2013

Harvest starts October 2nd – the latest harvest for over 25 years!

Similarly to previous years, a cold and rainy spring means that blooms do not sprout well until the end of June.
Downy mildew and powdery mildew attack the vines. Hods are in full use once again.
Then comes the famous July 23rd: hail strikes – half an hour of ping pong balls and pigeon eggs.
In 30 minutes we go from summer to winter.
The vineyards of Savigny, Pernand, Beaune and Pommard are affected the most.
A few walls collapse. 100% of our “Clos des Mouches” is destroyed. There is nothing left.
And it does not stop there…
We have a late harvest, as it is cold and humid. The grapes could start rotting so it is necessary to find a good compromise for the harvest date; wait a bit so the grapes ripen, but not too long so the grapes do not rot.
The sorting table is required, but sorters wear themselves out through picking the grapes out one by one.
However, it is the only solution to having only healthy grapes in the vats.
Winemakers despair…

2012

Harvest starts September 21st.
A horrible year. We have all had a miserable 2012.

A rainy spring prevents us from using the tractor. We are forced to take the good old hods out again – winemakers suffer! Growers of organic wine suffer even more.
Barely finished, the rain washes away the treatment and we have to start from scratch. Downy mildew is a threat.
Blooms have difficulty in sprouting and just when the weather seems to get better we have an awful June 30th;
hail destroys Beaune, Pommard, Volnay and Meursault’s vineyards.
Only Auxey and Monthelie are spared.

The massacre returns on July 31st: the storm resurfaces, damaging even more vineyards and attacking the vines that were previously spared.
The only upside is that after the storm ends the good weather reappears. The damaged grapes have fallen, leaving the few grapes that remain have royal treatment.
The small harvest means the vintage is very healthy and the sorting tables whiz through getting rid of dry grapes still attached to their stalks.
Winemakers conclude: we will need wine in 2013!

2011

Harvest starts August 29th.
As each year goes by no two are alike!
Apart from a few frosts in the month of February, the winter is not that long.
2011 has an early warm spring, with the vines soaring away.
The blooms are already there in mid-May meaning the harvest will be an early one.
The month of June is very hot… but this does not last.
Everything collapses in July; it is cold, nearly making us put on the heating.
August is neither good nor bad, with the weather constantly varying from sunny to rainy.
After 2003 and 2007, 2011 is the third August harvest, whereas there were only three in the last century.

The quality is good; the wine is fine and fruity, yet the harvest is still low. It is undoubtedly much better than 2010, but still below average.
Winemakers ponder…

2010

Harvest starts September 21st.
We are back to a “normal” harvest start date.
Who said that winters no longer exist?
After a month of freezing December, the frost causes major damage to the vines in the lowlands.
A white February follows, with several snowfalls creating beautiful landscapes.
The first buds appear in mid-April, but the month of May is very cool.
The bloom makes its appearance around June 15th.
July and August are a bit too rainy and cold; coulure and millerandage occur, lowering the spirits of winemakers.
But once again, September is the deciding month! The sun is out to conclude the ripening, the wind is blowing for the drying, and ideal temperatures avoid rotting.
A great vintage is to be expected! The only downside – the harvest is very poor.
Winemakers worry…

2009

Believe it or not, harvest starts 09.09.09! The new ’09 vintage has been eagerly awaited… will it keep up the standards of its 1999, 1989 and the legendary 1959 predecessors?
Winter is a bit too long, causing spring to come later than usual. The beginning of April already feels like summer, with temperatures hitting highs allowing a fast bud break. After a few light showers at the beginning of May, good weather settles in, making the vines grow at a phenomenal rate. Blooms are already noticeable around May 20th.
Everything looks good. However, it rains heavily the first few weeks of July, worrying winegrowers.
But the sun comes back and hardly any more damage is done before the harvest!
Perfectly ripe, a healthy harvest enters the vats.
It is almost not worth sorting, even though a few green grapes can sometimes be found caught in the middle of clusters after having swelled too quickly.
After limited amounts in 2007 and 2008, 2009 is finally a normal harvest.
Winegrowers rejoice!