Domaine Franck Peillot in Montagnieu

Franck Peillot Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Franck Peillot
Region	Bugey
Country	France
Proprietor	Franck Peillot, Theo Bonnard
Size	6.5 hectares
Farming	Sustainable
Soils	Gravely limestone, heavy clay
Grapes grown	Altesse, Mondeuse, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Fun facts	Franck Peillot started using native yeasts at Joe Dressner's suggestion.

Franck Peillot started using native yeasts at Joe Dressner's suggestion.

Name of Estate	Franck Peillot
Region	Bugey
Country	France
Proprietor	Franck Peillot, Theo Bonnard
Size	6.5 hectares
Farming	Sustainable
Soils	Gravely limestone, heavy clay
Grapes grown	Altesse, Mondeuse, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Fun facts	Franck Peillot started using native yeasts at Joe Dressner's suggestion.

Get to know
Franck Peillot

producer profile 22.11.2019

Franck Peillot Producer Profile

The <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> is a small <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> area whose fame doesn’t extend much farther than the city of Lyon, where its sparkling <glossary title="259">Cerdon</glossary> and <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> have long been staples in bistros. Located in the eastern part of the <glossary title="83">Ain</glossary> department, which is better known for its poulet de Bresse (the only French poultry with its own <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary>) and its freshwater fish, the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> is a series of low altitude hills forming the most southern tip of the <glossary title="560">Jura</glossary> range. In distance, it is closer to <glossary title="925">Savoie</glossary> than to <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> <glossary title="560">Jura</glossary>, so, if mentioned at all, it is often considered a part of <glossary title="925">Savoie</glossary>. Winemakers in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> beg to differ. They feel that their region has a soil and a climate all its own, which produce wines found nowhere else in France (<glossary title="259">Cerdon</glossary> being the less obscure example of <glossary title="208">Bugey’s</glossary> originality). <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> is a village south of <glossary title="259">Cerdon</glossary>, with premières côtes overlooking the <glossary title="372">Rhône</glossary> valley, and most of its production is a white sparkling wine made from <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>, <glossary title="879">Roussette de Savoie</glossary>, <glossary title="478">Gamay</glossary> and <glossary title="555">Jacquère</glossary>. The grape <glossary title="96">Roussette</glossary> is called <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> locally, and it survives in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> in a few patches of <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary>, for it is not as hardy, reliable and productive as others. Only two young winemakers in <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>, Franck Peillot and Benoît Dumont, produce still wines exclusively from this grape. By law, the wine, <glossary title="96">Roussette du Bugey</glossary>, can contain any white <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary>, in any proportion. That’s why Peillot’s is labelled 100% <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. Peillot, who took over his family <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> in 1985 after working with his father since 1981, carries on the work of four generations before him. Although he makes a sparkling <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> from <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>,  <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>, and <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, he <glossary title="1104">vinifies</glossary> all of his <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> as a still wine. With low <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> and high ripeness, he is set to revive the wine that <glossary title="558">Jules Chauvet </glossary>(a <glossary title="151">Beaujolais</glossary>  <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary>, eminent taster and writer who has inspired a whole school of “<glossary title="708">natural winemaking</glossary>”, notably in <glossary title="685">Morgon</glossary>) put on a par with <glossary title="292">Château</glossary> Chalon, <glossary title="292">Château</glossary> Grillet and Yquem. Exaggeration aside, the <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary> is thought to be a cousin of the Hungarian <glossary title="473">Furmint</glossary> of <glossary title="1030">Tokay</glossary> fame and, even when <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> <glossary title="405">dry</glossary>, it retains a fair amount of  <glossary title="853">residual sugar</glossary>. Peillot is also a believer in the quality of his <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> grapes, and is the lone <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary> in the village who obtained the <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary> <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> with his red wine in the 1997 <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. Over the years Franck has become a dear friend and a part of our extended family. It brings us much joy to still be able to collaborate with him nearly 20 years later. And now that he has partnered up with Theo Bonnard, a young man from the village, we are happy that he can start relaxing a bit more. And hopefully come visit more often!

