Among record rainfall, no sunstrokes, spring frosts, hailstorms, high mildew pressure and scalding phenomena, Champagne’s wine campaign has not been easy.
The conditions of this difficult campaign have reduced the volume available for harvest by at least 30%.They are also the cause of an extreme heterogeneity of maturity between grape varieties, between sectors and between plots that required a fine adaptation of the harvest circuit; a real challenge for champagne winemakers and houses who must manage the approximately 100,000 seasonal workers needed for a mandatory manual harvest.
- The start of the harvest was set for September 10 for the first municipalities and september 27 for later ones.
- Ending in the first week of October.
- In an almost summer climate with the exception of a few rainy days that had a very positive effect on the weight of the bunches.
- Which allows to revise upwards the forecasts of average agronomic yield.
- Just above 8.
- 000 kg / ha.
The use of the interprofessional reserve, which requires the reservation of clear wines in good years, will allow winemakers and houses to complement this performance to ensure stock renewal at a normal year, around 316 million bottles.
Thanks to good ripening conditions, the bunches were in excellent health, the average grade should be around 10% flight and the total acidity around 8 gH2SO4/L.aromatic quality of the musts.