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A special harvest, in the heart of the iconic Clos des Goisses
Les Goisses. A legendary name, a historic clos in Champagne. A superlative vineyard. The name of this 5.5-hectare hillside was inspired by its 45° gradient: in the local dialect, “Goisses” means a very steep slope. Clos des Goisses is also the region’s warmest terroir; on pure chalk soil and facing due south, it receives no shade from sunrise to sunset. Overlooking the Marne Canal at Mareuil-sur-Ay, it offers determined visitors one of the finest views in Champagne.
Although the same care is given to the vines and grapes at Clos des Goisses as in the rest of the House’s vineyards, the harvest is carried out in a very specific way. The slope makes the work of the grape pickers and collectors particularly arduous. The first Clos and the first “single vineyard” wine to be crafted separately in Champagne, each year its fourteen plots are carefully sorted as they are picked. 2021 was no exception to the rule: the consequences of bad weather – spring frost affected nearly 30% of the Clos’ Chardonnay vines, and the appearance of botrytis made it necessary to bring forward the date of the harvest – meant that extreme vigilance was required during picking. The same drastic selection was made during blending. Unusually for Champagne, over the last thirty years or more each harvest has produced a Clos des Goisses vintage; only the quantity of wine produced varies from one harvest to another. In this respect, 2021 will undoubtedly be a year to remember…