interview 22.11.2019

An Interview with Franck Peillot from 2011

This interview with Franck Peillot took place on a bus from Los Angeles and San Francisco in March 2011. Tell us about your estate. We are situated in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>, a tiny <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary> that represents about 550 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>. Our story begins with my father Jean Peillot, who started a farm in <glossary title="815">polyculture</glossary> with a small focus on <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>. At the time he owned 1.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines, which was plenty of work since he did everything on his own. I came back to work with my father in 1985, and we are currently at 6.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines. All of our vines consist of small <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>. Most of them are very old and date back two or three generations, as they used to be part of farms where owners would make wine for personal consumption. A lot has changed since then, including the value of wine. Back then wine was an every day drink for the farmers with little commercial value. You'd maybe sell some to friends and family but that was it.  How do you work in the vines?  While I don't work <glossary title="746">organically</glossary>, I do the best I can. We are on extremely steep hills (in some cases with 50% incline) and our tallest vines are almost two meters high, so you can imagine how incredibly difficult it would be <glossary title="332">convert</glossary>. The only solution to effectively work the soil is to use a winch and a <glossary title="810">plow</glossary>, and we have yet to master this because you need to be omnipresent in order to make sure the soil is worked correctly and at the right time or else it will all sink to the bottom of the hill. This forces us to de-grass once a year, usually in the fall because otherwise it overwhelms the vines. I used to systematically de-grass every spring as well, but over the years I've managed to keep everything clean so i don't do this anymore. With the larger vines, it's very hazardous but we still <glossary title="810">plow</glossary> the soil with a tractor to loosen up the soil in the winter.  I do my best to keep everything I deem harmful to a minimum: I'll do what I have to to protect my vineyards and then I'll stop, and I make sure that the last treatment is always as far away from the actual <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> as possible. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a Cartesian in that I believe what I see, and as long as their is no <glossary title="279">chemical</glossary> or artificial residue in my wine, then I feel that I did my job correctly. I occasionally enter my wines at tasting events organized by <a href="http://www.vinnatur.org/en" target="_blank">Vinnatur</a> (<a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/Maule/" target="_blank">Angiolino Maule</a>'s association), which mostly feature <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> and <glossary title="160">biodynamic</glossary> wines: the analysis for my wines always qualify so I hope that gives you an idea of how clean the wines actually are.  I'm lucky; a big part of why the wines are so clean is due to geography of the area. Not only are we in the mountains, but the <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> are all isolated and surrounded by woods and prairies so on an environmental level, you're not getting all of your neighbor's surplus <glossary title="279">chemical</glossary> spillover onto your own vines.  What about in the cellar? In the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, my dog Virgile takes care of everything. He's a real inspiration! But in all seriousness, I'm always looking to better myself in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> and I have to admit that the many great <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> I've met over the years have infinitely influenced and shaped my work.  <glossary title="538">Indigenous yeasts</glossary> are a must, but every year I <glossary title="542">inoculate</glossary> one <glossary title="1140">vat</glossary> just to see the results. Because if for some reason it produces better wine, then I want to know that it's possible! I used to use <glossary title="321">commercial yeasts</glossary> and one day Joe (Dressner) asked me if I'd ever considered using <glossary title="538">natural yeasts</glossary>. It never felt like an obligation or anything, but this stuck with me and I had to try it. The result was a revelation: it completely changed the taste of my wines for the better and I've never gone back. The different <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary> I make try to respect the tradition of my elders while also keeping in mind the unique particularities of my <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>. One of those particularities is that I work on two very different soil types. We are on a mountain that is essentially the last little bit of the <glossary title="560">Jura</glossary>; this meets and ends at the edge of the <glossary title="372">Rhône</glossary>. On one extremity we have heavy <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> soils, and on the other <glossary title="504">gravely </glossary><glossary title="596">limestone</glossary>. And unlike a region like <glossary title="212">Burgundy</glossary> where you can use <glossary title="656">micro-climates</glossary> to define an <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary>, I have drastically different results every year with each <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> so it becomes a challenge to accurately classify my wines each <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>.  Studies have claimed that certain <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> in the area will always make the same wine, but I don't know how much I believe this. In such, I <glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary> all my still wines in small 15-20 <glossary title="524">hectoliter</glossary> <glossary title="1140">vats</glossary> and let nature decide what the results will be. Only after will I <glossary title="1146">blend</glossary> the results together and <glossary title="185">bottle</glossary>. This is particularly true for the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. With the <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, the ripest grapes will be used to make the still wine, and the <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> that were less productive or that I did not work with as well as I would have hoped will end up elsewhere. All the <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> goes to making that particular <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary> because I own less than a <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> of it and it's still a learning process. How do you feel about your AOC, and more specifically how your wines fit into the idea of "typicity"? I've always believed in <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> and <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>. When we were accorded the <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary>, the panel asked us to make sure we kept working with these <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> <glossary title="1071">varietals </glossary>and I'm happy about that. I'm very attached to them and reinforce the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> in my <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> sparkling wine with <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, which is a bit atypical (most people use <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>).  I'm getting older and it's nice to see that a new generation is calling the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> home. I think that people are only starting to realize the potential of this region.  Let's talk about Mondeuse and Altesse, the two grapes you keep mentioning. Many people might not be familiar with them. <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> is the correct name of the <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary>, but locally we always called it <glossary title="879">Roussette</glossary>. I choose to label it as <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> because I think the name is more eloquent and evocative. Another reason I do this is because you used to be able to make <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>/<glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> <glossary title="168">blends</glossary> and call it <glossary title="879">Roussette</glossary>; I want people to know that what you're drinking is 100% <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. In France you only find this grape in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> and <glossary title="925">Savoie</glossary>, but it originates from Hungary.  Like all forgotten <glossary title="1071">varietals</glossary>, there is a lot to rediscover with <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. In other words, there had already been a lot of work done by our ancestors, but nothing was ever noted or transcribed. It's a <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary> that can be completely diluted and boring, because it's not very aromatic and doesn't produce high <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary>. I'd say that 9 times out of 10 it grows best in the <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> soils of the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>.  I like working with <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> because it requires a lot of finesse. A lot of people work with <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>, but I find myself incapable to do so because a) I find it to be out of place in our soils and b) it's so blatantly aromatic and I feel I can't get anything other than stereotypical aromas out of it. So to get back to <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>, there is so little aroma and flavor provided by the <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary> itself that a great <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> is essentially a wine that expresses great <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary>.  It's not my style to use complex winemaking techniques, so I don't try to use absurd technological innovations to get something original or new out of my <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. When you bite into a ripe <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> grape, it has a very particular flavor: the flesh is pulpy, the seeds are ripe and tart and you can taste the <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> in the grape. I hope to transfer this into the wine.  As for <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, it is the most rustic grape I've ever worked with. I have 100 year old <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> vines that still produce 100 <glossary title="524">hectoliters</glossary> per <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> just on their own. To me it's an ancestor, it's a Gaul with a big mustache, and just like our ancestors, they are firmly rooted in the past. This is how I approach working with <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>. All the work is in the vines with <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>: you have to take good care of it for it to take good care of itself. <glossary title="74">Aging</glossary> it in <glossary title="731">oak</glossary> could be an option, but I don't.  I think my <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> is very hit or miss with people. I tried making a more <glossary title="151">Beaujolais</glossary> style <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> once by <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary> and <glossary title="1104">vinifying</glossary> earlier in hopes of softening the <glossary title="1010">tannins</glossary>, and it was undrinkable. I am very experimental and have had many failures over the years, both in the vines and in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, but none as unforgivable as that one! So maybe my <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> isn't for everybody, but at least it's authentic.  What's your stance on "natural wine"? I don't think there will ever be a clear cut definition of <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> that we can all agree on. I think that a lot of the arguments in the <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> debate are a bit all over the place. For example, to say that if it wasn't for human intervention, wine would naturally be vinegar. This is obvious: if you let grapes <glossary title="976">spontaneously ferment</glossary> and don't intervene during the <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> process, your grape juice will turn to vinegar. What I think should be emphasized is a mastery of the <glossary title="1128">yeasts</glossary> you're using to <glossary title="441">ferment</glossary> your wine or how to protect the juice while it's becoming wine as to avoid a complete catastrophe in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>.  But then the question can be asked: is <glossary title="69">acetate</glossary> an integral part of wine in the first place? Now you're starting a real debate! If there is one thing we're stuck up about in France, this would be it. Depending what side you are on, some are going to want to over-protect their wines while others are going to let theirs turn to vinegar. I find myself somewhere in the middle. I drink a lot of wines by my colleagues that I love, but have a level of <glossary title="1116">volatile acidity</glossary> that I could never tolerate in my own wines. But that's only because my wines couldn't handle it. It's a question of balance. If you have a 12% <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> with heavy notes of  <glossary title="69">acetate</glossary>, it's the death of that wine because <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> is a transparent grape and can't handle it.  Everyone speaks of <glossary title="558">Jules Chauvet</glossary> these days when it comes to natural wine. Though I could have, I never had a chance to meet him. When you're reading his work you have to remember that he was a bio-chemist. He wasn't a goofball quack, he was a scientist who was passionately in love with wine. The bottom line is you can't do whatever you want with <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>, and you can't do whatever you want with <glossary title="331">conventional wine</glossary>. For me the biggest risk of the <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> debate is to make or drink wine because it has recently become fashionable. It's a vicious cycle, because a lot of wines now being billed as "true" <glossary term="Natural WIne" title="708">natural wines</glossary> are full of <glossary title="453">flaws</glossary>, namely elevated <glossary title="69">acetate</glossary> and <glossary title="195">brett</glossary>. Once your wine is contaminated with <glossary title="195">brett</glossary>, it will taste exactly the same as any other wine with <glossary title="195">brett</glossary>. If you push things too far you're killing <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary> just as much as someone who bombards his vineyards with <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary> and intervenes heavily in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. The wine will certainly be in a natural style, which people now describe as "barnyard". When I step into a barnyard, it smells like a barnyard. And that doesn't bother me because it's an odor of nature, not a product crafted consciously by a human being.  So again I am worried about people pushing <glossary term="Natural WIne" title="708">natural wine</glossary> to its extremes. If you blind taste 10 <glossary term="Natural WIne" title="708">natural wines</glossary><glossary title="708"> </glossary>and can't guess where any of them are from, there's a serious problem there. I try to stay open minded and drink these wines often. I once drank a bottle with my father and he told me that the wine tasted like the leftovers in the <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> after they'd gotten infected because they hadn't been washed out correctly. He said it would be one thing to drink it for fear of being wasteful, but for 50 euros a bottle, he'd look elsewhere!  What do you like to drink? I love wine. I love complexity and finesse at the same time. So in a way I shy away from heavier, more viscous wines. Too much <glossary term="Extraction" title="433">extraction</glossary> is another deal breaker for me.  I'm a big fan of <glossary title="602">Loire Valley</glossary> wines and <glossary title="151">Beaujolais</glossary>.

