Vendanges alert! So we can say that we are underway…
It’s the whites that are being harvested first this year, as is probably the case in 19 out of 20 years. First, there were some very early pickers in the middle of last week, then the Hospices were picking some whites on Friday. Saturday (yesterday) was D-day for Jean-Marc Roulot in his Meursault Bouchères, Dominique Lafon in his Meursault Perrières and Olivier Lamy in his Chassagne and St.Aubin, plus many others including Pablo Chevrot. The grapes remain rather small and with many millerandes – they auger for wines of concentration.-
A larger wave of producers in the Côte de Beaune are planning their attacks for next week – my home domaine included as we will start on the 12th. Much of the Côte de Nuits are probably waiting until at least the 15th, more likely the 18th to 20th. It’s also still a little early for Beaujolais and Chablis.
This weekend’s weather is currently cool but dry, though the temperatures should rise to the mid-20°s next week. Of course, I’ll keep you informed via my harvest diary…
There is one response to “Harvesting the 2019s”
Again — thanks, Bill! Fruit looks clean in those pics. Will be interested to get updates as the harvest unfolds, particularly as it relates to potential heat effects.
I mentioned in a comment earlier that the harvest was getting going in Oregon (Chardonnay first, as it seems always to be the case here); I worked 10 tons of fruit over two days last week and the fruit was really clean — a little rot, a little botrytis, 15 lady beetles counted over two days, a little sun-scald, but otherwise gorgeous.
I know this site is about Burgundy, not Oregon, so why the dialogue? This year in Oregon is a welcome change in the order of the last few years, when heat was the calling card. The winemakers here managed wonderfully, but this year’s wines may yield a style not seen in many years. To contrast, Burgundy’s weather seemed more “2014-2018 hot” by US Pacific Northwest standards (punctuated by long heat waves). I’m fascinated to see where the two regions land — in many years the characteristics parallel incredibly closely, but this one may not……
Aha – you have been sucked into harvesting! That’s a very slippery slope, as you well know 😁