Following a growing season rife with challenges, 2024 is a catastrophically small vintage, yet there are bright spots that shine through, particularly among the white wines.

Despite concerns raised in some quarters over quality in general as a result of the year’s severe weather conditions, Burgundy lovers may be surprised how many enjoyable wines they will find.

According to Frédéric Drouhin, CEO of Maison Joseph Drouhin, ‘2024 is a vintage of delicacy, sobriety and precision. It is a pleasant vintage in red, and a precise and salty vintage for the whites.’

His wife, Claude de Nicolay, directs her own domaine, Chandon de Briailles, with her brother François. Her view was slightly different: ‘2024 will be a “virtual” vintage – you will almost not see it at all.

‘We lost 90% of the crop and had an average yield of 8hl/ha. There was nothing at all to pick at the base of the slope. But in the end, it is a classic vintage “à l’ancienne”, a character not extinguished by the excesses of the weather.’

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Charles Curtis MW’s Burgundy 2024 selection

Burgundy 2024 vintage rating and overview:

Whites: 4/5

2024 is a good to very good vintage that has produced whites of elegance and finesse with the structure and the substance for mid- to long-term ageing, comparable to the 2014 vintage.

Reds: 3/5

2024 is a challenging vintage for red wine. The best examples will be found in the Côte de Beaune, although outstanding producers further north have exceeded expectations.

First impressions

After tasting more than 1,400 wines from this vintage, I can say that it is a good vintage for white wines, which have firm acidity, wonderful balance and moderate alcohol.

It was generally a modest vintage for red wine, which could be light, thin and lacking concentration and fruit.

It is above all a highly variable vintage from village to village, however, and surprises abound.

Chablis was hit hardest by the climate in 2024, and the Côte de Beaune fared better than the Côte de Nuits. It seems that the further south one ventures, the better the wines become, and 2024 is a vintage where the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais really came into their own.

Drouhin describes the challenges: ‘We did not produce any wine at all in the grands crus of Clos de Vougeot, Clos de Bèze, or Les Clos in Chablis, and it was difficult for the staff since the pressure was simply too intense.’

Numerous winemakers spoke of the psychological challenge of the 2024 vintage, explaining that they felt they should have been able to do more, somehow, to counter the weather’s excesses – that they might have changed the outcome had they done so.

But on the ground at the time it was happening, that wasn’t realistic, given the very difficult conditions they faced. The best, however, did what they could to deliver delicious wines.

According to the BIVB, total volume produced in 2024 was 1.21 million hectolitres, just over 161 million bottles. This figure was a drop of more than a third from the generous 2023 harvest, although it was more than 20% above 2021, which was decimated by frost.

Read the full report on the Chablis 2024 vintage

Weather Conditions

2024 began with mild temperatures and notably some of the warmest February temperatures ever recorded. March was also warmer than usual, setting the vines ahead of schedule. April, however, saw temperatures plummet, with two episodes of frost at the end of the month damaging some vineyards.

The real challenge began in May, however, as temperatures remained low and rain fell incessantly across the region. Jérôme Flous is the technical director of Domaine Faiveley.

He explains the difficulties: ‘I started at Faiveley in 2007, and 2024 was my most challenging vintage – there were 38 days of rain in May and June. The problem was the flowering; in a rainy year, it is disrupted, the stem is in contact with the air, and mildew can easily destroy the bunch.’

The rain lessened somewhat in July and August, but there were occasional storms, including hailstorms, throughout this period. Another difficulty was the lack of sun: 2024 saw the fewest hours of sunshine since the beginning of the century.

Grapes ripened with difficulty, and most growers used a relatively dry period from 13-22 September to harvest their tiny crop.

Charles’ wines of the vintage:

White: Domaine Jean Chartron, Clos des Chevaliers, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru – 98 points

Red: Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Vieilles Vignes, Musigny Grand Cru – 97 points

Previous vintage ratings:

2023: Whites 4/5 Reds 4.5/5

2022: Whites 4/5 Reds 4.5/5

2021: Whites 4/5 Reds 3.5/5

2020: Whites 4.5/5 Reds 4/5

2019: Whites 4/5 Reds 5/5

Around the appellations

Côte de Nuits

In a reversal of recent trends, conditions in the Côte de Nuits were more difficult than those in the Côte de Beaune. This reversal is mainly due to localised differences in rainfall, which was much higher there, and to the dominance of Pinot Noir, which was more affected by poor flowering and mildew.

Even within the Côte de Nuits, conditions varied, and the southern portion, from the Clos de Vougeot to Nuits-St-Georges, suffered more than the section from Morey to Marsannay.

Top Côte de Nuits producers in 2024:

• Domaine Armand Rousseau
• Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé
• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
• Domaine des Lambrays
• Domaine Dugat-Py
• Domaine Dujac
• Domaine Duroché
• Domaine Rossignol-Trapet
• Domaine Georges Roumier
• Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier

Côte de Beaune

Conditions in the Côte de Beaune were generally better than in the Côte de Nuits, though there was variation here as well. The hill of Corton to the north was extremely hard hit by the weather.

To the south of Beaune, however, conditions improved. The ‘golden triangle’ of Meursault, Puligny and Chassagne had quality and yields much closer to the norm, mainly because Chardonnay (on which these appellations are focused) had a more successful flowering and was less affected by mildew than Pinot Noir.

In the south, Santenay and Maranges produced some lovely wines.

Top Côte de Beaune producers in 2024:

• Domaine de Montille
• Domaine des Comtes Lafon
• Domaine des Croix
• Domaine Henri et Gilles Buisson
• Domaine Jean Chartron
• Domaine Michel Lafarge
• Domaine Michel Niellon
• Domaine Pierre Vincent
• Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
• Domaine Rapet

Côte Chalonnaise

Further south, in the Côte Chalonnaise, conditions continued to improve. There were marvellous examples of Chardonnay from Montagny, Mercurey and Rully, as well as some particularly good Aligoté.

Although conditions limited yields for Pinot Noir, conscientious growers were able to produce lovely wines here that should provide solid value and current drinking pleasure, and some that have the substance for ageing.

