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In common parlance, “harvest” simply refers to the act of picking the grapes when they are ripe. In reality, it is not as easy as one might imagine, and many variables must be considered since each grape variety reaches maturity at different times. The weather during the growing season and during harvest, the composition of each terroir, and the peculiarities of each grape, will affect the grapes’ maturation. Every growing season is unique.
The Grassa family chose to plant a wide diversity of grape varieties to be able to create different wines with distinct personalities. Some grape varieties ripen early, others later. For this reason, at Domaine Tariquet, harvest time usually covers several couple of weeks. Grapes start being harvested beginning of September and it usually finishes around the end of October, sometimes early November. It is unusual for a single estate to harvest over such a long period.
Maintaining these high standards is especially true during years with difficult climatic conditions. Nothing is ever a “sure” thing when it comes to grape growing. Should some grapes not be up to our standards, we simply do not include them in our estate bottled wines to avoid disappointing our consumers.
The objective is to harvest the grapes when they have reached optimal maturity. Not before, not after. It is a balancing act where everything can change form one day to the next.
During the weeks preceding harvest, focus is made on our various parcels as the march towards maturity gets closer to the finish line. The closer we are to harvest, the more frequent the checks.
Grape samples are taken at regular intervals and analysed in the oenological laboratory installed at the estate.
Having our own oenological laboratory at the estate is instrumental in quickly and precisely analysing the samples of the grapes taken from each parcel. We look at the health of the grape, as well as the balance between the acidity level and the sugar content. This technical analysis is then compared to the taste-test out in the field. Both methods, one traditional and the other modern, are of equal importance.
We have invested in eight harvesting machines so that we can be as responsive as possible. We are therefore certain that we can harvest every parcel when the time is right, regardless of any potential extended inclement weather on the horizon or how many parcels reach optimal maturity at the same time.
This investment required significant additional resources and equipment for organising transport and receiving the grapes at the estate’s cellar.
To preserve and maximise the freshness and primary aromas of each grape variety, the harvested grapes, then the must, then the wine, must be protected from oxidation. This is a constant pre-occupation throughout the entire production of our wines.
Oxidation occurs when oxygen comes into contact with grapes, the must (pressed grape juice) or the wine. While it cannot be avoided (sometimes it’s necessary or even sought after for certain styles of wine), it is essential to control it as rigorously as possible so that it does not overly alter the qualities of the wine.
The way we harvest and vinify our wine all stems from a single observation: grapes are extremely vulnerable to oxidation from the moment they are first picked. Once detached from its stem, a grape is no longer protected as the juice is now in contact with air. Oxidation occurs in less than an hour as the skin can no longer fulfil its role of protective membrane. Think of cutting two slices of apple: the slice immediately eaten reveals the fruit’s aromas to their fullest; the slice set aside, exposed to the air, sees its flesh brown quickly and its flavours disappear.
The grapes are collected in harvest bins and immediately covered with dry ice. It is expensive but extremely effective as it takes the place of the air around the berries. A few minutes later, the grapes are transferred via an endless screw, which delicately moves them along, without damaging them, into stainless steel insulated mobile vats placed amongst the vineyards.
Thus, the harvest is protected in these tanks, sheltered from any negative effects of oxygen. The skin maceration begins immediately on the parcel, thus optimising the risky transport phase back to the winery. This maceration of the grape skins in their juice allows for the extraction of the delicate aromatic precursors that are present mainly in the skins (hence the importance of having grapes of optimal quality thanks to a meticulous viticulture).
Significant investments were made to bring part of the cellar to the vineyard. The mobile tanks are positioned on trailers and transported to the presses. Since skin maceration begins immediately in the vineyard, under protection, transporting the grapes turns from a risky to a positive step of the harvest.
The use of dry ice at the harvest as well as the use of cold when pressing the grapes, during fermentation, and again during the ageing of the wines in tanks, offer a dual advantage: controlling oxidation while limiting the use of sulphites.
Permanent protection against oxidation, from harvest to bottling.