Champagne holds its breath until the Saints de Glace (Ice Saints) are safely past (11, 12, 13 May), dreading a spring freeze that might destroy the future harvest’s fruitful buds.
Desuckering removes the non-fruitful buds (suckers or gourmands). Any unwanted growth is removed to optimise sugar concentration and encourage good sap flow.
The Champagne month by monthIn spring, the leaves of the Pinot Meunier are covered in a flour-like, dusty white down – hence the name Pinot Meunier, "meunier" meaning "miller" in French.
The House of Lanson was founded in 1760 and is one of the oldest in Champagne. Since 1798 it has proudly displayed the emblem adopted by the founder’s son Nicolas Louis Delamotte. As a knight of the Order of Malta (the oldest charity in the world, established in 1048) he chose the Maltese Cross as a symbol of openness, kindness and hospitality.
The Champagne Houses