In the Bordeaux area, vineyard decay is an endemic, very serious problem that mows down more than 10 percent of Cabernet Sauvignon plants per year. Not having effective treatments against wood diseases (esca disease and others), Château Latour has decided to focus decisively on prevention, and the first way to do this is proper pruning.
Simonit&Sirch pruning is aimed at making the vines less vulnerable, with a more intact and efficient wood structure, thanks to targeted branching that reduces the devastating impact that heavy cuts have on the plants’ lymphatic system.
We studied the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon training system, the Médoc Guyot, tried to understand its weak points and then identified less invasive pruning techniques to evolve the cutting technique, while respecting tradition. All of this is shared with the company’s management and technicians.
We work mainly on young and uncompromised adult vineyards and train pruning teams. The perspective has been to codify an innovative and customized pruning system designed specifically for Château Latour.
Team: Massimo Giudici, Michaël Rességuier, Caterina Profili