Top Côte Chalonnaise producers in 2024:

• Château de Chamirey
• Domaine Baron Thénard
• Domaine Belleville
• Domaine Chanzy
• Domaine du Cellier aux Moines

Mâconnais

The Mâconnais is among the brightest spots in Burgundy for the 2024 vintage. Conditions produced some superb examples of Pouilly-Fuissé (particularly among the new-ish premiers crus).

Throughout the Mâconnais, the top growers produced white Burgundy that wine lovers should not miss in this vintage.

Top Mâconnais producers in 2024:

• Bret Brothers & Domaine de la Soufrandière
• Domaine Merlin
• Domaine Deux Roches
• Domaine du Roc des Boutires
• Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau
• Domaine Jacques Saumaize
• Domaine Rijckaert
• Domaine Saumaize-Michelin
• Maison Verget & Domaine Guffens-Heynen

Concluding thoughts

The 2024 vintage will remain a vintage apart, if only because of the exceptional climatic conditions. Judging the wines, however, is another matter. As Frédéric Mugnier of Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier put it: ‘Don’t take the word of a winemaker when it comes to [assessing] a vintage, since their opinion reflects their lived experience, and there was no amusement involved in making the 2024 vintage.’

In red wine, the closest parallels would be 2001 or 2013. For whites, the nearest comparison would be 2014, suggesting that it is a vintage to buy reds for current drinking and whites to lay down.

If money is no object, invest in the Montrachet from Domaine des Comtes Lafon or the Chevalier-Montrachet from Domaine Jean Chartron or Domaine Michel Niellon. Among the reds, an obvious splurge would be the Musigny from Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé or the Bonnes Mares from Domaine Georges Roumier.

Most wine lovers would also be delighted with mid-range bottles such as the Clos du Château des Ducs from Domaine Michel Lafarge, or the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Aux Combottes from Domaine Arlaud. Given the limited availability of top wines, it would be advisable to buy en primeur to secure an allocation.

There are also lovely wines further south that will be much less expensive. For whites, don’t miss the Mâcon-Pierreclos from Maison Verget, or the Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Sur la Roche from Domaine Rijckaert.

Côte Chalonnaise reds such as the Givry Premier Cru Clos du Cellier aux Moines from Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, or the Mercurey Premier Cru Clos l’Eveque from Domaine Belleville will be perfect for current drinking.

COMING SOON

Further analysis and top-scoring wines of the following areas:

Morey-St-Denis | Meursault | Chambolle-Musigny | Gevrey-Chambertin | Pommard and Volnay | Vosne-Romanée & Nuits-St-Georges | Chassagne & Puligny-Montrachet | Best value

A taste of the top Burgundy 2024 wines

Wines were tasted non-blind. Wines are listed in order of white then red, then by scores, and then alphabetically by producer. The 2024s are bottled from January 2026, hence prices, stockists and alcohols are not yet finalised. Contact specialist merchant for allocations or to enquire about en primeur tastings. The following wines were Charles Curtis MW’s selection for particularly notable quality and value among the 650 wines he reviewed from the 2024 Burgundy vintage.

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As I write this, Beaujolais is in a flurry. Its first wines of 2025 – the fragrantly juicy Beaujolais Nouveau – are being sent out across the globe ready for the impending (and inevitably raucous) festivities on the third Thursday of November.

And while the folk from Beaujolais are the undeniable overlords of the nouveau party, they aren’t the only players out there dabbling in this vinous fountain of youth.

When you pull back the curtain, you realise there are people all over Europe, and even in the UK, that make their own versions of these new harvest wines.

A long history

Beaujolais Nouveau is merely the best known (modern) example of a much wider tradition of drinking brand new wines soon after harvest.

Nouveau wine, in its simplest terms, is a young wine that is bottled and released almost immediately after harvest. At times they are little more than fermenting must – such as Federweisser in Germany (known as Sturm in Austria).

In Beaujolais it is made with Gamay, which is low in tannins, using carbonic maceration – where the grape begins to ferment within the berry itself, promoting fragrant, perfumed fruit aromas. It is meant to be light in alcohol, juicy and easy going.

As Beaujolais producer Christophe Pacalet says, nouveau is ultimately an unpretentious wine that you can drink while you play pétanque.

Around France

As an inhabitant of southern France, I was intrigued to see whether this area, more famed for its heady reds, was getting on board with the style.

Jean-Philippe Padié of Domaine Padié in Roussillon has been making a nouveau wine since 2019. It was a bit of an accident; he had a plot of Syrah that went through fermentation quickly and cleanly, offering him a delicious rendition of a nouveau style.

Padié now works predominantly with the indigenous variety Lledoner Pelut, which he says gives an even lighter, crunchier wine, with a hint of something maritime from the vineyard’s coastal location.

Similarly, in the cooler northern reaches of the Loire, Joseph Mosse of Domaine Mosse makes a fuschia-coloured wine called Bang Nouveau from a blend of the pink-skinned Grolleau Gris and Gamay.

And while there is an argument that nouveau wines are best made with lighter-skinned varieties, Romain Le Bars in the Rhône Valley proves that this isn’t always the case. His dangerously drinkable Nouveau Nez cuvée is made from Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan.

Traditions old and new

Nouveau wines are popping up across France. However, there are other countries that have a deep-rooted history with this style of wine – Spain, for example.

Specifically in Rioja, where the wines are called cosecheros. Last year saw the launch of the first cosecheros tasting in London, hosted by Ben Llewelyn of UK importer Carte Blanche and writer Tim Atkin MW.

Here producers work with Tempranillo, foot crushing the grapes and using carbonic maceration. Like in Beaujolais, it is a style that is embedded in the culture, despite also falling prey to the tools of mass production such as thermovinification and commercial yeasts.

And while the Spanish perhaps don’t partake in the annual country-wide festivities, the Italians certainly do. Also released in early November, Italy’s answer is vino novello, also made with carbonic maceration and with a host of different grape varieties depending on the region.

Perhaps the most iconic in this mix is the Bardolino Novello from Veneto, which brings much joyous celebration to the shores of Lake Garda.

