hot stuff – a 2017 vintage update…

Update 8.7.2017(7.7.2017)billn

As the Tour de France reaches Nuits St.Georges today, this week’s weather has recovered from the cooler wet days at the end of last week – the latter part of the week has simmered at 35°C. But there are big regional differences – last weekend Beaune received about 95 mm of rain – much needed rain – but depending on where you were in Beaujolais you may have seen between 1 and 10 mm. There are storms forecast for the weekend too

The vines are surging forward – it’s currently highly likely that the Côte d’Or will be harvesting closer to the beginning of September – more like 90 days from flowering, whereas in Beaujolais they are already starting to pencil-in dates from the 25th August! Even Chablis where they had over 10 days of frost at the end of April is forecasting an early harvest – though the frosted vines are of-course a little behind. Yields are currently looking ‘good’ – Chablis excepted – and given the lack of wine in cellars, that would be a logistical boon, but clearly might have repercussions for the pricing of 2016s. Let’s see, according to the BIVB:

In the north of the Bourgogne winegrowing region, in the Chablis and Grand Auxerrois, growth is comparable with the 2011 and 2003 vintages. For the Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits and the Hautes-Côtes, it is more like 2007 and 2009, when the harvest began at the end of August or in early September. The Côte Chalonnaise should also begin harvesting around that time. As for the Mâconnais, 2017 is a week ahead of the average for the last 10 years, and 18 days ahead compared to 2016.

The grape clusters are closing up and I’ve even seen the first pictures of some colour-change – veraison. The vineyards are currently very clean – no mildew, and so-far very little sign of oïdium. Oïdium from infection to blooming needs 40 days – so so the vignerons think that if they’ve seen nothing in the next 10 days, then they will have avoided that too. In the vines maybe there are a few last treatments of sulfur and copper – but apart from a tight ‘haircut’ to tidy the vines, the only work is preparing for the harvest – oh and the vigneron(ne)s holidays!

This week I’ve been enjoying the beautiful blue skies of the Côtes – and finding my iPhone a decent-enough replacement for my camera! Yesterday was a big tasting in Beaujolais – lots and lots of St.Amour – next week I’ll be visiting the selected producers.

Only one mid-week wine – a half of 1996 Grivot Nuits Lavières. The first sip was a little sharp, but à table with the home-made burgers it was very nicely balanced. Definitely a durable wine and of interest and fine texture too, but any pretense of ‘deliciousness’ departed the scene at least 15 years ago!
 

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There are 2 responses to “hot stuff – a 2017 vintage update…”

  1. suvroinhi7th July 2017 at 4:21 pmPermalinkReply

    We were there (Beaune) last Saturday and Sunday. When visiting Chateau du Cree we got a little rain, but otherwise most of Sunday was clear skies.
    Would have loved to be there when my favorite TdF goes through – saw plenty of signs on the roads.
    Visited Chateau du Cree, Chateau du Meursault, and Maison Champy.
    Had a wonderful time at all three!

  2. Marko de Morey7th July 2017 at 6:52 pmPermalinkReply

    Thanks Bill, all interestingly pretty positive (if not well overdue from recent years) positive stuff. Fond memories here of my sunny 2009 Pernand vendange (missed 2007). Sounds like could be my earliest arrival in Morey in 8 years. We’ll see I guess, am a big believer in ‘the law or averages’ which to me suggests poor weather will come along sooner or later – not too poor one hopes.

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