producer visit 24.07.2019

This visit with Franck Peillot took place in June, 2013

This visit with Franck Peillot took place in June, 2013. Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Maya Pedersen and Jules Dressner. If you've hung out with Franck Peillot past midnight, you know him as a party animal. If you read the Wine Advocate, you might know him as the guy who made David Schildknecht say : "I don't know any other grower as successful as he in revealing the noblesse d'<glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>." I know him simply as Franck, one of the nicest, funniest guys we work with. I present to you, KING FRANCK: <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//e5/0c/e50c4853f4abc738863bcb64e8f59eba.jpg" /> As you can see, it was a bit of a gloomy day when we visited, and like many other parts of northern France, the weather has been shitty all year.  "Since March, we haven't had a single week of nice weather. It keeps raining and raining..." <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//75/87/758747c2acd6cf6ddafe895af66dd1b9.jpg" /> Over our short walk to some nearby vines, Franck gave us a quick geography/history lesson. The village of <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> (it literally translates to "mountain-y") is located on the last bit of the <glossary title="560">Jura</glossary> mountains.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//64/64/64642f1d0e56954284e3c931b901527f.jpg" /> It's quite serene and beautiful, surrounded by miles of uninterrupted nature. Except for the nuclear power plant built in the 1970's. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//65/a9/65a98207eb587e62be36d39142459695.jpg" /> It's never been used, and Franck thinks this might be the year they actually demolish it. The <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> finds itself in the middle of two distinct but neighboring regions, and Franck jokingly sums up the wines in simple mathematical terms: <glossary title="560">Jura</glossary> soil + <glossary title="925">Savoie</glossary> grapes = <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> wine. This of course, is not true: Franck works principally with the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>'s two <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> <glossary title="1071">varietals</glossary>, <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> and <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, which are grown on heavy <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary title="504">gravely</glossary> <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> soils.  Even though <glossary title="815">polyculture</glossary> was always the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>'s dominant <glossary title="78">agricultural</glossary> model through the 1950's, the region still had a strong focus on <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>: the area used to be covered in over 20 000 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>! Franck's father was the first Peillot to focus entirely on <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, exclusively growing <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>.  "He only made one wine, a 10,5%, <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> sparkling wine." In 1981, Franck had started working with his father, taking over in 1985. In his early days, he decided to get experimental and make a <glossary title="653">méthode champenoise</glossary> <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. It didn't work, so he decided to plant <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>. Over the years, Franck was able to acquire <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> of <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, an <glossary title="1139">indigenous</glossary> red grape, which produces its own <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary> and that he also <glossary title="1146">blends</glossary> into his sparkling <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>. He also has a little bit of <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary>, which is surprisingly <glossary title="495">glou-glou</glossary> (I've opened four bottles of 2011 this summer...) Frank's vines are among some of the steepest we'd see on the entire trip.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//15/d0/15d06d35dd19e85ca54446bfc9beb169.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//88/41/8841fe7e3108e048fe7ea91eeacb3207.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//42/d6/42d61c9518656661515302a458fe6590.jpg" /> The vines we visited were on heavy <glossary title="301">clay</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//1f/dc/1fdc8cddb19305d7e43e3d0e4dbedcec.jpg" /> The <glossary title="266">chalk</glossary> rocks you see are only on the surface, and are very close to what is used for commercial <glossary title="266">chalk</glossary>. Franck proved it by breaking off a piece and writing my name on the road.  After our walk, we hopped into the Franck Mobile™ where he drove us to a few smaller <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>. Before heading back for dinner, Franck wanted to show us where he goes to escape from it all. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//c3/9b/c39b275c34a7cd9c502057650beb86e9.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//1b/30/1b309051e6d1f013cf45a63d602ada98.jpg" /> Though by no means religious, Franck still finds his peace here by the stream.  The 2011's were tasting really good, and included a new, <glossary title="1392">late harvest</glossary> <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. It was by no means sweet, and showed the subtlety and complexity to distinguish itself from the "normal" <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. We then ate a great dinner while tasting many back <glossary title="1109">vintages</glossary> of the whites, which were showing well. Eventually, it was time to hit the road, so we got back into the car at 1AM and drove an hour and half back the the <glossary title="702">Mâconnais</glossary> in a crazy rain storm. P.S: The dog's name is Virgil.