Sandridge Barton in Devon, UK, has been making its own nouveau wine since 1995. Spurred on by a disruption in Beaujolais supply during the outbreak of mad cow disease, they decided to try their hand at making one themselves.

Intriguingly, their nouveau was – and still is – a white made from the grape Madeleine Angevine (affectionately known as Mad Ange), chosen because it’s their earliest-ripening variety, going from vine to glass in just six weeks. This year spells their first release of a red nouveau made with Pinot Noir and carbonic maceration.

Balfour Winery has also adopted this new wave British tradition with its Essex-grown Pinot Noir Nouveau. Following the stellar conditions of the 2025 vintage, the estate’s head of wine Fergus Elias was keen to show that ‘English Pinot Noir has the ripeness, the fruit and the finesse to stand on its own’.

This is only the second vintage of nouveau, but with such excellent fruit to hand, they’ve made a wine that is ‘playful and purposeful’.

Down with the kill-joys

There are pessimists who want to put down nouveau wines simply as a marketing stunt or something to bolster cash flow. If that is indeed the case, then good on them. Hopefully everyone getting involved is making some much needed cash and shining a light on their region.

But I think it is so much more than that. As Llewelyn says, nouveau wines have historical relevance and value. In Rioja, they show the diversity of their grapes and region, they regulate supply – especially important in a place like Rioja where ageing requirements can extend up to five years – and they give affordable access to quality wines.

Isabel Fernández of Rioja’s Bodega Abeica says that these wines have been part of Rioja’s culture ‘since time immemorial’. Traditionally, they were made to be consumed within 18 months of harvest.

Her family has been making a cosechero wine for four generations, and she believes they can have good longevity and weight, so she uses a parcel of 100-year-old Tempranillo for her cuvée.

Echoing the sentiments of others I spoke to, she says that the crux of making a quality nouveau wine comes down to the quality of the fruit and the stems, especially when working with carbonic maceration and with low intervention cellar methods.

The biggest challenge facing nouveau producers? Poor quality fruit. Because in the end, the joy of nouveau – wherever it’s made – lies in its immediacy. It is a snapshot of a harvest that ultimately takes no prisoners.

Playful frivolity

From conversations with winemakers, it’s clear that these wines are moving into a realm of quality and artisanship. Climate change has brought riper grapes and earlier harvests, and as a result we’re seeing more of these wines made without manipulation – a gradual phasing out of what Jon Bonné, in The New French Wine, calls ‘industrial pop wine’.

For years, the market had grown used to nouveau wines tasting of candied banana and bubblegum – flavours I once assumed were a natural byproduct of carbonic maceration, but which in fact come from a specific yeast strain, 71B, which is no longer used to the same extent as it was in the 1980s and 1990s.

While I am a lover of Beaujolais Nouveau – especially in its newer, more natural iteration – there is even more scope for playful frivolity and experimentation in other regions and countries.

In an industry that can err on the side of stuffy and get bogged down in rules and labels, nouveau is a perfectly imperfect antidote for us to share abundantly and joyously.

Like my friends Greg Lane and Sarah Adamson of Scout Wines in New Zealand said of their Pinot x Pinot (a blend of Noir and Gris) take on a nouveau, they made it for no other reason than enjoyment, ‘to keep the house happy’.

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2022 will be a memorable vintage for me, as my first in the role as Decanter’s (then) US Editor, I found myself on Red Mountain as the harvest crescendo was reaching its climax. It was October, yet the weather was warm, clear, and sunny.

I even picked up doughnuts for the vineyard crew at Kiona.

Growers and winemakers alike were thankful for that unusually warm autumn, as it was a cool, challenging vintage, the likes of which the region had not seen in a very long time.

Columbia Valley vintage ratings

2022 4/5

A long cool vintage, with the requisite heat to move ripeness along, if only just. The story of the 2022 vintage is the story of patience and perspective. Cool conditions early made many uneasy, but for those who appreciate elegance, this is a unique vintage for Washington. Cool conditions led to lower alcohols, higher acidity, and fantastic white wines. Ageability is here, and the tannins, which can be unwieldy at times, are far more approachable in the 2022 vintage. It is a vintage that will be touted for its refinement and balance but may take a few years to be fully appreciated.

2021 3/5

A vintage beset by record-shattering temperatures, 2021, in terms of wine quality, was a vintage for those pursuing balance. The heat dome in June, coupled with continued hot weather through harvest, made acidity and freshness harder to come by for many Columbia Valley producers. Winemakers in slightly cooler sites benefited, as did those who relied on proactive vineyard management. Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon showed that they could take the heat for the most part, and many up-and-coming producers made wines that stood out by picking earlier and benefiting from sites with strong mineral character.

2020 3/5

In this slightly warmer-than-average year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced wineries to develop strategies to continue making wine. The best show finesse and balance, with fine examples, particularly from the Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills AVAs. In September, wildfires raged to the south in Oregon, complicating ripening and affecting some vineyards with smoke taint. However, there wasn’t the same widespread damage here as in parts of Oregon and California.

‘This was the coolest and wettest spring I can remember,’ says Washington State grower, Dick Boushey. ‘We had a late bloom by two to three weeks. There was snow and frost between bud break and bloom. Then it was consistently warm. And finally, the most fabulous fall I have ever seen.’

‘2022 was the second coolest vintage in the state’s history, after 2011,’ says Matías Kúsulas, head of winemaking and viticulture at Washington’s Gård Vintners, situated in the Royal Slope appellation. ‘Everything was delayed, but we were lucky to benefit from a very long season after veraison. No heat spikes, and a growing season, with a very long, warm tail.’

In summary, the 2022 vintage was a throwback to the region’s early days, when acidity was more pronounced and alcohol levels were lower. It was a fantastic vintage for white wines. I’d argue it was the best I’ve encountered in the Columbia Valley.

It was not a ‘set it and forget’ year for the absentee winemaker, however, and those who spent plenty of time in their vine rows made the best, and in some cases, fantastically elegant wines.

