Maison Michel Picard

Château de Chassagne Montrachet

The Wine

Environmental techniques

Throughout the whole wine-making process, from producing the grapes to turning them into wine, we use techniques that cause the least disturbance to natural balances and habitat, preserving terroir and environment. For ecological reasons, we work closely with research laboratories know as 'Modules de Prévention', whose task is to grow and monitor the development of these bacteria in a controlled area and warn us when they observe a development in these bacteria that may be harmful to our vineyards. We can then spray quickly and effectively, still with a concern to protect the vines against the diseases and pests that might compromise the production of healthy, high-quality grapes.

Pruning

Vines have to be pruned in such a way as to balance their growth, keep yields consistent and allow light and spray treatments to penetrate. Pruning takes place once a year: 6 to 8 bunches of grapes should be left on each vine to maintain its vigour. After flowering, we thin the bunches to relieve overloaded vines.

The Grape Harvest

Most of the grapes are picked by hand; the harvesters carry out an initial selection, choosing between the good grapes and the bad(rotten, green, etc.). This is then reinforced by a further, rigorous selection on a vibrating sorting table. Once the grapes are picked, they are placed on the sorting table, which vibrates constantly, spreading them out so that our team of 5 can separate the perfectly ripe grapes from the others.