Domaine Trapet on the high wire

Domaine Trapet, one of the true pioneers of biodynamic viticulture, is now taking a giant leap by completely changing its pruning system and canopy management in order to cope with global warming.

While Domaine Leroy is mainly using higher trellising, Jean-Louis Trapet and his sons Pierre and Louis are going with the full monty.

There are two main styles of higher trellising: one supported by longer posts (160 cm) and extra wires higher on the post to support the unhedged vines (Domaine Leroy and, in part, Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux use this method).

The second method has some different attributes, one being that it supports higher trellising, but also allows for the more labour-intensive Paisseaux canopy – the Burgundian term for echalas trellising: each vine with its individual stake.

This is partly what Domaine Trapet is currently implementing with setting a large number of individual posts in the Grand Cru vineyards covering at least parts of the rows with a more conventional echalas trellising.

The two sons of Jean-Louis are very convinced, there project is to use this canopy management on the entire domaine – 20 hectare in total.

As the photo above shows, there is one tall pole (160-180 cm) for each vine – at least in parts of the rows. This change is already partly in place in Trapet’s Le Chambertin, Latricieres-Chambertin and Chapelle-Chambertin. But in the near future this will be expanded to all vineyards.

Gobelet pruning is normally used with the Paisseaux trellising but Trapet have chosen a slightly different solution.

As Jean-Louis is explaining the wark – “This is in fact a new pruning type, we’ll call it Trapet… More seriously you’re right it’s a very gentle way a sort of gobelet”.

Indeed fundamental changes in Trapet’s viticulture, and coming just on the heels of an experiment over the past couple of years in a small test vineyard located just behind the estate in Gevrey.

We will see how the new pruning and Paisseaux trellising unfolds in the Trapet vineyards during the spring and summer.

This is truly exciting news, and is a reflection of new times in Burgundy!