harvest report 11.10.2011

2011 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

October 11th, 2011: It's Monday, October 3rd, 10:30 am. The last of the grapes were just <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary>. It's still cool out (13°C), but the sun is already out and very bright. Another beautiful day in our never ending Indian summer! It was very surprising weather in <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> this year. The year started off with a bang: after a mild but long winter, the spring was much warmer than usual. Keeping up with the vines, who were growing at the speed of light, proved quite difficult. Of course, it just so happened that, after two years of planning, I was ready to plant some new vines this year… Everything was ready: the plants were ordered, the <glossary title="773">pépiniériste</glossary> was a call away, the soil had been prepped… I was hoping for 20 liters per m² of rain this year, so I patiently waited… Nothing to do, nature wasn't planning on giving us any rain. We had no choice to proceed, and we'll see what happens! Once we finished the plantation, we were pleased that the hot, dry weather was keeping illness away from the vines, but it also meant we had to rush right into our springtime work. We tried being everywhere at the same time, and believe it or not, this was impossible! Most of the work went into making sure the plant's vegetation didn't grow too dense: <glossary title="737">oidium</glossary> loves heat, and a little morning humidity is all a leafy vine needs to be colonized by illness. <glossary title="1179">Flowering</glossary> occurred under beautiful weather. If one was to follow the old fashioned motto "you <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> 100 days after <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary>", then that meant we'd have had to start August 15th! Hard to explain to the family over dinner that our only week of vacation might need to be canceled!!!! I can accept this because it's part of my job, but I get why this would make a few people angry… Fortunately, a little smooth-talking helped me change the reservation for the cottage in <glossary title="722">Normandy</glossary>, and no one wanted my head on a silver platter anymore. June remained very hot, but on July 10th, everything shifted: rain and cool weather almost every day. A heavenly shower! This instantly put me at ease about  <glossary title="737">oidium</glossary>, <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary> or over sized grapes. Now I haf to start worrying about rot! Fortunately, our hard work in the spring pays off: the grapes, who have been getting enough air, managed to dry out a little and, for the vast majority, resist rot. Now I'm wondering: what's the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> going to look like? All this weather stuff is a bit deceiving, but I guess I'll have do with! This really is a fascinating job, in large part because it reminds you that you need to recognize the power of nature, to stay humble… and to believe. Otherwise, we'd only be left with rage and folly. Early August proved to be nicer weather but still not that hot. Our initial plans to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> the 15th are gone, and we start aiming for early September. Well, this is how I felt in early August, but there was still one surprise waiting for us! The week of August 15th, temperatures skyrocket: 30-32°C in the shade every afternoon! It's a mini heat wave! The <glossary title="805">Pinots</glossary> start taking this nice black and blue color… No, I did not drink too much when I wrote that! This is the most adept definition I can give to their color!!!! The <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> are getting golden in the sun and they are already at 11%, already more than enough for the grapes destined to go into the <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> <glossary title="778">pétillant</glossary>. This time, a decision is made: we begin <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary> on September 29th. The first few days go off without a hitch under beautiful weather. Most of the work is done in the morning, and the <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> are abundant and of high quality. Super! Then came a big fright: a huge storm coming from Lyon. The thunder crept up on us, then backed off, only to come back twice as strong! This lasted for over an hour. As I sat on my terrace, huge drops of rain started splashing down on the plastic table, and I saw a very large strike of lightning incredibly close to the house. All of a sudden, it started <glossary title="1136">hailing</glossary>! I've never seen it <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary> during a <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>, and only the once prior had I seen it happen at night, which is quite rare. It became increasingly harder to admit I couldn't do anything, that I had to sit back and wait it out… I think you'll understand me better now if I tell you a <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary> really puts his "heart" into his wine! The <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary> stops, the storm passes… We continue <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary> for the sparkling the next day, and quickly realize that virtually nothing was damaged. Ouf! We then wait a little longer for the "still" <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> grapes and the  <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>. The good weather came back, which was a relief. The rest of the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> led us to picking some really nice <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> and <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> grapes. I wanted to wait even longer before <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary>, but I didn't want to risk losing their <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> so we kept at it. This year really is too strange: we spent almost the entire <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> with wind coming from the South and good weather. Usually the weather is kind of crummy around these parts in September… So, after a long period of reflection, I decided bring everything into the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, save a 1/3 of an <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> of <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> as an experiment. I think the soil has absorbed too much water to bet on an improbable <glossary title="324">concentration</glossary> of the grapes. So that's my recap of this very special year. I remain confident in the wine, and that we were suitably adapted for Mother Nature's capricious behavior this <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. If she remembers all that she put me through, I hope she'll find it in her heart to offer us all some nice <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary>!

