Expression
Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Raymond decided, when he returned to Féchy from California in 1978, to experiment with Chardonnay, this grape that is so widespread throughout the world. The logic behind this grape’s vinification – so different from what we are used to – taught us a great deal and helped us to progress. Today, it gives us a wine with great typicity, an intense nose and a streamlined structure.
Expression
The flavours’ song
Domaine La Colombe cultivates several grape varieties in addition to Chasselas. The harmony of the place and the variety allows each plant to express the full extent of its character.
In the cellar, the limit of the intervention is the research for the authentic expression. Personality grape varieties, fullness of aromas here offer a perfect balance delivering a full and immediate pleasure.
VINTAGE
Harvest on 24th September 2024
Regular rainfall from November to February replenished the water tables, which were in dire need of replenishment.
The winter was particularly mild, which prevented the from freezing of the ground. This is positive for us, as it decompacts the soil. On the other hand, the seeds we sowed grew well. An alternative that helps us structure and nourish the soil.
April was a month of contrasts.
With summer temperatures in the first fortnight (even 26°C recorded in Féchy!), the vines budded early and developed well.
But the second fortnight quickly brought a halt to this advance with winterly temperatures. We came close to a catastrophe with temperatures close to zero Celsius between April 18th and 23nd. Thanks once again to the lake and the hillsides, we saw very little spring frost damage in our region.
Following this shock, the vines took some time to recover. We lost the lead we had at bud-break, and reached full flowering around June 12, heralding a classic vintage.
There were 180 mm of rain in May alone. Mildew, which loves these conditions, had a field day. Fortunately, our strong and resilient team is strong and we fought back with hard work.
But, one has to admit that water is life; nature was glowing, forests radiant, slopes green, everything grew in abundance. Which kept us busy… mowing the grass, hand-trimming, shearing, …
132 mm of rain again in June. Remember the torrential rains that caused the Morges River to overflow its banks? And the violent thunderstorms that caused flooding in Valais, Graubünden and Ticino. In Féchy, none of this happened… It's true that at this time of year, we had hail, particularly on our Girarde parcels (30%) and Petit Clos (around 10%). Fortunately, we were more frightened than hurt! The berries, still sugar-free, healed, dried and continued to ripen.
It was a year of “What if the sun didn't come back?”, but in the end, we're very happy with it - our hard work paid off in spades!
The harvest began on September 24th … with our Pinot Gris and its delicious little berries, the juicy Chasselas and the Savagnin Blanc, as golden as the sun.
Let time help us raise our precious children. 2024 will be a fresh vintage, with finesse and juicy fruit. A well-deserved vintage!
Photo by Marco Lopez
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