See all 300+ of the 2022 Columbia Valley wines tasted from Washington and Oregon

A snowy start

The cool start to the spring season followed a very wet winter, which recharged soil moisture in the dry region of the Columbia Valley.

For the most part, bud break lagged a few weeks behind more recent ‘average’ vintages, though some early budding occurred. A snowstorm hit the Columbia Valley, with blizzard conditions between April 11 and April 14, landing between bud break and bloom, pushing things back even further.

The bizarre, blizzard-like storm left multiple inches of snow on the ground throughout Eastern Washington and Oregon, from 2 to 5 inches (5-12cm), and saw temperatures dip into the low 20°s(-6C).

There was some bud damage to early ripening varietals, but as the growing season went on, it resolved into one known for its higher yields. Driven largely by the extremely small crop that marked the previous, 2021 vintage.

Warm weather and a perfect October

A late-blooming summer finally arrived towards the end of June, as the wetter-than-normal conditions finally tapered off and warm, dry weather moved in. July and August both saw above-average heat.

However, ripeness lagged so far behind that those two warm months did not put much of a dent in the impact of the cool, wet early season.

Most of the Columbia Valley’s harvest activity happens in September, but in 2022, very little fruit came in before October. In general, most winemakers needed every minute of the warm, dry October to bring everything home.

The month delivered, with perfect conditions, right up until 20 October. The early part of the month saw ten days of temperatures over 80°

These abnormal late seasons made for a perfect landing for the cool, unusual vintage. Finishing with above-average acidity and lower than typical brix. Elegance was out there for the winemakers who sought it.

Columbia Valley’s top 10 wines of 2022

(Full reviews are linked in the wine name.)

Cimento, Orselli Vineyard Syrah, The Rocks District 98 points

Gård, Grand Klasse Cabernet Sauvignon, Royal Slope 98 points

Martin Woods, The Rocks Syrah, The Rocks District 98 points

Avennia, Sestina, Columbia Valley 97 points

Betz Family, La Serenne Syrah, Yakima Valley 97 points

Devison, Phantom Lamb, Royal Slope 97 points

Gård, Grand Klasse Roussanne, Royal Slope 97 points

Jett, Skysill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 97 points 

Reynvaan Family Vineyards, Stonessence, The Rocks District 97 points

Trothe, Sauvignon Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills 97 points

A Columbia Valley curveball

After all the drama, 2022 may be a vintage that further separates those who are meticulous about their vineyard sources from those who are not.

In a region that has one of the most predictable climate patterns in America’s various wine regions, 2022 threw winemakers and winegrowers a curveball.

‘2022 caught a lot of people out,’ says Alex Stewart, head winemaker at Matthews Estate. ‘We’re in a region that can be consistent to the point of boredom. The cool vintage surprise that was 2022 caused some winemakers who weren’t used to seeing this degree of vintage variation to freak out a little bit, and many people pulled the trigger too early.’

‘We were waiting on a freeze that never happened. Some people may have picked a little early, which can create a mid-palate void,’ says Matías Kúsulas.

In a region that is largely a desert climate, it can be common for winemakers not to spend much time in the vineyards. The reliable conditions create a ‘set it and forget it’ attitude.

But in a tricky year for the typically predictable Columbia Valley, attention made all the difference.

‘You had to have people in the rows,’ says David Wanek, proprietor of Cimento in The Rocks District, ‘and if you didn’t, you can have variability. 2022 was a challenging year in the vineyard, managing the canopy, dealing with heat spells and needing to drop fruit.

‘There were a lot of variables to try and get control of. Having a firm grasp of the farming really allowed us to do it the right way.’

Washington’s best white wine vintage yet?

Rhône varieties had a fantastic 2022 vintage, with Grenache, Syrah, Roussanne, and Viognier all shining.

The most compelling story for me is about the white wines that came from 2022. The acidities capture what is far too often missing from white wines from this region. A fresh and lively character that can balance the ripeness that this region easily achieves.

The vintage created extraordinary white wines for the Columbia Valley. The ability to retain acidity has created multi-dimensional wines from Sauvignon Blanc, to Chardonnay, to the Gård Roussanne, Grand Klasse, a runaway for the best white wine I’ve ever tasted from Washington.

‘We had nights at 45° in the summer,’ recalls Kúsulas. ‘It allows the grapes to retain their acids. The fruit had high levels of both malic and tartaric acids, which means you can produce more lactic acid, creating texture and a complex mouthfeel.’

‘2022 turned out to be a fantastic year for white wines in Washington, says Trothe winemaker, Ray McKee. ‘Thanks to a late and remarkably cool start to the growing season. A mild, mid-April frost trimmed the crop a little, particularly in our white varietals, setting the stage for concentration and nuance. That cool stretch lasted well into July, and it really shaped the vintage.’

Indeed, a cool, collectable vintage for lovers of fresher styles of wines, and for those new to these wines from Washington and Oregon, the top bottles below are a must-try, a brilliant introduction to the region in a cool year.

Columbia Valley 2022: 30 of the top wines tasted

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Calabria notches up its first DOCG region

Cirò Classico became Italy’s 78th and Calabria’s first DOCG earlier this year. The Cirò DOC still exists but without the Classico sub-zone of the past. The Classico DOCG stipulates 90% Gaglioppo (as opposed to 80% for the DOC), with a maximum of 10% Greco Nero and/or Magliocco in the blend, minimum ageing of three years, including six months in barrel, and must be from the established Classico sub-zone.

Explore the excellence of one of Italy’s most iconic wine producers – book your place at the Antinori Masterclass at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London 2025

Altesino Rosso quality push

Altesino is due to release a brand new Rosso di Montalcino from the highly regarded Montosoli hill in 2026. The estate was the first to produce a Brunello di Montalcino labelled as Montosoli in the mid-1970s, and this move represents an effort by the regional consorzio and producers to elevate the quality perception of Montalcino’s Rosso wines.

