| After the excitement of the harvest, everything has calmed down. The sun has been replaced by rain, and the cold has started to nip at our cheeks. Fortunately, this means more coffee breaks by the first cosy fires of the season (fueled with old barrels, of course!). In the winery, things are also slower due to the reduced yields. The atmosphere is gentle, and the team is focused.
At Follin-Arbelet, the tanks are like five sisters. It’s like siblings where everyone looks similar, but with time, you notice small differences, not only in size but also in content. For 30 years, each has taken care of a specific plot only. The largest tanks are for Les Vercots and Clos du Chapitre, the medium ones hold Aloxe-Corton Village and Les Fichots 1er Cru, and the smallest cares for the precious Corton Grand Cru.
They’re settled and content, finally able to welcome their precious new grapes. It’s like a gestation period, surrogate mothers doing one of the most important jobs before releasing their offspring into the world. (Click here to watch the video).
The cellar is a unique place that tantalises all our senses. You can smell the Pinot Noir beginning to ferment (the delightful aroma drifts through the entire house), you can touch and taste the must, admire the beautiful purple flecked with white and pink, but most importantly, you can hear them. You can hear their whispers, chatter and giggles. They’re likely discussing their challenging year, facing frost, hail, and especially rain. They’re sharing stories of battling mildew and oidium. Then they recount their relief, their joy (though a bit shocked by the bawdy songs!) when they saw a merry band of harvesters come to gather them all together.
The white grapes quickly mingled right after being harvested. In the press, the fusion of juices began. Then, they waited a few days to be gravity-fed into their barrels in the cellar, where they began their fermentation quietly and safely. (Click here to watch the video). |