harvest report 23.10.2009

2009 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

October 23, 2009:  Since the spring, everything is going very fast. Just back from my trip to America (in April) and I was late already ! You’ve been reading my prose, and you know me well, so you realize that living so close to quiet Switzerland has had a big influence on me. There is a well organized nonchalance or a kind of punctuality in lateness, « the lake is not on fire » (Lake Geneva, of course) but also the serious Swiss clockmaking factor. So, as we say in France, I had been trying, at the beginning of 2009, not to confuse speed and precipitation: go directly to the essential and leave aside what could be done in 2010. But the problem with 2009 was that every time I thought I was on the dot in my work, I had to start over, and FAST…. Which was quite tiring, but with age I have become wiser, and do the best I can without pulling my hair off (there already isn’t so much left!) Anyway, the vines were in great shape, very healthy, there was little disease in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>, it was a rare beauty to contemplate and I wonder whether I ever saw that in the past. My father himself said it was exceptional. So, with everything going so fast, we were wondering if we’d picking around August 15th? It was probable, according to the saying of "<glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> happens 100 days after <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary>" which is usually quite accurate. Nothing in July nor at the beginning of August came to contradict this notion. On the contrary, it rained a little bit, at night, several times, just enough to maintain optimal conditions for the vines to grow. My wife Nathalie and my children could see the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> coming soon, and their vacation slipping away, almost disappearing. I have a beautiful job, but vines are tyrannical ! Many things were unusual in 2009, but the sight of such splendid vines and grapes made me forget everything else. Starting mid-August, the weather turned hot, without a drop of rain, temperatures reached 41C (106F) in the shade, and we feared 2003 was back. It was not the case, though : nights stayed almost cool, but the heat had blocked the vegetation, the vines went into safety mode. Some were losing their lower leaves, and the grapes did not grow on those any more. I had to sacrifice grapes (all of them on some vines) to keep them healthy in the long term. If comparing vines to human beings, think of a young child, too weak to carry a burden: you must dump the burden to save the child, it’s the only solution. Oh darn! To be so close to an exceptional crop and everything can go wrong in the three or four days to come! A few drops fell one night, and I was irate: a few drops only… The next day, I heard that it <glossary title="1136">hailed</glossary> in Belley, 15 kms away from here. That sobered me up and made me feel lucky enough. By sight, my <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> grapes looked very ripe on August 26th, and a sample analysis confirmed it: 11.4% potential alcohol and 5g. <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> (NB: in France, <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> is expressed in grams of H2SO4 by liter, and not in <glossary title="1012">tartaric acid</glossary>). So it was high time to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> for the <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> <glossary title="778">Pétillant</glossary>, and we picked the <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> on August 29th (this had happened in 1976 – a hot and extremely dry year). We added a few bunches of <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> to get a better balance. The following week, we picked the <glossary title="805">Pinot noir</glossary>, which was superb, not one pink berry, all was black except the <glossary title="1089">vigneron’s</glossary> morale, as good as could be. The afternoons were too hot, so we only picked in the mornings. Ideal weather, cool and dry, no rain forecast in the next two weeks. Everything is so perfect that I decided to stop picking for a week and let the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> meant for the still wine evolve, also the <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, already deeply colored and ripe, the pips had no green astringency. On Sept. 9th, we went back to the vines, and surprise, the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> had shot up 1.5 degree of alcohol, but not lost much <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> (<glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> being, in my eyes, this <glossary title="1109">vintage’s</glossary> real challenge). Great, we picked all the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> at once. So why didn’t I try, as I have in some years, to make a <glossary title="1392">late harvest</glossary> <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>? For a very simple reason: BECAUSE! I’m sure this is a disappointing answer for some: I could have said it was my natural instinct, the knowledge of my work, scientific measurements or a little voice coming to my ears that said: "Go, cut it all!" It was none of the above, but a global feeling, a sense of the harmony and the balance of my future wine. On Sept. 11th, we picked the <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>. I was thinking I would do two <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary> by picking the rest much later. But on Monday the 14th, I decided to finish the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>. The first <glossary title="1140">vat</glossary> of red smelled wonderful and I was determined to keep fruit in my wines: to hell with useless <glossary title="324">concentration</glossary>, I like to DRINK wine and that’s how I want to <glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary>. So, it was over. Now for some <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> news: my reds are almost finished <glossary title="441">fermenting</glossary> and taste great; the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> <glossary title="1140">vats</glossary> are still <glossary title="441">fermenting</glossary>, there is fruit and freshness. My <glossary title="146">base wines</glossary> for the <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> are perfect (if perfection exists, and I doubt it does). One darker note, my <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary> of still <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> is already "heavy", with too much alcohol. My only consolation is that it will probably please some drinkers of " heavy wines ", as in "heavy metal", a type of music I don’t digest well (probably my French customers). I got a fruit lesson from the apples of a small tree planted near my <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>: the first apple I ate was beautiful looking, but it was green and had no taste. Two weeks later, these apples were <glossary title="71">acidic</glossary>, sweet and showed some fruit; the following week, the three components were enhanced, and the apples delicious. Then, for two or three days, pure balance, harmony: the apples could not be better. After that, everything got lost in over ripeness. I like wines which express the fruit of the vines, not the <glossary title="422">enologist’s</glossary> craft. Stages 2, 3 and 4 of my apples are what I aim for in my grapes. Stage 4 is so brief that trying to capture it carries a great risk of falling into the last stage, when all <glossary title="120">aromas</glossary> and character are gone: that was my painful experience with a <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> of <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> in 2005. There is never an easy way, especially since wine grapes rarely possess <glossary title="120">aromas</glossary> one can really taste (as opposed to table grapes, <glossary title="697">Muscat</glossary> for example).

harvest report 10.10.2008

2008 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

“Merci mon Dieu!” This old French expression is not part of everyday language any more, but it suits me perfectly for the 2008 <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. For, if the year is far from perfect, I deem myself lucky and happy. The season started with a cold snap and freezing temperatures in the week of April 15th. But we suffered more fear than damage, only a small <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> at 400m altitude was affected. May went went without problems, then, when the <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> was already occuring late, at its very beginning (on the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>, notably) we got big rains and cold temperatures. Rain is not a friend during <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary>, and cold even less so. Imagine trying a fecondation in a cold bath, at around 35F! Most studs would renounce. For vines, it is the same problem, and many flowers aborted, bringing <glossary title="1252">coulure</glossary>, that winemakers’ bane. <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> and <glossary title="805">Pinot noir</glossary> fared better, their <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> was a little earlier. <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, once again, showed her <glossary title="883">rustic</glossary> strength and produced beautiful, well-formed grapes. June and July made us go through a surprising series of hot/cold moments, which had two main results: the development of a lot of <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary> and <glossary title="737">oidium</glossary> at the same time. This is really astonishing in <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>, where the slopes are really steep and stony, and so drainage is excellent; that factor usually spares us any <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary> development. Anyway, we managed to keep disease in check, despite some loss. The second result was unstable weather, with a thunderstorm per week on average. Many <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary> storms hit around <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>, but my village was spared this year. Only my <glossary title="805">Pinot noir</glossary> <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary>, 10km away, was hit on July 26th, but the damage wasn’t too severe. August was not much better, more storms and cool temperatures. With the late <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary>, we had planned for a late <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>, but by then I had doubts about ever reaching ripeness. In early September, we got 15mm of rain, but finally, the weather turned, with fog and coolness in the mornings, and sunny afternoons. Yippeee! By then our grapes were beautiful, a little rot on some <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>, but nothing too bad. After checking the ripeness numerous times, I decide to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> those two <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> on Sept. 17th for my sparkling wines. The <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> level is high, with potential alcohol between 10.5 and 11 degrees, very good for a sparkling. During the <glossary title="938">second fermentation</glossary> in bottle, alcohol goes up one degree, so we’ll end with about 12%, which is perfect. In the mean time, boars attacked a superb <glossary title="678">plot</glossary> of <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>, which was already quite ripe. They made a big mess and we had to install an electric fence to prevent them from devouring the rest! My father, 69, a winemaker and hunter for 50 years, had never seen such a thing. Really, this year is difficult and full of surprises. As far as applying <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> remedy to fight that new kind of predator, I don’t see a solution, except maybe tigers or elephants, but what a dangerous escalation in violence that would be! My father, with eyes sparkling with mischief (and gourmandise!) sees a solution: a boar stew in <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>. We interrupt the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>, good weather is here to stay, why rush? On Sept. 23rd, we cut some <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> grapes from sunny <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary>, and on Sept. 25th, we <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> my large <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary title="740">old vine</glossary> <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. <glossary title="1129">Yields</glossary> are low and there is rot to sort, it was time for this to be done. More rest and wait until Sept. 29th for superb, perfectly golden <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> at over 12 degrees of alcohol. We continue with <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>; I had done a strict  <glossary title="380">green harvest</glossary>, and the <glossary title="639">maturity</glossary> is great, almost exceptional. In the youngest <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary>, I only left three <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary> per vine. On Tuesday the 30th, we pick the last <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> – I “forgot” them to check their evolution: no rot really, 13 degrees, which is a lot for the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. Of course these vines are now over 20 years, which is a mature age for a vine (although usually not for humans). And we reach the end of the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> on Oct. 1st with the last of <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>. Not so bad, finally, especially in quality. Quantity is not great, there are several <glossary title="524">hectolitres</glossary> missing, but I’d rather not complain too much: 2003 remains a “burning” memory and was worse than this. As I am writing, <glossary title="1104">vinifications</glossary> are happening and need more care than in an easy year. It’s like a fragile newborn who requires even more care and love. I have more possible <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary>, from single <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary>, more <glossary title="1140">vats</glossary> waiting for the <glossary title="538">indigenous yeasts</glossary> to start the <glossary title="441">fermentation </glossary>under my watchful eye. Take your time, I’m right here. That’s the summary of a difficult year. But as the saying goes: “Misery always brings out something good.” Since life has sometimes been hard on me, at least all these difficult times let me say “thank you” today. Also, this <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> is a motivation: it will not be easy like in 2005 and 2006, but I am hopeful. It could be a very interesting, complex and definitely original <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>, so a <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> in my image.

