How we keep our grapes healthy until harvest

Summer is a crucial time in the vineyard. It may not look as dramatic as harvest, flowering, or pruning, but it’s the moment when everything can quietly go wrong… or beautifully right.

At Château Canon Chaigneau, keeping our grapes healthy through the heat of July and August is a mix of precision, observation, and restraint.

Here’s what we focus on.

1. Effeuillage (Leaf-Thinning)

We’ll dive deeper into this in another article later this week, but in short:
by removing some of the leaves around the grape bunches, we improve airflow, reduce humidity-related risks, and help grapes ripen more evenly.

We do this by hand, just on the morning-sun side of the rows, and always with a light touch. It’s about creating balance, not stripping the vines bare.

2. Avoiding Excess Humidity

Our vineyard in Lalande-de-Pomerol can get very warm in summer. But it’s not just the heat that challenges us, it’s the humidity.

Warm, wet conditions can encourage:

• mildew

• botrytis

• or simply delayed ripening

That’s why canopy management (trimming, thinning, lifting wires) and ground work (like managing grass or cover crops) are essential to keep things dry and breathable.

 3. Minimal Intervention, Maximum Observation

We follow a philosophy of observation first. If a vine is balanced, we let it be. If something looks off, we act quickly, but never aggressively.

We avoid excessive treatments, especially late in the season.
Instead, we rely on:

• good canopy structure

• natural ventilation

• and consistent monitoring by our team (especially Louis, our chef de culture)

The goal? Let the grapes reach harvest in a healthy, concentrated, and natural state, without forcing them.