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 monthThe French terms “Blanc de Blancs” (white from whites) and "Blanc de Noirs" (white from blacks) indicate the cultivars that make up the blend. A Blanc de Blancs is exclusively blended from the principal white grape, the Chardonnay. A Blanc de Noirs is exclusively blended from the two principal black grapes, the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
The House of Delamotte was established in Reims in 1760 by François Delamotte and renamed Delamotte Père & Fils when the company was joined by his two sons, Alexander and Nicolas-Louis (a former Knight of Malta). Operating under the motto, vive et me ama (live and love me), they built their House a reputation that resounded throughout Europe.
The Champagne Houses