Gran Selezione name dispute

Chianti and Chianti Classico are tussling over the use of the term ‘Gran Selezione’. Among several revisions, Chianti DOCG has proposed introducing a Gran Selezione quality level, mirroring that of Chianti Classico, which has objected on the basis of its prior usage of the term, first approved in the Chianti Classico DOCG legislation in 2014. Chianti has also proposed a new sub-zone, Terre di Vinci – in four communes around Leonardo’s hometown of Vinci, west of Florence – as well as the reduction of the minimum percentage of Sangiovese for Chianti DOCG from 70% to 60%.

More white Bolgheri

There’s a debate in Bolgheri about the value of white wines. While it’s known primarily as a red-wine DOC, many wineries are putting more effort into existing or new white wines, particularly those based on Vermentino. Grattamacco’s chief winemaker Luca Marrone said: ‘We have lost the equivalent of 300-400 bottles of Bolgheri Superiore in order to have more Vermentino – the market is crying out for this wine.’

New Antinori Gran Seleziones now out

Three brand-new Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines have been released this year by Antinori, making four in total, including the existing Badia a Passignano, in San Donato in Poggio. The new estates are Buiano in Castellina, Villa Cigliano in San Casciano (which was repurchased, having been sold by Antinori previously), and San Sano in Gaiole. ‘Having these different estates has been teaching us about the potential of Chianti Classico,’ said Allegra Antinori, middle daughter of Marchese Piero. The company sees it as a return to its roots in the area, according to winemaker and CEO Renzo Cotarella.

Healthy harvest on the way

Italy’s 2025 harvest looks to be a return to normal following two very difficult years. According to estimates by the Assoenologi, Ismea and Unione Italiana Vini bodies, production will increase by 8% overall compared to 2024, reaching 47.4 million hectolitres. This places Italy once again at the top of the charts in terms of production volume (France has just revised its 2025 harvest forecast down to 37.4m hl), although it’s not necessarily an advantageous position to be in, given declining global consumption.

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If I could tell you just one thing about wine harvest, I’d tell you this: It’s the antidote to ennui. It’s the salve for jadedness, and a recipe for the restoration of faith – not just in wine.

There’s no better way to explain les vendanges than adult summer camp – though with copious drinking, and even more manual labour.

For the uninitiated, it’s the month-long period during which any winemaker’s grapes are ready. There’s a sense of urgency: the fruit must be picked and processed before it’s overripe. Volunteers flock, arriving at various domains in droves to sleep in dorms, spare bedrooms and tents and wake up before the sun to pick, press and stomp grapes.

Should you choose to submit to this brand of blissful masochism, you will work 12-hour days. You will make friends quickly, deeply, hungrily, while you work.

You will drink beautiful things, bleed from your fingers, and wake up with earwigs crawling on your clothes.

Where things come from has always been an elusive, watery question for me.

Growing up in New York, per the narrow parameters of my city kid education, it seemed that produce came from grocery stores, flowers from florists, and water from plastic bottles. Of course, I knew these things had their far-off sources, but they seemed distant and irrelevant in the grand scheme of my metropolitan life.

Wine harvest, however, is a masterclass in origin stories – this wildly voyeuristic glimpse into the root of things. It’s a messy, endless lesson in what goes into a bottle.

Of course, I’d always known intellectually that wine was made from grapes – this is not niche information. But harvest allowed me to carry the truth of that fact in a deeper and more intuitive part of my brain. It gave dimension to my grasp on wine as a narrative arc.

I worked my first harvest in 2022 in Chablis, where the grapes grew so close to the ground, we had to pick on our knees. I learned to de-stem with my hands and measure sugar densities.

I made friends I still see yearly.

My second harvest took place in Alsace, where the grapes lived at a comfortable standing height. My French grew smoother, and I learned how to clean a press.

My third harvest transpired in Burgenland, Austria, where we picked through the middle of the night by the shaky beams of headlamps, so as to avoid the glaring heat. And the fourth, just this past August, took place in Roussillon, where a late summer heat wave broke in favour of ceaseless rain.

If you were to ask me why I continue to subject myself to weeks of 5am wake-up calls and heels stained red from stomping Carignan in barrels I’d tell you that it’s like some proverbial reset button. Yes, it’s antithetical to the laptop-tethered work of a writer, and a welcome break from New York, but more so, I go because it reminds me why I wanted to work in wine in the first place.

Stripped of restaurant politics, mark-ups, allocation-bids and scores, it’s just the thing itself.

The industry is fatiguing, no matter your angle of approach. There’s the gatekeeping and the snobbery. The lofty, inaccessible prices. The righteous sommeliers, the showboat-y auctions, the patrons poised to judge you for ordering the second-cheapest bottle. At a certain point, wine becomes a consumer good, not an art form. And as a writer covering the topic, it can start to feel like reporting on NFTs or cryptocurrency – lofty, intellectualised fodder buoyed by money.

At harvest, however, it’s not subject matter. It’s wine.

‘My first harvest actually changed my life, to be completely honest,’ says Audrey Aubertin, who works as a server and sommelier at Montreal wine bar, Gia. ‘That was in 2022 – and afterwards, I quit my corporate job to work in wine full-time. Every year now, I still look forward to harvest. You meet people you’d never meet otherwise, and you get close to them in a way you wouldn’t in other contexts. It sounds silly, but it kind of reminds me of what it feels like to be alive. You smell and touch and feel and interact… and isn’t that what living is?’

It’s not untrue – this deprioritising of email, of social media, of interaction with the outside world. It feels anachronistic – this harkens back to a moment before smartphones and remote jobs. It teaches presence.

‘When I got back from harvest this year, I made a PowerPoint to show my team what I’d been doing,’ says Hannah Harrington, a sommelier at New York’s Smithereens. ‘Everyone was so excited and inquisitive, it felt so energising to bring my harvest experience back into my work.’

As she explains it, harvest feels like a great equaliser. While you work, there’s no hierarchy: No one’s above washing buckets and bins, or crawling around in dirt, clipping fruit. ‘In the wine world, people always wanna be the best, or know the most. But at harvest, everything feels like this big collective effort. I mean, your literal blood, sweat and tears go into this project, and it feels amazing,’ she says. ‘Being there, I could practically feel my cortisol levels dropping.’

