Visit the Deutz Champagne House
"With the definitive abandonment of herbicides on the Maison plot, mechanical weeding of the soil has become one of the most time-consuming tasks.
With March temperatures on a par with those experienced this winter, it's not surprising to see vines breaking bud a good ten days ahead of the ten-year average.
The month ofApril is almost summer-like, with the emphasis on rejuvenating the vineyards.
Growth momentum was sustained until the " Saints de Glace " period (May 11 to 13), when a significant chill set in. Frosts were avoided, with temperatures dropping by almost 20°C in 24 hours. In the end, this chill was only transitory and had little impact on the vines, as the soils were warm.
Only a slight slowdown in growth is being felt.
Harvesting began on May 14 in the earliest plots, two to three weeks earlier than normal.
With the return of seasonal temperatures, the blossom naturally sets in.
Patrick Boivin, the Vineyard Manager, and his right-hand man Cédric Georget have set May 26 as the " full flowering " date for the Chardonnay and May 28 for the Pinot Noir. The Meuniers, located in less precocious terroirs, flowered on May 30.
Based on the average 90 days between flowering and harvest, this late May flowering suggests a late August harvest.
The health of the Maison Deutz vineyards and those of our partners remained perfect throughout the campaign.
In terms of yield, the lack of water did not allow the grains to swell as they should have, and yields are down on estimates.
The ripening dynamic was also singular, reflecting the year as a whole. It slowed down from the third week of August, only to pick up again.
Another rare feature is that Chardonnays show a significant time lag in ripening compared to Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
The first pruning strokes were made in our Ay and Pierry vineyards on August 22, the earliest date ever recorded at Deutz, with 86 days between flowering and harvest (the year 2020 is in the top three of records for this parameter).
In the end, the health of the grapes was excellent and the ripeness high, features common to many great vintages.
September 2020, after 10 days of harvesting, average yields reach 8,800 kg/ha (400 kg more than the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne's decision).
At the press, Michel Davesne, the Cellar Manager, and Olivier Bernard, his assistant, observe a good balance of must values: an average of 10.6% vol. for potential alcohol.
They are delighted with the remarkable values observed on the finest Aÿ plots such as "La Côte Glacière" (11.2% vol. potential alcohol - 5.6 g/L H2SO4) or "Meurtet" (10.8% vol. potential alcohol - 6.2 g/L H2SO4).
Grand cru Chardonnays such as Avize (10.6% vol. potential alcohol - 5.9 g/L H2SO4) or Oger (10.6% vol. potential alcohol - 7 g/L H2SO4) are also promising.
The highest alcohol content was achieved with a Mareuil marc: 12.1% vol. alcohol.
The winemakers have a fine material from which they will undoubtedly be able to extract all its quintessence.
Conditions augur well for a vintage of fine quality , which gives us hope of chiseling out vintage cuvées and why not the now famous " prestige trio "(William Deutz, Amour de Deutz and Amour de Deutz Rosé) and why not also the Hommage à William Deutz parcel cuvées?
However, Fabrice Rosset, Chairman and CEO, reminds us, with a smile, that at Deutz, it's the wines that will decide at the clear wine tastings next spring."