In this challenging year, we interviewed winemakers from the appellation. In this interview, Lionel Gosseaume, from Domaine de Pierre, talks about his work in times of hail and uncertain weather.
Interview with Lionel Gosseaume from Domaine de Pierre
- Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
I am Lionel Gosseaume, I resisted for a long time to follow in the family footsteps, and I ended up changing paths and taking over this 35-hectare estate in 2017, thanks to the experience I had received from my family and the help of my brother.
- Have you been able to give yourself some rest before the intense harvest period?
Yes, I had the chance to spend a week in Tuscany tasting Italian wines and dishes including delicious carpaccios.
- Do you have an idea of when the harvest will start this year in Touraine-Oisly?
With us, the harvest in Touraine-Oisly should start not next week but the week after that.
- What to think of the 2021 harvest?
We know that the harvest will be modest this year because it has been difficult with the frosts and unfortunately also hail, and the weather continues to be uncertain and stormy. However, harvests could be not as bad as expected. After the hail, I was anticipating only 10 to 15 hl and now the pre-harvest estimates predict 20 to 30hl!
- Do you already have your team of harvesters?
The majority of the vines are harvested manually. Every year, we recruit a team, there are regulars who come back from one year to the next.
If volunteers wish to come and give those pruning shears a workout, you can also contact me at 06.72.50.16.47.
- Do you have any advice to share with all winemakers for these next harvests?
Persevere and remain resilient, but I trust the winemakers of the appellation who have a lot of experience and have already overcome worse scenarios!
💻 : http://www.lionelgosseaume.fr/dev/
📷 : Domaine de Pierre