A load of rot, if not to late ...
by winemarc (Domaine Pansiot)
The 2011 Harvest in France.
The waiting game: the climax to a difficult growing season is approaching fast with temperatures hitting 40°C in parts of France,as the first Sauvignon grapes are being picked in Bordeaux and the meteo forcasting a mixture of continued elevated temperatures along with localised storms, ideal conditions for 'Botrytis Cinerea', grey mould or rot to you and me, the nightmare of all growers and winemakers around the world.
The season in France has been a strange one. An early bud-burst, followed by a warm May and June, with little if any rain, though hail storms caused upto 40% damage in the Sauterne vineyards, as well as affecting other areas. Come the 2nd week of July, with the grapes some 3 weeks in advance, picking dates where being scheduled to start at the end of August, the proverbial '100' days after flowering and and the end of French holidays. At that point the weather decided to downgrade itself for a month, just as 'veraison', (the softening and change of colour of the grape), started in many regions. Cool temperatures and regular rain. "The rot was about to set in".
So that's where we are now. Decision making time for the winemaker. "Cut and Run", or hold on, hoping the weather and rot dries up. Bordeaux reds will hold, Burgundy and its fickle Pinot Noir may not wait. The reputed Domaine Leflaive in Puligny was looking at the 25th August to start back in June. Champagne likewise will have organised its picking teams 2 months ago. No machine harvesting here.
In a future newsletter, you will find out, along with summary of the harvest, the predictions for its quality.
There you go.
The man from Burgundy. |
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