Nine hectares (22.24 acres) are now in production and we started our first planting: 1.5 hectare (3.7 acres) of quality Syrah grafted on selective root stock. The hillside plot is rough and steep. Will we ever have a tractor to plough such a plot? We will see. Buying one only takes a few minutes, while vines take years to grow and to take root. In the meantime, the motorized cultivator will have to do. We chose each individual pole, needed for bush pruning. People discretely came to check-out these strange poles. They make fun of them then, in no time, copied them.
During the harvest, the «Grand Cru» technique made the difference. Nothing can replace the human hand. Strangely, all the varietals ripened at the same time. We brought out the sorting table for the last time, without even realizing it… In the cellar, we used 2 small vats, better adapted to our low yields, and a peristaltic pump to preserves the quality of the must. We increased our number of barrels and the work conditions improved. The media started to write about the Clos des Fées. Still, the effect our wines had on people kept surprising us and amazing us.