harvest report 22.10.2007

2007 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

Montagnieu October 22nd: April 2007: summer heat, with barbecues suddenly taken out of their winter quarters for long, warm nights of eating outside…. Vines are early, the winemaker is already late. Just a few days before, he was relieved to have escaped the <glossary title="1135">frost</glossary>! In the first week of May, there are blossoms in the vines, even among the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> and <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> plants, and these two are very late-ripening <glossary term="Varietal" title="1071">varieties</glossary>. People said: “Count the days! <glossary title="521">Harvest</glossary> 100 days after <glossary term="Flowering" title="1179">flowering</glossary>, we are going to pick before August 15th, for sure! And there is a heat wave waiting for us, worse than in 2003!” People talk, some are alarmed, others delighted: summer has arrived, well ahead of its time, and we’ll have to get used to the high temperatures. But what about the forecast pointing to a change of weather pattern around May 10th? “Don’t believe it, everything gives the same prediction, the Quatre Temps, the New Moon, Brother Benoît’s ever-reliable almanach: heat wave for all!” Well, it looks like, this time, our old folks were totally wrong: instead of a heat wave, we ended up with three months of intense watering. Of course, the vines blossomed well, before the rain, and quantity seemed adequate in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>, but quality was a lot less certain. I did not dwell on this. No sense in complaining, but it was crucial to define a work plan adapted to this particularly rainy summer. This required great attention to details and great concentration. In a difficult year like this, the number one goal was to protect the vines from disease. Rain was frequent, followed by an occasional one or two sunny days in a row. The humidity was to be relentless all summer, delighting mushroom lovers (as early as late June) and putting fear in the souls of winemakers, dreading the terrible <glossary title="1137">mildew </glossary><glossary term="Fungus" title="475">fungus</glossary>. Like a chess game, it was a matter of moving the right pawn on the right spot at the right time. For me, it meant picking the best <glossary title="328">treatment</glossary> for each <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> and using it at the best moment. In the end, I didn’t do more frequent passages this year than in any other year, and the final quality (in <glossary title="1184">foliage</glossary> and grapes) was excellent. Although it was hard to slalom between the rain and plan it all, I was comforted in the notion that prevention is better than cure, and I kept optimistic. As my father Jean likes to say: “Fear doesn’t alleviate danger!” I have been a winemaker for almost 20 years now, and I am beginning to manage the notion of danger. But I do not want to be found waiting, I must do everything that is necessary. That means more care and work in the vines to <glossary title="73">aerate</glossary> the <glossary title="1184">foliage</glossary>, remove all the extra shoots, prevent tangles, straighten the branches, trim them at the top, <glossary title="507">green harvest</glossary> in July, all that while wearing rain gear. Thank you and bravo to all those who helped or replaced me in the vines: you believed in what had to be done, you took care of my vines as if they had been yours. Thank you Philippe and the team. Thank you Nathalie for always being at the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> receiving visitors. Thank you Jean for your advice and the long discussions that led me to wise decisions. In early August, we thought we had won the battle. No disease, healthy leaves and a good crop ahead…. If only the weather could turn sunny for a month! Not quite, not yet, but when I returned from a week off on August 15th, there was a change in the air, and from late August through Ocotber 15th, we enjoyed beautiful weather and only two days of rain. The <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> started on Sept. 3rd with <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> for the sparkling <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>. 10 to 11 degrees of potential alcohol is good for such wine (the <glossary term="Methode Traditionelle" title="653">methode champenoise</glossary> adds about one degree to the final wine). For once, <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> levels are perfect for this region. Then we picked <glossary title="805">Pinot noir</glossary>, superb-looking, above 11.5% natural alcohol with even ripeness all over. By picking a few <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> of <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> for the sparkling <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>, I was able to get a better idea of this variety's behavior in this <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>: the alcohol varied from 10.5 to 10.7, which is fine for a sparkling, but meant we had to wait for the still wines. A week later, we <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> the <glossary title="740">old-vine</glossary> <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> (9-10,000 vines/<glossary title="523">HA</glossary>). These were very ripe, and a little rot was starting. Nothing to worry about, though, just enough to remind me of Henri Goyard and his superb wines (NB: Goyard, from Domaine de Roally in <glossary title="1112">Viré</glossary>, was a friend and mentor to Peillot when he was still in school.) We went back to the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> on <glossary term="Trellising" title="1044">treillissage</glossary> (what we call “hautains” here, or high vines). My pickers really thought I had lost my mind, we were picking, but not everything. I made them leave about four <glossary title="1124">bunches</glossary> per vine, the best-looking, ripest and healthiest. Nobody had ever seen this in <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>! What crazy work…. At that point, I was not calculating the cost of this decision, but it was hard to make my team understand my point of view. And it was a gamble on more sunny weather. We got it! On Oct. 8th, we <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> a <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary> of <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> above 14.5 natural alcohol, and really different in character. It was worth the try. My <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> were picked earlier, and thanks to a <glossary title="507">green harvest</glossary>, the ripeness was good. During <glossary title="610">maceration</glossary> and <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary>, the typical peppery aromas were a joy to smell, and I think this will become a beautiful <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. As I write, the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> that were picked first are slowly, quietly finishing their <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary>. They taste well already, even before the winter cold has not <glossary title="299">clarified</glossary> the wine yet. At last I can have some rest, which is all the more appreciated after a year of hard work. With a promising <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>, maybe even an exceptional one, given the quality of fruit the whites possess, I am in top form. Cannot wait for the spring and my trip to America!

