“I mark my birthday at the helm of the Champagne House with resolution and determination.
I joined back in 1982 to work with my father and grandfather, and for almost 40 years now I have been living my passion as a winegrower and maker of ‘Grands Vins’.
New cellars, vineyards managed in the most eco-friendly manner possible, and the growth of champagne sales all encourage me to view the future with positivity.
Let’s have a bit of optimism, despite all!”
Claude Mandois – 17th of April 2021
The #blending work, which demands numerous #tastings, is underway.
Several new #champagnes are planned that we will discover in a few years’ time with #organiccertification.
The search for fruit and terroir has built the #cornerstones of these future compositions which will be bottled between April and July 2021!
#champagnemandois #organicchampagne #champagne #champagnebio #nouvellescuvees #staytuned #lancement2021 #launch
After a few relatively mild winters, nature is back in the driver’s seat and the cold weather has stayed with us.
The #buds are still in their #winter phase and we can quietly get on with finishing the winter tasks in the #vineyards.
As the old adage goes: “Prune early, prune late, nothing beats #pruning in March.”
#champagnemandois #travaildelavigne #vignoble #viticulturenaturelle #pierry #aufildessaisons #champagne #vigne #vines #beaunay
🍇Chardonnay
The #wines vinified in classic vats have a light gold colour which is a little more intense for the wines #vinified in wood. The nose is very fruity and #luscious with some delicate scents of mirabelle plum and lychee. Once the glass warms up, the entry to the palate is very smooth, releasing some citrus notes that reveal the infinite #delicacy of the Chardonnay.
🍇 Meunier
The golden colour of the wine has a slight amber tinge to it, indicating a #blackgrapevariety. The nose is slightly toasted and packed with aromas. The palate has a certain maturity, it develops pleasant notes of mandarin and prune. The lightly toasted finish reflects a #finelycrafted vinification in #wood.
🍇 Pinot Noir
The Pinots Noirs from the MANDOIS #vineyards are not part of the #organictasting. This is because access to these vineyard plots is still too difficult for us to meet the requirements of #organic growing.
We will soon be getting back to you to report on the #blending work: an important step in the #crafting of our fine #champagnes…
#champagnemandois #pierry #CertificationBiologique #champagnebio #organicwine #viticulturenaturelle #degustation #tasting
After several years working the #vineyards naturally and obtaining #organic certification with the 2020 harvest, our attention now turns to the vinification and drawing out of the expression of the terroir.
The volume of #grapes produced using organic methods is around 30% lower than that achieved using traditional growing methods, but the terroir expression is more pronounced.
The #wine produced from the harvested grapes is regularly tasted in order to tailor the receptacle (wood, cement, enamel, stainless steel) to the vinification process.
For further info, please see our March 2020 newsletter : http://xs82u.mjt.lu/nl2/xs82u/5q7ws.html?hl=fr
The use of these receptacles in different materials allows us to manage the wine’s evolution naturally and to transcribe the terroir into the glass.
Our work will now consist of carefully drawing out the typical character of each local area, in order to craft refined champagnes in a quest for excellence.
At the end of the day, savoir-faire is a combination of tradition and the constant evolution of the winemaker who remains attentive to the needs of his wine.
At Champagne MANDOIS, we have always preferred to carry out our own original #research rather than simply copying others.
This is our family’s DNA.
#champagnemandois #champagnebio #organicwine #viticulturenaturelle #vinbio #certificationbiologique #agriculturebiologique
“On Saint Vincent’s Day, either winter is over or continues on. The wine on the vine flourishes or if it freezes; has challenge ahead.”
Happy Saint Vincent’s Day !
NB: January 22, Saint Vincent, day of festivities for all #champagne #winegrowers, united to celebrate their Patron Saint.
According to legend, celebrating Saint Vincent’s day brings good #luck to the upcoming grape crop and harvest!
#saintvincent #fete #saintpatron #vignoble #champagne #mandois #viticulturenaturelle #confreriedesaintvincent #champagnemandois #harvest
The leaves of the #vine have now fallen and #pruning is well underway in the #vineyards.
This operation consists of selecting the #buds that will bear the fruit of the future #harvest.
Around 180 hours of work per hectare are required to carry out this very laborious winter task.
Also, and because the vine does not last forever, we have decided to grub up around 2 hectares of our vineyards that are at the end of their life and no longer yielding grapes.
A minimum of 5 years will be necessary to rebuild these #plots with new plantings.
Let’s not forget that our job as #winegrowers also requires us to prepare for the future !
📷 Before pruning / After pruning
#champagnemandois #viticulturenaturelle #travaildelavigne #tailledelavigne #travailmanuel #champagne #mandois #
After a good level of activity in the middle of the year, there has been a noticeable slowdown since the start of November.
Our hopes are now focused on December when the lockdown restrictions will certainly be eased and allow us to enjoy our delicious Mandois champagnes with family and friends.
As we approach the end of the year, I would like to quote the actress Marlène Dietrich who I think had it right when she said: “Champagne makes you feel like it’s Sunday and better days are just around the corner”.
So, let’s think about that and put it into practice!
Claude Mandois
📷 Bernard Avart, former foreman of Champagne Mandois & Claude
#champagnemandois #repriseeconomique #viticulturenaturelle #espoir #hope #tradition #deconfinement #champagne #maisonvigneronne #champagneardenne #pierry
The Guide Hachette des Vins has been a reference for #winelovers for 30 years now.
Our Brut Origine made the Champagne selection and is #featured in the 2021 edition which came out on 14 October.
We are very pleased to share with you the #tasting commentary from the guide: “The Chardonnay (40%) and the two Pinots in equal proportions make up this cuvée, of which a small part of the base wines (10%) has been aged in oak.Toasted and buttery on the nose, fruity, lively and elegant on the palate, this champagne would be very enjoyable as an aperitif or paired with seafood starters“.
#brutorigine #champagnemandois #viticulturedurable #reward #guidehachettedesvins #medailles #viticulturenaturelle #terroir #guidedesvins #france #international