2014 grape harvests: a tense wait for wine-makers and a promising vintage

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Thursday 4 September 2014

Each year, French wine’s reputation hangs by a thread – due to meteorological uncertainty. This year’s crop is eventually very promising and the profession is talking about a miracle in 2014!

This year, France will produce around 45.4 million hectoliters (1.2 billion gallons) of wine compared with 42.3 million in 2013. The general trend is towards an increase in yields, with a recovery of 20% recorded in Champagne and 40% in the Bordeaux region.

The year began well, with seasonal flowering, unlike in 2013. The spring, which was a little too dry, resulted in a lack of water which delayed the growth of the fruit. The situation worsened from early summer, with the season proving cold and wet, delaying the ripening of the grapes and sending acidity levels soaring. Rain settled over most of France, causing dreaded vine disease. But then the fall proved dry and warm and the grapes were finally able to catch up on their delayed growth.

Late harvests in Languedoc, but one of the most promising vintages
“The series of hot and cold spells, with dry and wet weather in a single fortnight, encouraged the appearance of our biggest enemies: downy and powdery mildew, black rot and botrytis, ” says Jean Luc Zell, director of the Château d’Agassac estate in the Haut-Médoc, Gironde. “Harvesting ended in the last week of October – the latest year we have known in 18 years but also, and this is the paradox of this “Indian summer year” – one of the most promising. ”

 

Vines of Château d’Agassac in the Haut-Médoc

And that’s not all. Storms flooded more than 29,000 acres of vines in Languedoc-Roussillon, particularly affecting Minervois. The region’s yield fell by 10%, returning to its very low levels of 2010 and 2012. This decline in production comes at a bad time considering the renewed interest in the region’s wines (25% increase in sales). This year they benefited from plenty of sunshine and a tendency toward drought, as well as benefiting from a cool August. Harvests had to be brought forward to avoid an excessive concentration of sugar.
 
A fine September provided good conditions for harvesting
In Bourgogne, hail wiped out 12,300 acres of vines in the Côte de Beaune area. The famous appellations Pommard, Volnay and Côte de Nuits were almost obliterated. The Bordeaux region got away with around 2,500 acres of vines destroyed.

“Harvests were affected by these extraordinary weather conditions ,” says Sophie Woillez, owner of the La Croix Montjoie estate in Bourgogne. “This very fine September allowed us to harvest under the best conditions and wait for the optimum ripeness of the grapes. ” With the unexpected Indian summer having saved the harvest at La Croix Montjoie, Sophie Woillez has high hopes for the quality of this vintage: “Beautiful grapes, good alcoholic and phenolic maturity, good acidity, the wine-making process going well, all this suggests a good vintage – opinions are unanimous for Bourgogne, ” she says.

Sophie Woillez, the winemaker of La Croix Montjoie

It is likely to be a respectable vintage for 2014, since although quantities are not great, the profession is gambling on the anticipated quality of these exceptionally late harvests. The first indication will come at the end of November with Beaujolais Nouveau!

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Sources:

http://avis-vin.lefigaro.fr
http://www.francebleu.fr
http://www.midilibre.fr
http://www.ladepeche.fr
http://www.larvf.com
http://draaf.languedoc-roussillon.agriculture.gouv.fr
http://www.vin-vigne.com

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