It should come as no surprise that the phenomenon is healing. It’s a return to natural rhythms – you rise with the sun, and fall into deep, uncomplicated post-labour sleep early in the night. You spend time outside, and you feel wholly inside your own body. You have candid, wrenching mid-work conversations.

‘I grew up in an intellectual and education-forward household. I did well at school. I went to university and I got a job in the government. But working a harvest challenged my ingrained notions of success – it taught me a new way to conceptualise intellect and hard work, and intuition,’ says Caitlin McInnis, a writer and researcher with whom I shared a bedroom while harvesting in Alsace. ‘To me, harvest is a remedy for disconnection. It’s a portal to direct, daily contact with the rhythms of nature. It’s a delicious, humbling thing that strips you of all your pretences.’

Simply put, it takes wine from a commodity to a living, breathing thing – more poetry than ‘product’. And when all’s said and done, you can taste that nuance in the bottle – the vine rapport, the early mornings, the late nights, the human hands.

What is that if not the cure for apathy?

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In the Pacific Northwest, there are two larger wine regions. The Willamette Valley in Oregon, and much of Washington’s wine country within the Columbia Valley.

While the two regions may be somewhat proximate, the dynamic topography, namely the Cascade Mountain range, leaves them worlds apart in terms of the growing conditions and the style of wines they produce.

One produces, mainly anyway, cool climate grapes long known to hail from Burgundy in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Washington’s Columbia Valley is mostly an arid, desert climate where you can grow anything from Riesling to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Oregon’s Willamette Valley in full swing

John Grochau, who makes the wines at his own GC Wines, as well as for a few other brands in the Willamette Valley, finds similarities between this year and a recent vintage. ‘I think this vintage is going to look pretty similar to 2023, when it’s all said and done,’ Grochau concluded. ‘We had a warm, steady and dry summer, producing small grapes with thick skins. We have a lighter crop this year, with some good concentration in the berries.’

It was, in general, a steady growing season, but things ramped up in August.

‘In late August, we had quite a bit of heat, advancing sugars in the grapes ahead of phenolic ripeness,’ Grochau said. ‘I was getting concerned about having to rush to pick, but some cool weather came in on the 6 September, and a bit of rain came in and slowed it down perfectly, giving the fruit more balance.’

September will be a busy one up and down the Willamette Valley, with cooler sites being picked towards the end of the month, while some of the warmer spots and particular varieties came off the vine in September’s first few days.

‘Our first pick was Albariño from the Columbia River Gorge on Friday, September 5, Grochau recalled. ‘We started harvesting Pinot Noir for red wine on September 10, and will likely be picking every day for the next few weeks. The grapes are coming along fast. The rest of September will be very intense, processing lots of fruit and working through the logistics of getting everything in at the right time in a small winery.’

Staying steady in Washington State

In the hot and dry conditions that are perennially a part of a desert growing season, winemakers concern themselves with things like dehydration and heat spikes, but so far, 2025 has really played ball.

‘2025 has been beautiful thus far, and we have a finish line in sight,’ reported Seth Kitzke, of Upsidedown Wine, sourcing from Washington’s Yakima Valley.

‘The spring warmed up quicker than anticipated and was pretty dry. This early warmth expedited our time through bloom and fruit set, requiring some serious attention to detail early on. This year we lacked the moisture that is usually present in our northern-facing sites, so we had to intervene a little earlier than usual.’

While things got off to a fairly rapid start, they slowed to a steady pace, letting the grapes take the time they needed so that phenolic ripeness wasn’t lagging behind sugar accumulation.

‘The warm spring had me worried for a bit about a hot year, but we tapered off to a very average year that has just been consistent. Without big stretches of high heat and only a handful of days over 100° (37.7 °C), the vines didn’t ever seem to fully shut down,’ Kitzke said.

‘I think this, combined with an earlier fruit set, really made for amazing depth and flavours early. The fruit has been tasting good since the start of August, which is unusual.’

Even though steady growing conditions have been the rule, there are a few curveballs that are keeping Washington winemakers on their toes.

‘The yields, specifically in our Tremasi Vineyard on Red Mountain, are really low for our Syrah,’ Kitzke reported.

‘I think that perhaps the warm spring gave the Syrah a harder time.

‘Cabernet Franc, I think, could be another varietal to keep an eye on. It coloured up very early, and the phenolics were ahead of Cabernet and Merlot for us. We already have two picks of CF in the door. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason why some varieties are ready before others this year.

‘You kinda have to throw your typical picking order schedule out the window this year and trust your palate!’

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German police in the Rheinhessen wine region were hunting for clues as to the whereabouts of stolen grapes after two producers reported harvest theft in the Gundheim district.

Nearly all of the ripe Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc grapes across an 8,000-square-metre area encompassing two vineyards have gone missing and are presumed to have been stolen by thieves.

Grape theft, either accidental or intentional, can be an issue for wineries on the eve of harvest.

Two independent winemakers have suffered economic losses of several thousand euros, said police for the German city of Worms, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region.

Picking teams discovered the grapes were missing when they arrived to begin their work, as was also the case in a high-profile theft in France’s Jura region last year.

Worms police described the illegal harvesting as ‘professional’ and appealed for local witnesses, although the theft may occurred at any time between 6 and 14 September.

Culprits must have used some kind of large vehicle, or several means of transport, to escape from the crime scene with their loot, police added, asking anyone with information to contact Alzey police station.

French news media also reported several cases of missing grapes, and complaints of theft, in Burgundy and Champagne in recent weeks.

France’s TF1 Infosaid some growers in Champagne have formed a group to guard vines at night, in addition to the regular vineyard patrols by the local Gendarmerie.

Earlier in September, two winemakers in Burgundy’s Meursault appellation said small portions of their 2025 vintage were missing, reported France 3.

Domaine Vincent Latour was one of those affected, posting photos on Facebook at the end of August alongside the comment, ‘When you arrive to harvest your parcel [of vines] and it’s already harvested’.

Cécile Latour, of the Domaine, told France 3 that around 2.8 tonnes of Chardonnay went missing, equivalent to 1,200 bottles, and that the team had initially thought it was an accident but now believe the grapes were stolen.

