Although the expected average yield of 14,000 kilos per hectare (ha) will not better the highest yield levels achieved in 1982 and 1983, the total amount of productive vineyard in Champagne has risen 38%. Plantings in the region have increased every year since the early eighties.
Had the maximum yield of 15,500kg/ha been achieved, production would have surpassed 430m bottles. A poor summer, however, has affected the quantity of the black-skinned grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Hail also hit some areas earlier in the year and in those badly affected volumes are as low as 8,000kg/ha.
The 2007 harvest is the first to have the new maximum yields of 15,500kg/ha in place. Agreed by the Institut Nationale d'Appellations d'Origine (INAO), this new limit will run for an experimental period of five harvests from 2007 to 2011.
Although initially 340m bottles will be produced with the base yield set at 12,400kg/ha, vineyard owners have the option of producing a further 3,100kg/ha, with the aim of using this surplus to increase their reserves.
Kept as still wine, the reserve is to be used in case of a drop in production due to a poor harvest or if demand continues to increase.
The four highest yielding harvests in Champagne
Year
Productive vineyard in hectares
Maximum permitted yield per hectare
Actual average yield per hectare
Number of bottles actual average yield is equivalent to
1982
23,588
14,300
14,071
295,050,066
1983
23,903
15,200
15,006
298,924,530
2004
32,341
14,000
13,990
375,416,427
2007
32,700*
15,500
14,000*
389,130,000*
*Estimates
Source: Table compiled by Giles Fallowfield using CIVC statistics
Have your say... To post your comment on this story, email us at news@decanter.com, making sure the relevant headline is in the subject field
Register on decanter.com absolutely free for news alerts delivered direct to your email inbox, and our fortnightly newsletter with advance notice of what’s coming up in Decanter magazine, offers, competitions and more.
PLUS registration is a one-stop shop for the Decanter magazine Archive and Decanter Fine Wine Tracker.
