Frost, then repeated mildew attacks, have left producers in Champagne’s southerly Côte des Bar with a “very small crop” this year, but the quality of the bunches being harvested are surprisingly good, according to Michel Drappier, of Champagne Drappier.
Located in the commune of Urville, which is based in the southernmost Côte des Bar sub-region of Champagne, family-owned, grower-négociant producer, Champagne Drappier offer an insight into harvest conditions outside the Marne Valley, Montagne de Reims and Côtes des Blancs, where the majority of Champagne houses are headquartered. Drappier is also notable for its sustainable approach to Champagne production, being not only carbon neutral, but also being organic in its viticultural methods – that is, on the 60 hectares it owns and farms in the Côte des Bar. Speaking to db last week, Michel expressed an element of despair when asked about this year’s harvest in Champagne, with picking now well underway at his estate, and across the 34,000 hectares of the appellation. As he said, “It is very small in the Côte des Bar,” when asked about the vintage conditions, describing this part of Champagne as being “very unlucky”, because large areas of this subregion were hit by a severe springtime frost, decimating the potential production for the vintage. “We call it the Moscow-Paris, because it’s a very cold stream of air from Siberia that travels so fast that it has no time to warm up by the time its hit France,” he told db, adding that the freezing air
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Champagne
