them on a plowed soil. Now like before, the pruning work, with a careful respect of the structure of the vine stocks, keeps our team busy for nearly 4 months.
The only effect of our conversion came oddly from our insurance agent, when we concluded our insurance against hail and frost. His reaction was timid and cautious. The discussion went about the potential increased risks due to the new way of growing.
But, as always between people of good faith, we ended up finding a solution satisfactory for all.
To help us in the fundamental change of the conversion, we appeal to Albane Bervas, a specialist in organic viticulture.
She comes to château Anthonic each month to watch our vines.
Thanks to her experience and her passion for organic, she makes recommendations on the aspects we should pay attention to keep our vines healthy and surrounded by a living nature (fauna and flora).
The terroir of Château Anthonic is of clay-limestone. In these heavy soils, de-grassing was mainly necessary to enable the tractors to pass through the vineyards after rain.
We rapidly evolved towards a natural grassing over between the rows in order to minimise herbicide use, which remained directly under the rootstocks only.
From Autumn 2016 therefore, our organic conversion resulted in a return to fully working the soils under the vines.
And now: action!
Understanding the conversion to organic viticulture engages a fundamental change, which could be expressed simply as a paradigm shift from healing to prevention.
We abandon the logic of caring for our vines when they are sick, and we enter into a dynamic where our vines naturally regain their resistance to disease.
The conversion period is therefore critically important because it is when the vine, deprived of synthesised chemical ‘help’, must rebuild its natural defences.
It is a change of position, somewhat like the Little Owl we found in our son Henri’s room, with its head pointing to the floor!
