Our Vineyard Calendar: A Year in Clos Marey-Monge

Between pruning, biodynamic preparations, and harvest, discover what happens throughout the year in Clos Marey-Monge. While every vintage differs, our commitment to following Nature’s rhythm stays immutable.

Winter in the Clos Marey-Monge

Every year, we start pruning each vine in early December once the leaves have fallen. The first stage of pruning is completed by the end of January. In March, we continue with late pruning in the highest-quality and frost-exposed parts of the Clos, such as Chantrerie and Simone. 

Respect for the environment is our constant priority, so we have chosen to recycle as many canes from pruning as possible. One part of the cut shoots is shredded and composted with bovine manure, which we then spread in the fall. Our partner, Vitis Valorem, collects and recycles the other parts into biodegradable staples for trellising.

At the start of winter, we also hand-plant young grafts to replace missing vines. This year, we planted 4,000 plants and carried out our own mass selection for the first time in the 75 Rangs vines. Now, we have to wait 4 to 5 years for the first harvest!

The winter work ends with folding and tying the canes.

Spring in the Clos Marey-Monge

In spring, the vegetative cycle begins anew. The vines start to bud, marking the onset of the new vintage. At this time of year, we remain extremely vigilant against the risk of spring frosts. We occasionally set up our wind tower and spray herbal teas to protect our vines from sub-zero temperatures.

The plowing season is in full swing, and our horses and tractors are working our soils for several months. We also regularly spray the entire Clos Marey-Monge against fungal diseases such as mildew and powdery mildew. These sprays are always supplemented with fermented extracts or herbal teas of plants such as nettle, comfrey, fern, horsetail, wicker, or oak.

Green work begins at the end of April, and a team of seasonal workers comes to support us. Together, we continue debudding all our plots until the end of May. We also apply several biodynamic preparations throughout the season, including horn dung, horn silica, and Maria Thun’s dung compost.

Summer in the Clos Marey-Monge

During the summer, green work is still in progress. We keep up with vine growth by lifting and binding the shoots to encourage photosynthesis and aerate the plants.  The first flowers typically emerge in June, and grape ripening occurs throughout the summer.

Additionally, our Winemakers and Vineyard Manager anticipate the upcoming harvest by estimating yields and conducting various analyses. Then, after a well-deserved rest in August, we undertake final preparations for the harvest, including mowing between the rows for the comfort of the harvesters and preparing the winery.

The start date of the harvest fluctuates from year to year, spanning from the end of August to the end of September. An international pickers team joins us, and we spend a dozen days harvesting our 20-hectare vineyard.

Fall in the Clos Marey-Monge

Once the harvest is over, maintenance work starts around the Clos Marey-Monge. We repair our equipment, replace any damaged sticks and anchor pegs, and remove the staples used for trellising. We also dig the holes and start planting our new rootstocks in October.

Manu, Alexandra, Jonathan, and our horses also sow green cover crops in some of our rows while we spread our fertilizers over the entire vineyard.

At this time of year, the vines lose their leaves after turning golden. Our sheep come back in the Clos, while the whole vineyard goes into dormancy for a few months before the next vintage begins.