harvest report 29.09.2006

2006 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

September 29th, 2006: The winter was long and rather cold, and in April the vegetation started very quickly. It is often the case at that point in time, and usually I am very happy with a fast start, when the vines grow quickly and the insect population has trouble keeping up (it’s called a dilution effect: the same insect population – thrips, moths, e.g. - has to operate on denser vegetation). May, June and July kept us busy with vineyard work, and in June we already had day and night temperatures that are more usual in August. The temperature was locked well above 30C (90F) in the shade, every afternoon. It looked like we were going to endure another hot summer like 2003, only longer. This was not desirable, neither for people nor for flora, and even less for wine. The extreme heat conditions we had in 2003 led to an atypical <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>, and it was an experience to have once in a winemaker’s lifetime (and maybe a wine lover’s life), if only to realize the other facets of one’s <glossary title="1071">varietals</glossary> and soils. But I am always concerned not to pick over ripe, burnt grapes that give heavy, alcoholic wines without much finesse. The forecast for August was for cooler weather, and for once, the weather people were very right, too much so! August was not glacial, but not so far from it. It was gray and cool, 8C in the mornings, 15C in the afternoons (46F and 59F), and damp. Which was fine weather for <glossary title="294">cider</glossary> apples in <glossary title="722">Normandy</glossary>, perhaps, but for wine grapes??? My colleagues in the area were mentioning “rot on green” (meaning that rot settles in even before the grapes are ripe). That led me to numerous checks in my vines, but to my relief all my grapes were healthy. We were left with hopes for a beautiful September, capable of warming up our souls and minds. September was magnificent in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>. Other regions suffered torrential rains and I really feel sorry for my colleagues there. We started the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> with a smaller team on Sept. 8th. On Sept. 11th, the complete group of pickers was at work in the <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> vines, and the afternoon (above 25C, or 77F) was devoted to the <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary>. That settled the course for the rest of the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>: we would pick white grapes only in the morning, if the temperatures stayed high. Fortunately, the cooler nights and diminishing days allowed us to pick at a cool 14C (57F) in the mornings. The characteristics of my 2006 <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> are: - The grapes are high in sugar, while retaining fresh <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> – in my view, that was the work of August, where the cool weather conserved <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> in the berries; also, the August rains followed by September sun resulted in perfect ripening. - A very healthy crop, with almost no rot. We had spent a lot of hours reducing the number of <glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary>, and later on removing leaves, for better ventilation. - There is remarkable homogeneity in ripeness, all the grapes on each vine were equally ripe. My father does not remember ever seeing the <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> grapes so black and so similar to one another. - It is also surprising how little difference there was in the ripening of the early <glossary title="1071">varietals</glossary> (<glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> and <glossary title="805">Pinot noir</glossary>) and the late ones (<glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> and <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>). My explanation, totally empirical, is that <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> happened at the same time for all the <glossary title="1071">varietals</glossary>, and went very fast in the heat wave. Maybe that’s why there is not much delay in ripening between all the <glossary title="1071">varietals</glossary> this year. I interrupted the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> for a few days on the 15th, 16th and 17th, and we finished on the 20th. I don’t think there was anything more to gain by waiting a few more days, since the grapes were ripe, balanced, beautiful fruit. Looking for a higher degree of alcohol is not always the guiding principle for choosing the date of the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>. I hope I have been right, for the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> and to make the wines I like. Those who know me will understand that I am still hesitating, after the facts… I’ll never pretend I have certitudes, at least about my work, because nature is so rich, so varied, and so powerful. One thing I am sure of (after the facts, again): the Mirabelle plums and the vineyard peaches were delicious this year, but the fruits we left on the tree quickly lost their taste. At any rate, there are still two <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> of <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>, 15 <glossary title="1208">ares</glossary> each, waiting to be picked. I like the surprises that Mother Nature can plot. The near future, and the wine made from these grapes, will let us know.

harvest report 20.09.2005

2005 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

September 20th, 2005: Even up to today, the weather in the <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> has been very sporadic in 2005: the temperatures have alternated between hot and cold all year leaving winemakers (and technicians!) perplexed as to when to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>, but also as to the potential quality of the <glossary title="700">musts</glossary>. The answer has been provided by a warm month of September in <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>. At any rate, I must mention a very violent <glossary title="1136">hailstorm</glossary> which hit my <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> of <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> on July 18, 2005, so the <glossary title="1129">yield</glossary> there is tiny. After numerous tests, both by taste and by sugar and <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> analysis, I decided to start <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary> on September 10th with the <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> and <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>. The results are rich in alcohol (11-12.5%) and above all, very balanced in terms of <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> (about 5 grams/liter). Generally, I don’t consider myself to be a good taster of <glossary title="700">must</glossary> (nor of wine for that matter!) but I must confess that I really enjoyed tasting such balanced and, in my opinion, complex juice. We stopped the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> for three days – (20 mm of rain fell this weekend) and started up again on Tuesday, September 13th. After finishing picking the <glossary title="271">Chardonnays</glossary>, I decided to do a small <glossary title="827">pressing</glossary> of <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>, just to see. So I <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> some <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> which will be used to make sparkling wine and, when <glossary title="827">pressed</glossary>, the juice showed a degree of potential alcohol of 10.9%. This came as a great surprise because I had been expecting much less, especially from such a late <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary> as <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>. In the mouth, the <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> did not seem excessive at all. So, how do I decide when to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> the other <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> destined, for the most part, for the still <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary>? The grapes are certainly nicely ripe right now, but if it continues to be clear and warm for another few days…it’s a gamble. I consult the oracles of Meteo France and Meteo Consult, but their predictions have completely changed for the next 48 hours, so when it comes to seeing five days into the future….It’s almost always the same dilemma at this point in the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>, especially when the weather is so unpredictable. So now all that is left is consulting the Big Guy (my father, Jean), he who has lived through 66 <glossary title="1109">vintages</glossary> (even if for the first few he was only tasting cow’s milk!) Our talk is, as always, enriching: no two <glossary title="1109">vintages</glossary> are alike (I figured as much!), 2005 looks very promising, but it’s always better “not to put all one’s eggs in one basket” as the saying goes, and not to let oneself get intoxicated by the lure of the gain (of quality, of course). I knew all that, but it’s good to be reminded to keep a cool head. I thus decided to pick two <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> on Thursday, September 15th: the Côte de Presles (a very well <glossary title="430">exposed</glossary> <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> of <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary>) and the Nez de Commissaire (a young five year old plantation where we had done a big <glossary title="507">green harvest</glossary> earlier in the year). The Côte de Presles always seems to rank with itself - year in and out; producing this year 11.5% potential alcohol and 5.8 grams of <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>: good ripeness. The young planting was a little disappointing: 11.6% potential alcohol and 5.4 grams of <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>. I had sampled some of it last week at 11.9% and 6.1 g/l….The 20 liters of rain that we got last week must have reached the roots which are still rather shallow. I realized that the berries were fuller...no alarming dilution, but there is a little nevertheless, despite nice material in the mouth. In spite of this incident and since I am already satisfied with the quantity and quality already in <glossary title="1140">vat</glossary>, I will reattempt the “feat” and, once again, stop the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>. The day before yesterday, Saturday, it was overcast and cooler. Yesterday, Sunday, it was cold, 42 degrees in the morning and 50 at night with rainfall measuring eight liters per square meter. A sharp check for the sap and vegetation or a simple warning? Whatever the case, I will go back to <glossary title="521">harvesting</glossary> tomorrow, Tuesday. More later…

