Pruning in wintertime
Pruning takes place between December and February; no more than eight buds are left on each vine.
Vine root competition and vineyard management result in a yield of about 55ql./hectar(2.0 tons/acre). The trellising system is spur-pruned bilateral cordon and guyot, 60 cm (2 feet) high, with a foliage surface area of about 1 m. (3.3 feet), all of which ensures a well-balanced vine growth.
Vine density in the old vineyards is 3000plants/ha (1200/acre); 5000 (2000/acre) in the new vineyards.
...all done by hand
The canopy is ‘rolled-over’ by hand during the growing season, encouraging a natural equilibrium during plant growth, which in turn, through photosynthesis, enhances grape maturity.
The green harvest
Bunch thinning takes place at veraison leaving one bunch per shoot. In this way each plant will produce maximum 1,5Kg of grapes.
At this stage the chlorophyll starts to disappear from the skin, replaced by the colouring matter (anthocyanins).
The following process if the leaf pluck which is made three weeks before harvest in order to maximize grape exposure to the sun.
Upon reaching full maturity, the grapes are hand picked. Often different parcels of fruit are picked at different time to optimize full ripeness from all sections of the vineyard.
Harvest takes place between mid-September to mid-October.