Mistakes can happen, particularly where vines with multiple owners are close together.

In another case, the news outlet said a winery in Pommard thought one of its parcels had been stolen before a neighbour got in touch to apologise for a GPS location error. An amicable exchange of grapes was agreed, it said.

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People find solace after a bereavement in surprising places. For Amanda Gibson (age 63), it was amid the Müller-Thurgau and Bacchus vines of Warden Abbey Vineyard in Bedfordshire, where she has been volunteering for the past six years.

‘Without the vineyard I would have been completely lost,’ she says. ‘The other volunteers are so friendly: they wrap themselves around you if you’re struggling. You come to the vineyard, you concentrate on a repetitive task and you forget about your problems.’

Don’t miss the ultimate wine experience – book your tickets now for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London 2025

Growing interest

Gibson is just one of a fast-growing cohort of people wanting to volunteer at UK vineyards – doing so for myriad reasons. Demand has grown so quickly that many vineyards now have waiting lists of people wanting to volunteer.

It’s not hard to see the appeal. Many of the vineyards make an event of it – welcoming volunteers each day during harvest time and plying them with tea, coffee, cake, a slap-up lunch and usually a glass (or two) of bubbly at the end.

‘We try to make it as much a celebration as “getting the job done”,’ says Mike Wagstaff, who owns Greyfriars Vineyard in Surrey with his wife Hilary and has been welcoming volunteers since they started in 2011. ‘We pick for about four hours then give everybody a celebratory lunch, wine and a harvest-commemoration t-shirt based on a current pop-culture theme – 2023 was Barbie.’

Some of the volunteers have been coming for the past 10 years and proudly show off their back catalogue of harvest t-shirts to newbies.

‘It [volunteering] has exploded in scale since 2021. For the last four years we have organised between two and three days of picking with about 120 volunteers coming to help us on each day,’ Wagstaff adds. ‘People start emailing us in July asking when harvest will be and we get emails from people begging to participate after the list has closed. We get a lot of multigenerational family groups, especially those wanting to get teenage children outside and off their phones.’

A family affair

Austin Bell, from Guildford (pictured above), has been volunteering with Greyfriars during the harvest for the past four years and has brought his teenage son with him each time.

‘He was 10 when he first came and we both really enjoyed it. Spending a day walking up and down a vineyard picking grapes is really mindful,’ Bell explains. ‘Greyfriars makes a big fuss of you. It feels like a really nice exchange of labour and effort. I learned a lot about the vines, like why they handpick rather than using machines.’

He adds that he has done it even in the worst weather: ‘It doesn’t seem to put people off.’

Nick Brewer, co-owner of Oastbrook Estate Vineyard in East Sussex, agrees that volunteer numbers have increased, particularly since Covid-19. ‘For people who are now working from home, they can volunteer on a Friday or Monday and fit it in flexibly with their work,’ he says. ‘For someone who’s sitting in front of a screen working alone or in an office it’s quite cathartic.’

Oastbrook also gets a lot of people coming down from London to volunteer and sometimes couples turning up as a date.

Some volunteers get very competitive about who can pick the fastest. ‘The best picker we ever had was a brain surgeon,’ says Brewer. ‘He clinically removed the grapes. I’ve never seen a neater or tidier vine picker. If I ever need someone to operate on my brain, I’d go to him if he does surgery as well as he picks grapes.’

Spurred on

Some enjoy it so much that they end up volunteering all year round – as Amanda Gibson has done at Warden Abbey, a not-for-profit vineyard in Bedfordshire entirely run by volunteers.

‘We do everything from mending fences to pruning, marketing, fundraising and doing tastings at our stockists,’ she explains. Warden Abbey also works with schools to get children with special needs into the vineyard to help with planting and testing soil quality. ‘It’s incredibly rewarding for them,’ Gibson says.

At The Grange in Hampshire, volunteers are roped in to help light and snuff candles that are put out in the vineyard for frost protection. Kane Scully began volunteering for The Grange’s ‘frost watch’ in early 2024.

‘If you’re on standby, you might get a phone call at 1am, which means you need to get down to the vineyard,’ he says. ‘It’s a few hours’ work of systemically lighting candles in freezing temperatures, then we’re all back in bed by 3am. You build friendships in the dark. It’s quite an odd thing really – but I enjoy it.’

Scully has since taken on part-time paid work at the vineyard on top of volunteering.

A post-Brexit boon

For some vineyards, the booming interest in volunteering has been something of a relief, given the challenges in finding labour since the UK left the EU.

‘Before Brexit, we used to rely a lot on Romanian workers,’ says Nick Wenman, owner of Albury Vineyard in Surrey. ‘But now there are fewer and fewer of them, and competition for casual workers is fierce.’

Albury has been taking on volunteers and has waiting lists each year for spots. Nick Brewer of Oastbrook reports a different experience: ‘We haven’t had an issue finding workers, and could do everything with casual labour, but we think it’s nice to get people involved and see the looks on their faces. Sometimes we get people saying “You’re exploiting people – why don’t you use paid labour?”, but we do. This is just a nice extension of that.’

Phoebe French of trade body WineGB says: ‘For the vineyard owners, using volunteers helps them develop close relationships with their local community and develop unofficial brand ambassadors. It also helps them tell the story of how much work is required to produce a bottle of their wine.’

She adds that while most sign-ups currently are locals, as the industry develops, volunteering could well become a part of a vineyard’s tourism offering.

Reality check

However, volunteering is not all sunshine and rainbows. For many individuals this is the first time they’ve had to confront the brutal realities of farming, facing up to destruction and disappointment.

‘We’ve had two bad years in a row,’ says Gibson. ‘It’s been really hard. You arrive in January and gradually watch the vineyard come to life. You get very emotionally attached. To then see that crop fail can be devastating.’

But, as the volunteers explain, there’s nothing that beats the feeling of looking out over a vineyard after a satisfyingly tiring day’s labour – a glass of English bubbly in hand and new friends all around. That’s what keeps them coming back.

‘I look forward to autumn now because it means harvest is near,’ says Bell.

