Decanter World Wine AwardsChampagne sets dates for 'extremely early' harvest
- Wednesday 17 August 2011
Photos: CIVC Epernay
The region's trade body, the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC) has permitted the earliest ripening areas to pick from 19 August including the villages of Cumieres, Sacy and Damery in the Marne Valley, and Buxeuil, Neuville-sur-Seine, and Polisot in the Aube.
Thibaut le Mailloux, communications director at the CIVC, told decanter.com ‘2011 is going to be an extremely early harvest in the region of Champagne, missing the absolute record of 2003 by one day only.
'The 2011 harvest is indeed starting on August 19 in several crus of the French departments of L’Aube and La Marne, for Pinot Noir and Meunier - and as soon as on the 20 for Chardonnay. 90%¨of the vineyards will basically have started to harvest by August 25.’
The only other harvest that commenced this early occurred 189 years ago, in 1822.
All but two crus are allowed to harvest their grapes before September with the two late starters – Baye and Germaine in the Marne - required to wait until 1 September to harvest their crop.
The early ripening Pinot Meunier is the first variety to be picked, followed by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Have your say!
Tom Stevenson
August 27 16:05
The Champagne harvest in 1822 was not as early or earlier. In Champagne they refer to the earliest (or latest, coldest, hottest etc) harvest since 1822 because that is when records began, not because of any extremes of that year. Contrary to Thibaut le Mailloux's reported comment, 2003 no longer holds the record for the earliest harvest. When picking commenced on 19 August, 2011 beat the 2003 record by two days.