harvest report 25.10.2004

2004 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 06.09.2003

2003 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

September 6th, 2003: The <glossary title="521">harvest </glossary>is finished in <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>. The weather in 2003 has been full of surprises. On April 8th, the <glossary title="1135">frost</glossary> destroyed many of the young <glossary title="206">buds</glossary>; fortunately, the rest of the spring was calm and warm, and the <glossary title="1179">blossoming</glossary> went well so that all the <glossary title="206">buds</glossary> left gave good fruit. <glossary title="1167">Drought</glossary> and heat started in May after a quasi-rainless April. June and July were hot. In July, the temperatures hovered around 35C or more (95F) and never went under 20C (68F) at night. The vines grew very fast and it was hard to keep up with them. July and August were also very dry, with two stormy showers bringing 20ml and 30ml only. The biggest surprise came around August 15th, after a week of intense heat of 38-40C (100-104F): tests in the earliest ripening vines (<glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> and <glossary title="805">Pinot</glossary>) showed 12 degrees of potential alcohol and weak <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> levels (lower than 4g/l). The heat burned down the <glossary title="1247">malic acid</glossary> and it was urgent to start picking to preserve at least some <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>. <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> and <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> vines are tardier and resisted the heat better. I had no <glossary title="390">dessicated</glossary> grapes on any <glossary title="1071">varietal</glossary>. We got started on August 20th. Degrees of potential alcohol were satisfactory, above 12% for <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>, above 11% for <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> and 10.5% for <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary>. It did not seem prudent to wait another week, for fear the <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> levels would fall even lower, and given there was no hope to concentrate <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> either. I have chosen not to use <glossary title="1012">tartaric acid</glossary> (which has been allowed, as an exception, this <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>). I’d rather taste my wines as they are when the <glossary title="87">alcoholic fermentation</glossary> is complete. Also, my <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> had better <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> than my <glossary title="271">Chardonnay</glossary>, and some <glossary title="700">musts</glossary> were 5 to 5.5g/l. This <glossary title="">vintage</glossary> will no doubt be the year of ripe and round wines, and I also hope very <glossary title="120">aromatic</glossary> wines. I am convinced that <glossary title="422">oenological</glossary> manipulation, like adding <glossary title="1012">tartaric acid</glossary> or other products, cannot produce miracles. Adding <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> could only unbalance the wines. 2003 wines will probably better be drunk young. I believe that it is best to accept what Nature gives, and I thought that less alcohol but better balance was preferable. We had no <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary>, fortunately, but the <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> are very small: on my 5 <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>, I have <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> only 20 0<glossary title="524">HL</glossary>. Now I am waiting for some good surprises in my <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. What a strange <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> this is….

harvest report 03.10.2002

2002 Harvest Report by Franck Peillot

Winter 2001-2002 has been a REAL winter: the last three or four have been mild with very few days with freezing temperatures (for example, in the year 2000, only one week with temperatures between 0 and –3 C). In December 2001, it was often freezing, with lows around –10 to –12 C here in <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>. For a winemaker, that’s a good sign: the vines are able to go into a truly dormant state and one can be certain that diseases and insects will be less virulent. On the other hand, there was little snow and rain. The spring was also dry (in the period January to June 2002, there was a serious rain deficit compared to the same period in 2001). Actually, one could say that the spring was very dry : we waited until the end of April to plant. In mid-April, there was a cold period (0-1 C at night) which almost froze the new shoots. There was no damage in <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary>, but other areas in <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary> were hurt. A pretty rainy month of May gave the new plantings a good watering : it was about time. June brought hot temperatures which sped up our springtime work i.e. <glossary title="380">debudding</glossary> and <glossary title="1039">training the vines</glossary> on wires. The vines grew very fast with temperatures exceeding 30 C several days in a row : an unusual occurrence for June (those temperatures are more characteristic of the the July 15 – Aug 15 period). The rest of the summer has been pretty odd also: no periods of intense heat, a lot of humidity and dampness, but no really good rains and, above all, no violent storms. <glossary title="678">Montagnieu</glossary> was spared the <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary> that hit other sections of <glossary title="208">Bugey</glossary>. The vines have been doing well all year, no stress from too much heat, very little <glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary> and <glossary title="737">oidium</glossary> and only a few problems with insects and spiders. The <glossary title="1184">foliage</glossary> is very healthy which in turn has been beneficial for the grapes: a cool week at the end May when the vines were <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> had reduced the crop, with aborting flowers and <glossary term="Millerandage" title="1393">millerandage</glossary> on some of the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> and <glossary title="484">Mondeuse</glossary> grapes. The team of seasonal workers (myself included!) were very efficient: the grapes were <glossary title="73">aerated</glossary> and <glossary title="430">exposed</glossary> to sunlight, the new shoots near the grapes were cut back, all in all, a job well done. As of today, 9/9/02, ripening progresses: the <glossary title="96">Altesse</glossary> grapes have reached 11% and the <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> levels are still sufficiently high. Unfortunately, it has been raining one or two days a week and with the air temperatures being pretty hot (17 to 22 C), we are starting to get concerned about rot. Now, (once again!), it’s a matter of choosing the best moment to pick the grapes: well-ripened, but without too much rot or too little <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>. The years follow each other, but they don’t resemble each other… But, of course, that’s what makes this interesting work: trying to understand the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>, so that one can bring out the best in the crop. Reproducing what one did in previous years would be a mistake, especially this year. In any case, I remain watchful, imaginative and a scriptwriter (as is my wont), ready for action when I think the time has come to begin the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>.

producer profile 22.11.2019

Franck Peillot Producer Profile

interview 22.11.2019

An Interview with Franck Peillot from 2011

producer visit 24.07.2019

This visit with Franck Peillot took place in June, 2013

harvest report 11.10.2011

2011 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 23.10.2009

2009 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 10.10.2008

2008 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 22.10.2007

2007 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 29.09.2006

2006 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 20.09.2005

2005 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 25.10.2004

2004 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 06.09.2003

2003 Harvest Report from Franck Peillot

harvest report 03.10.2002

2002 Harvest Report by Franck Peillot

Franck Peillot’s wines

Franck Peillot

Bugey Pétillant Blanc "Montagnieu"

Franck Peillot

Roussette du Bugey-Montagnieu "Altesse"

Franck Peillot

Bugey Pinot Noir

Franck Peillot

Bugey Rouge Mondeuse