I invite you to the heart of the Monbazillac grape harvest!

Monbazillac is one of the most popular wines from the Bergerac vineyards. Famous throughout France, but also abroad, it is one of those symbols that surround the products of Périgord and festivals with delight, such as foie gras, duck breast, desserts with strawberries or Périgord nuts... Monbazillac is elevated to the rank of legend, it always arouses a lot of enthusiasm and excitement! It can be enjoyed with pleasure all year round, not just for the holidays! We followed the harvests of the 2018 season, Nathalie takes you on a report with her on the hillsides dotted with rows of well-aligned vines, bathed in sunshine, with a special guest: Botrytis...

Once upon a time, the vines of Monbazillac...

The Monbazillac vineyards are located near the town of Bergerac. Watered by the Dordogne, the Bergerac valley enjoys pleasant sunshine during the Indian summer and early autumn, very conducive to tourist exploration… but also to the ripening of grape clusters! Indeed, the hillsides of the valley form a clay-limestone terroir perfect for the vines that flourish in this draining, rocky and crumbly soil, as in the plain where sand and old river silt mix.

The Monbazillac hillsides, cultivated around the town, are mainly exposed to the north and steep. The carefully selected grape varieties (Muscadelle, Sauvignon, Sémillon, etc.) acclimatize perfectly and appreciate the warmth of the early autumn climate in the Périgord, while soaking up the humidity in the morning, when the mists of the Dordogne rise at their feet... A magnificent picture that the winegrowers who cultivate the vines to make Monbazillac know how to appreciate all year round!

It's his fault, Botrytis

Yes! It is the culprit, which increases the sugar content of the grapes used to make Monbazillac! Botrytis is a fungus, also called "noble rot", which develops on the vines from spring. The "botrytization" of grapes is no small matter, because all the skill and know-how of winegrowers consists in controlling the development of the fungus.

Its effect is as follows: to unfold, it feeds on the water contained in the grains, which has the effect of drying them out and concentrating the sugar content of the pulp. It is as if the grains were stewed, candied on the vine! The fungus also produces enzymes, which must be controlled so as not to leave an unpleasant taste during winemaking. This is also made complex by the high sugar content, which complicates the work of the yeasts. Remember that during winemaking, the product of the harvest (the grape juice = the soft) is inoculated with yeasts, which, if they are carried out in a favorable environment (i.e. a sufficiently warm environment), will consume the sugar in the grape juice and produce an alcoholic fermentation: wine! Tadammmmmmmmmmmmm!!

The Monbazillac harvest: the late harvest

The harvests of sweet wines, and in particular Monbazillac, are among the latest harvests. The winegrowers wait as long as possible to harvest the fruit of their work, just at the right time! It is an art of patience and fine meteorological observations. The perfect configuration combines the morning freshness, which brings mist, if not morning humidity, with beautiful dry sunny days. The grapes then have time to perfect themselves, to dry out during the day while allowing the Botrytis to develop at night and in the morning.

The Monbazillac grape harvest is done in several sortings, that is to say that the harvesters pass through the rows several times (2 to 3 times), to harvest only the ready bunches. They are ripe when they are a little stunted, all wrinkled like raisins.

The harvest is exclusively manual, because the botrytized grape is fragile! On the soft, fine volatile spores and with the drying of the bunch, a fragility that requires great delicacy. The harvesters are equipped with gloves, pruning shears and a bucket which once filled, is transported in a dumper (a tractor with a bucket). The harvest is quickly brought to the winery to be immediately processed.

On the way to the cellar!

The grape clusters are then quickly transported to the place where they will be processed. We must act quickly to preserve a maximum of aromas in the juice and avoid oxidation:

• The winegrowers cultivate their plot of vines, but then entrust the winemaking and marketing to their cooperative cellar. It is therefore the Monbazillac Cooperative Cellar which takes over for the rest of the operations.
• Winegrowers are grape producers, but they also take care of winemaking and marketing. They have the right equipment and manage all the stages of processing, from the vine to the bottle.

The harvest is transported by a conveyor belt to the press. This is a bit unusual, it exerts slow and gentle pressure, the pressing works with a kind of balloon that inflates against perforated walls, which let the juice through but not the grains.

The pomace (i.e. the juice extracted from the berries) is harvested and stored in a first vat. The marc is the product that remains when all the liquid is extracted from the grape pomace. This dry residual substance is used to feed livestock, sometimes it is distilled to create spirits and other very strong alcohols!

Monbazillac, an exceptional wine at your table

The quality of Monbazillac results, as you have understood, from a multitude of factors. Whether you choose a wine produced by a winegrower through a cooperative cellar or a winegrower who uses his own equipment, excellence is always there.

Once the must has been extracted from the harvest, it is inoculated with yeasts, then brought to a certain temperature so that they can do their job. They consume the sugar in the juice and their digestion produces alcohol, CO² and heat which transform the juice into wine (this is fermentation). The wine then goes through several stages, it is racked, it rests, the fermentation is stopped (with the famous sulfites which are used sparingly) when the expected result is obtained and then it is bottled. But all this… is another story that I will tell you another time! ahaha!!

Now, we have an appointment in store. It is in store that you encounter Monbazillac: at a producer, at the Cave Coopérative de Monbazillac, at your wine merchant or in other points of sale.

The important thing is to get good advice, you may think that there is only one Monbazillac, but not at all! There are lots of different ones: whether it is the sugar content, the aromas, the freshness, the body in the mouth... in recent years, very sweet wines are less popular, you have surely noticed! The fashion is for fruity aromas, while keeping a gourmet touch. Winegrowers and winemakers have understood this well and adapt their products to the desires of consumers. So, do not hesitate to invite a Monbazillac to your table during the holidays, to accompany a salad with nuts and blue cheese, to enhance a meat, reveal all the aromas of a good cheese or give a naughty addition to a crème brûlée, a pie or a nut cake... the Monbazillac will be a guarantee of success!

Learn more

• Visit the Périgord Attitude page to not miss anything about the art of living in Périgordine
• Visit the Vins de Bergerac Duras website
• Discover our article on Bergerac Duras Wines
• Discover our article on the Périgord Attitude, for a rustic picnic
• Our tips for a successful family meal!