A snapshot of what’s happening in the world of wine
Tree-planting plan signals way forward in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux’s Château Larrivet Haut-Brion has announced a ‘vineyard of the future’ project to battle climate change impact on its wines and promote biodiversity.
Larrivet Haut-Brion will adopt agroforestry techniques – or ‘vitiforestry’ – to replant a 12-hectare vineyard plot acquired in 2010.
Charlotte Mignon, director of development and cellar master at the Pessac-Léognan estate, said plans for the plot mean ‘sacrificing 10% of wine production potential’ in order to help preserve ecosystems.
Alongside new hedges and wildflower beds, paulownia trees will be planted in between vineyard rows. These trees grow quickly, absorb relatively large amounts of carbon dioxide, and produce large leaves to shield grapes from too much sun, said the estate, which worked with consultancy Biosphères and plans to open its project to the public.
‘The objective is to harvest high-quality grapes from this gravel terroir that will be part of our [grand vin] blend 15 to 20 years from now, while taking climate change into account,’ said Larrivet Haut-Brion MD Bruno Lemoine.
While the move suggests a rising trend, other high-profile Bordeaux châteaux have also explored agroforestry, including Châteaux Cheval Blanc and Giscours. Many other estates in the region have long-standing commitments to agroecology in general.
Agroforestry was named a ‘key climate solution’ by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) director-general Qu Dongyu in December 2023. Such methods have a rich history in grapegrowing in several countries. Some winemakers in the Roman era trained vines high into trees, partly to avoid humidity levels nearer the soil, according to Dr Dimitri Van Limbergen of Ghent University, co-author of Methods in Ancient Wine Archaeology. He told Decanter such practices may be relevant to modern vineyards facing climate change, even if specific challenges differ. Larrivet Haut-Brion’s Mignon said: ‘Our intention isn’t to be sanctimonious or preachy – we are making choices based on the knowledge of our terroir, in order to continue producing great wines at Château Larrivet Haut-Brion for the next 20 years.’
Mignon added: ‘We would of course welcome other agroforestry projects taking root around us, as this would contribute positively to the biodiversity of the appellation.’
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