PEHU SIMONET Champagne: the art of preserving freshness
The essentials
David Péhu of Champagne Pehu Simonet preserves the wine’s freshness by using a high trellis system on his 5 hectares in Verzenay, which enhances the grapes’ natural acidity. This acidity allows him to let malolactic fermentation take place naturally, without adding any additional sulphites.
- What does the ‘Face Nord’ cuvée from Champagne Pehu Simonet mean?
- Champagne Pehu Simonet’s ‘Face Nord’ cuvée takes its name from the vineyard’s north-facing aspect, which David Péhu regards as a major asset in preserving the natural acidity and freshness of his house’s grapes.
- Is Champagne Pehu Simonet organically farmed?
- Champagne Pehu Simonet has been in the process of converting to organic farming for almost three years. David Péhu has stayed the course despite the unprecedented outbreak of downy mildew in the summer of 2021, and now works 50 per cent of his estate using a horse.
- Why does Pehu Simonet use a horse to work his vines?
- David Péhu of Champagne Pehu Simonet uses a horse to work the soil on 50 per cent of his estate. Beyond the carbon footprint, he values the harmony that this method brings to the vineyards — an aspect he considers impossible to quantify.
At Champagne Pehu Simonet, freshness isn’t added in the cellar: it arises naturally in the vineyards of Verzenay. How does David Péhu achieve this?
North-Facing Slope / Champagne PEHU SIMONET
The Champagne Pehu Simonet vineyard covers 5 hectares, mostly in Verzenay: ‘My vines are situated at the heart of the terroir. This is the result of skilful negotiations and transactions by the generations that came before me. They did a fine job! ” Whilst David Péhu does a little wine trading, almost all of his supply comes from his own vineyard, which gives him the assurance of working with grapes whose ripeness matches the style of wine he is seeking. David is keen to focus precisely on freshness, a process that begins at the viticultural stage, through the development of a higher trellising system to avoid having to prune the vines. As well as promoting root development, this vertical expansion of the vines also yields higher acidity.
This preservation of the grapes’ natural freshness – a major asset of the north-facing slope, after which he has named one of his cuvées – means he does not need to halt malolactic fermentation. “I have enough acidity to allow it to start naturally if it needs to; this saves me from having to add extra sulphites. ” Having been in the process of converting to organic farming for almost three years, Champagne Pehu Simonet has not backtracked despite the unprecedented mildew outbreak of summer 2021. “I remember the days when winegrowers were asked to flood the Champagne region with grapes. As soon as I took the reins of the estate, I took the opposite approach by experimenting with green harvesting.
Today, we work the soil on 50 per cent of our estate using a horse. Some point out its higher carbon footprint, but when you’re out in the vineyards with him, a sense of harmony emerges – and that’s something you can’t put a number on! We’re also developing agroforestry. In the past, orchards used to grow below the Verzenay mill. They’ve disappeared, and the hillsides now lack biodiversity.
At first, I only wanted to plant local species. But we must take climate change into account and plan ahead for it, otherwise we risk jeopardising the survival of pollinators.
