Above Nantoux, in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, a few hectares of meadow are now plots of vines. Planted in February 2021, they will give their first grapes in two years. On this very beautiful, almost-forgotten terroir there was also a cabotte which testifies to the presence of an ancient wine-growing activity. Domaine Leflaive has completely restored this dry-stone hut, which was intended to serve as a shelter for the winegrower or as a tool shed. «It is important to maintain this vernacular heritage of Burgundy, underlines Brice de La Morandière, partner-manager of the estate. It is believed that there were vines in the 19th Century on these meadows of Nantoux. This cabotte is a witness to the region’s history and France’s in general from the pre-phylloxera area.»

These constructions, without mortar, also show a remarkable know-how of stone-cutting, for the walls to stay balanced. Their restoration thus revives forgotten trades and a certain number of craftsmen have been able to resume or even learn these techniques again. This built heritage, inseparable from the Burgundian landscape, gives it a harmony that the classification in UNESCO’s World Heritage had consecrated in 2015. The «Association des Climats de Bourgogne» has set up in the last five years, a financial aid system for restoration within the UNESCO registered parameter. More than 200 projects from private and public owners have been supported: low walls, stairs, enclosure doors... and 14 cabottes! A new tender for projects is in progress until June 23.

«This heritage is aesthetic, reflecting the beauty and balance of our terroirs, and it remains utilitarian: the low walls have an important function for wind management, in particular», explains Brice de La Morandière, who with Aubert de Villaine and Guillaume d'Angerville, raises funds every year from major Asian amateurs whose donations are so precious. «We have a mission to restore this heritage, often in poor condition. All these little gestures are important. The «Association des Climats» co-financed the restoration of a Gallo-Roman well in the heart of the Blagny vineyards. It's sensational! It is exciting to see that the Burgundians take care of their cultural heritage.»

What is the use of plant cover in the vineyard?

This is a voluntary and temporary grassing of the rows of vines by sowing a natural mixture of cereals and legumes: barley and oats; peas, field beans and vetch. We sow in September, at the end of the harvest, and a few weeks later the cover crop develops. The sole natural grass cover is irregular, hence the idea of triggering this plant cover in order to obtain greater homogeneity. We now practice it on all the plots of the estate after launching the first trials five years ago.

What effects have you been able to measure?

First, it helps to structure the soil and limit erosion: with the winter rains, good soil can slide down the plot and some terroir is lost. When we mow in April-May, there is a second effect of the plant cover: it is left to dry for a few days, to become a green manure, before burying it by light ploughing. This will bring nitrogen to the vine which it needs at this time of the year. This brings us to one of the main principles of biodynamics: you have to feed the soil, which will then feed the plant.

Does the plant cover ultimately have an impact on the quality of the wine?

Yes. It's like a third effect that will enrich the must, the grape juice. We have known for a long time in oenology that a must that is naturally richer in nitrogen will ferment better. On the contrary, alcoholic fermentation can be long or even be stopped with musts deficient in nitrogen, thus producing faulty wines: there will be sugars left, which we do not want for our dry wines, and there is a risk of premature oxidation. A balanced must also contains naturally present aromatic precursors. In the end, we will obtain more complex wines. We can thus see that the plant cover has a complete impact: pedological on the structure of the soil, agronomical on the health of the plant and oenological on the balance of the wine

Bertrand Chapuis has been watching over some rather special members of the Leflaive team for the last nine years: the horses Prune, Lola and Gitan. This trio’s work is in the agronomic interest of ploughing, which causes less soil compaction. And in aerated soils that are in better health, the roots plunge more easily to explore the terroir. “It is an old practice at the estate, which is developing a lot in Burgundy but generally with external service providers. We are perhaps the only ones to have our own horses,” explains Bertrand, who roams the Grands Crus plots with them from March to July, before also mounding in November-December.

Prune (22) and Lola (24) have just retired after many years of service. They are in the meadow for a well-deserved rest, in the meadows above Nantoux, near the newly planted vines. It's up to Gitan, 7, to take over: this Auxois, a purebred Burgundian Shire horse, has been trained to work for two years. "He is a nice size, more massive and heavier, observes Bertrand Chapuis. He is still learning and will be fully ready soon. You also have to adapt to him. Endurance depends on many factors. And it is often the horse that gives the signal of his own fatigue when he gets agitated or takes the row with more difficulty. Depending on the time of year, Gitan lives in Puligny-Montrachet or Nantoux, where he will find his two former colleagues...