French wine producer using electric wires to fight frost in Chablis, Burgundy

Very little sleep has been had by Domaine Guillaume Fèvrethe cellar master Didier Séguier while he fought 20 nights of frost over a period of only 29 days in the Chablis wine region in northern France in April earlier this year. “And the temperatures were very, very low this year, around -8 Celsius [18 Fahrenheit], explains Didier. In some vineyards they lost 50% of their potential grapes in vineyards where they could use frost protection, while other vineyards lost all the potential of grape bunches resulting in zero production. Even though Didier is very familiar with frost, as it has become one of the most worrying issues for Chablis over the past six years, 2021 has always been a shock in his relentless onslaught of severe freezing temperatures.

“Frost has become an increasingly important factor compared to 20 years ago”, notes Didier, because bud break (first stage of the vine cycle) took place later in the year and therefore if there was a frost that was this extreme when it came to low temperatures and most of the buds could survive; yet today, due to climate change, the higher temperatures earlier in the year, towards the end of March, cause the vines to emerge from their winter dormancy earlier and the resulting bud break is more at risk over time. colder which is not only due to a start in the year but the weather has become even more extreme over the past six years; they are no longer just facing temperatures just below zero, as the lows have fallen further.

In recent years, a multitude of deep photos of lanterns and candles in the vineyards of Chablis have flooded the internet each spring, showing the world how these wine producers attempt to bring warmth to the vines, from images to the incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking times. But when it comes to practically dealing with frost, Didier says one of the best tools they use to combat it is the unromantic electric wire.

Frost protection

There are three main practices that Didier uses to fight against frost: spraying water, lighting candles and electric wires. They will be spraying water in their ‘Côte Bouguerots’ section of their Grand Cru Bougros vineyard but for the rest of their vineyards where they implement frost protection practices, the choice is either candles or electric wires. . Didier, always concerned about the environmental impact, insists on candles made from animal fat as opposed to gas lanterns because they are less toxic to the environment, although in his opinion, nothing like the electric wire for fight against freezing in the most efficient and sustainable way.

Electric wires are the most “environmentally friendly and the easiest to use on several levels, but they are considerably more expensive”, explains Didier. Just the idea of ​​the human strength that William Fèvre needed to bring out all those candles in the middle of the night, for 20 nights among a multitude of plots in Chablis (they have 193 hectares in total, of which 77 hectares are Grand Cru sites and Premier Cru) is turning heads, and it’s impossible to get enough people and candles out and so many vines have been 100% frost damaged in 2021. Yet the electrical wires can be programmed to automatically turn on when the temperatures are low. drop too low and therefore it is easy to understand how much electricity makes more sense, just as it does not emit anything into the air, although it is expensive to properly install and maintain these wires and that at present they have only installed it in nearly four hectares of Grand Cru Vaudésir and part of Grand Cru Les Preuses because these areas are highly prized plots which also present a high risk of gel. But he says they plan to add more electric wires to Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre in 2022 and the remaining part of Les Preuses in 2023.

A modern sensibility balanced with ancient values

As climate change takes its toll in Chablis, as it does everywhere in the world, Domaine William Fèvre explores practices that integrate modern sensibility while maintaining their core values, being a wine producer that started 250 years ago, to take care of the community and its environment. This not only extends to the practices to be used to combat freezing, but it is also represented by Didier using organic practices since 2000, and William Fèvre will be certified organic in 2023, as well as the integration of biodynamic principles.

While Didier faced a difficult period with the 2017 and 2019 vintages losing 50% of their yields and now the 2021 facing much greater losses with a further pandemic, he still finds solace in William’s farm. A fever that he started around ten years old. years ago. There are goats, donkeys, ducks, chickens and a beehive to name a few of the creatures that add to the biodiversity of their estate that produce eggs and honey that are enjoyed by their workers. This is the place he can go when the world is meaningless so he can ground himself in the beauty of life and the pandemic has given him more time with animals; he even witnessed the birth of baby lambs in March. It was a hopeful reminder that yes life can be cruel and take everything away from you in the blink of an eye, but around the corner there is always the gift of new life that inspires a soul. tired that the fight is worth it.

The 2019 is the next vintage to be released and the wines below are some tasting notes of samples from this vintage which is characterized by wines with a great concentration balanced by a great amount of acidity. All the wines are 100% Chardonnay but Didier likes to call them Chablis wines because this is the place that distinguishes the wine from the grape variety.

2019 Guillaume Fèvre, Estate Chablis: A mixture of William Fèvre’s vineyard in the Chablis appellation. Chalky, white flowers and citrus marrow on the palate with fierce acidity.

2019 William Fèvre, Grand Cru Bougros (Domaine): Intense minerality with exotic passion fruit and a juicy white nectarine with a wet stone quality on the very long and enticing finish.

2019 William Fèvre, Grand Cru Les Clos (Domaine): Already bigger, fatter on the nose with orange blossom, lemon meringue and smoothness on the nose with interwoven shell notes, ending with a saline minerality in mouth.