Early Harvest Report 2020

The harvest is well underway in the Côte de Beaune and producers are reporting fairly similar experiences.

The crop which set at the outset was potentially really quite large, though slightly limited at the flowering. When they left for a well-earned summer holiday (those that did manage to get away) the vines were looking really healthy, just needing a bit of rain!

When they came back, they were not nearly so optimistic: the vines were looking parched, some leaves were starting to die off, and in a few instances the grape skins were starting to rival.

As a result, many brought forward their picking dates: Arnaud Ente started on Monday 178th, Antoine Jobard and the Hospices de Beaune on Tuesday 18th, Etienne de Montille on Wednesday 19th, Dominique Lafon on Thursday 20th and Benjamin Leroux on Friday 21st, to cite a few of my regular harvest time visits. Sugars were reaching the required levels and acidity was still in place.

Those who have both colours have brought in a small proportion of their white wines but are concentrating more on the reds, which underwent veraison first and appear more likely to need attention, especially on lighter, drier soils. But despite the early harvest, the pips seem to be ripening nicely which is a good sign, and – as in 2018 – more juice is coming out of the grapes than expected – so we may end up with an approximately normal size of harvest.

Early days yet! Rain is forecast for tonight and will be very welcome.

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