Summer Newsletter 2024

I hoped to bring you another newsletter before now – but then I had hoped for some sort of summer weather before now!  At last, we are getting a glimmer, as the last days of July play out – even some real heat. Even so, the fine weather is still interspersed with some heavy showers and – fortunately mild thus far – thunderstorms.

Today’s local paper, Le Bien Public, says we have had more stormy days up to the end of July than in a normal complete year – at least 10 such days each month from may to July, caused by swathes of cold air in May descending from the poles and fighting with normal air, Atlantic depressions in June, and now heat bumps in July. I think we may get another one this evening. Vigneron morale is between low and depressed, depending on local circumstances. Chablis has had the worst of conditions with flooding, freezing, hail and further bad weather at the flowering.

Still, we have a further 6 weeks to go until harvest and some better weather now will result in a small crop of decent quality wines.

While taking a couple of long weekends off to go and play cricket in Portugal and Cornwall, I have not otherwise been idle. I have been steadily gathering content from all parts of Burgundy, including trips to the Beaujolais, Mâconnais, Côte Chalonnaise and Chablis. Reports on all these will follow over the next six weeks, starting with The 2024 Beaujolais Report later today. Interspersed with these regional reports will be the 10 Year On Tasting from 2014 (with a brief 2004 Twenty Year On Report alongside) and then the first Burgfest Report of the Year, covering the 2020 white wines from Burgundy. Less tasting and more writing will be the order of the day for August!

With best wishes from a sultry Burgundy,

Jasper