Size, a question of quality

As soon as the first cold weather sets in and the sap begins to run, usually at the beginning of December, the biggest job for our winemaker and his team begins: pruning.

Throughout this stage, we take great care to respect the flow of sap to protect our beautiful vines.

The aim of pruning is to control the vine and the yield of the following harvest, while optimizing quality. This control allows a concentration (sugar, aromas, etc.) induced by a chosen number of buds.

There are different types of pruning, and here at Château de Bellet we use two: Double Cordon pruning and Guyot pruning.

• Size in Double Cordon (or Cordon de Royat) pruning is used for 3 of our grape varieties: the Folle Noireand Grenache and Rolle Rolle. This type of pruning is characterized by its 2 horizontal arms of about 40 cm, bearing an average of 5 spurs (branches pruned short to concentrate sap).
• As for pruning Guyotpruning, we use it on 2 grape varieties: the Chardonnay and Braquet. The vine consists of a trunk extended by an arm (the upper shoot) and a spur (the lower shoot).

Pruning is a long process that takes 3 to 4 months and keeps our technical team busy throughout the winter.

Our entire team awaits you at Château de Bellet to share our wines and our passion with you!