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Back Anthony Hanson MW: News from Burgundy

Published on 1 September, 2017

Dear Fine Wine Enthusiasts,

In Burgundy we’ve been suffering the summer’s 2nd big heat wave. French radio warned the elderly and those with infants about the effects of “La Canicule”. Yesterday the temperature was 34 degrees at 6pm. Today the weather broke, there’s heavy rain, and the mercury’s plummeted to 17 degrees. In Hong Kong, why should you care about the weather in France today? Think ahead a few years to when you will be buying fine wines from Burgundy’s 2017 vintage. This has been a see-saw growing season, and much is still at stake as the vintage kicked off, over the last few days.

You may remember that in the Spring, social media was awash with dramatic pictures of bonfires at dawn in Côte d’Or vineyards. Growers lit straw to produce smoke to keep frost damage to the minimum, often successfully. But Chablis and several other vineyards suffered, and were a sad sight. There was hail damage in Morey-Saint-Denis, gloomy reports and long faces. But in the main, the vines were benefitting from their springtime, quick start to growth, then favorable weather. At end-June the first heat-wave arrived. It was very hot and very dry. By the end of it people were worn out but the vines were still healthy, the grapes were maturing nicely and quite advanced. The prospect of an early harvest (maybe end August?) lifted growers’ spirits.

However round the corner came an unseasonably cold patch, during July and early August. Everything stalled in the vineyards. People took out the winter clothes they had just packed away. Maybe pickers would not be needed at the end of August after all.

All change again. Most wine-makers had gone on their pre-vintage holiday, then temperatures soared. They stayed high, and there was a drought, until today! Picking of whites began at several estates in Meursault, early this week. Because August heat had concentrated the juices, sugars are naturally high, acidities also. But are the skins fully ripened ? Not yet, in many cases, so some people are waiting.

In red vineyards, today’s rain is welcome to many. Grape-skins seem thick, and some moisture (but not too much !) will help them to swell. The mood is positive, but favorable weather over the next two weeks is crucial.

 

Pernand-Vergelesses, 30th August 2017

Anthony Hanson M.W. 
Senior Consultant