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Rathfinny Wine Estate has deployed birds of prey via a specialist falconry team to guard its English wine grapes as they ripen in the build-up to the 2025 harvest.

Falcons, hawks and even a ‘Chilean blue eagle’ are patrolling the skies above Rathfinny’s vineyards from dawn until dusk, the Sussex-based winery said.

It’s a trial to see if these trained birds of prey can protect English wine grapes by keeping hungry seagulls, pigeons and crows away from precious fruit – saving more than 300km of plastic netting that would normally cover vines.

Sarah Driver, Rathfinny co-founder and co-owner, said, ‘In the past we have used nets to try and protect our grapes from birds, but as a [certified] B Corp company we’re always trying to reduce our environmental impact.

‘The plastic nets need replacing every three-to-five years and require lots of small plastic clips to keep them in place.’

News of the trial comes amid signs of a particularly promising UK wine harvest in 2025, following a record hot summer. 

Rathfinny expected to begin harvest on 25 September, 10 days earlier than normal, and said a professional falconry team was employing the trained birds of prey to provide several lines of defence for its grapes.

A specialist ‘hybrid’ bird representing a peregrine falcon cross-bred with a Gyrfalcon is speedy, agile and large enough to chase off bigger birds, such as seagulls, said the producer.

Another hybrid falcon – a peregrine crossed with a South American Aplomado – ‘is the perfect size to ward off pigeons’, said Rathfinny, adding the bird has the agility to fly in-between vine rows if required.

The team is also using Merlins, another type of falcon and the UK’s smallest bird of prey, to help chase off smaller birds ‘who might be settling down to eat the fruit’.

Harris’s hawks are patrolling the perimeter of the estate, as is the Chilean blue eagle – also known as a black-chested buzzard eagle – which has a sufficiently intimidating presence to scare off crows and other birds, said the producer.

While grapes may be off the menu, Rathfinny’s Driver said there are alternative meals for hungry birds nearby. ‘Luckily, there’s currently plenty of food available in the hedgerows around the estate for the birds to enjoy.’

Birds of prey have previously been used in vineyards in California to protect grapes, and a 2012 study published in the journal Conservation Biology found that introducing falcons could lead to a significant reduction in grape losses.

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France is expected to see a 2025 wine harvest of around 37.4m hectolitres (mhl), said the country’s agriculture ministry today (9 September).

Heat and drought during August in several regions, especially Languedoc-Roussillon in the south and Alsace in the north-east, have dented a previous forecast of 40m to 42.5m hectolitres.

Yet it’s a mixed picture. Burgundy lovers can look forward to more wine being bottled from the 2025 vintage, compared to the small 2024 crop, with volumes expected to jump 45% year-on-year.

Winemakers in Jura should bounce back from a frost-hit 2024 vintage, with volumes soaring 200% in 2025 to 106mhl – 38% above the five-year average.

In the Loire, production was also expected to increase 26% on last year, despite localised hailstorms and drought.

Nationally, France’s 2025 wine harvest should be around 3% larger than 2024, but it will still be 13% below the country’s five-year average, said the agriculture ministry via its Agreste data service. Its report didn’t comment on likely wine quality.

Volumes in Alsace were likely to drop 11% year-on-year, while Languedoc-Rousillon should see a 5% drop in harvest volumes.

Drought has been an issue for winemakers in parts of Languedoc in recent years, but some producers in the Corbières faced a nightmare in August as France’s worst wildfire in more than 70 years affected vineyards and communities in the Aude department.

Bordeaux is likely to see a 2025 crop of similar overall size to last year, and around 15% down on the five-year average.

Early 2025 harvests and high hopes for quality

Early starts to harvest are a feature of the 2025 growing season.

St-Emilion heavyweight Château Troplong Mondot began picking grapes on 28 August, the earliest start date in its history. MD Aymeric de Gironde told Decanter the team had high hopes for quality, with conditions similar to 2022.

Alsace saw its earliest start to harvest on record, with grapes for appellation d’origine protégée (AOP) wines first picked on 25 August, said the agriculture ministry.

There was early optimism in the Rhône, where harvest began 10 days earlier than in 2024.

Volumes were still uncertain, according to the Inter Rhône trade body, but its president, Philippe Pellaton, said, ‘With this early, high-quality and balanced vintage, we are in an ideal position to manage the vintage and produce fine wines for 2025.’

Champagne’s harvest began ahead of the 10-year average. Maxime Toubart, co-president of the Comité Champagne regional body, raised hopes for the vintage by saying vineyards were in remarkable condition, according to France 24 / Agence France Presse.

Uprooting vineyards hits French wine production

Grubbing-up vineyards has also reduced potential volumes from France’s 2025 wine harvest.

More more than 20,000 hectares have been uprooted since last year’s harvest in Bordeaux, the south-west and Languedoc-Roussillon, said the ministry of agriculture’s report.

This includes 8,000ha in Bordeaux and more than 10,000ha in Languedoc-Roussillon, it said.

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An unusually cold and foggy July marked one of the chilliest midsummers in decades around Sonoma, Napa and much of the Bay Area, leaving some growers apprehensive about potential delays.

Then came August, with a modest warm-up that was just enough to push grapes towards a slow, steady ripening, keeping many sites a week or more behind last year’s pace. The delay has been noted, though it is not yet worrisome.

Adding to the usual unease of harvest season, the Pickett Fire near Calistoga – still burning as of 2 September, though nearly 90% contained – has raised concerns about potential smoke taint, even as most vineyards and wineries escaped direct damage.

Beyond the fire zone, growers from north to south describe the vintage with cautious optimism: the signs point to real potential, but the consensus is that this is a year that demands patience, with the final chapter yet to be written.

Sonoma County

‘This season has carried a quieter tempo. Where 2024 was marked by early heat and an accelerated pace, 2025 felt like it kept its foot on the brake for much of summer. It’s a season that doesn’t want to be rushed,’ said Derek Baljeu, winemaker at Knights Bridge. The producer brought in the estate’s first Sauvignon Blanc on 28 August while Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varieties in Knights Valley still await.

On the West Sonoma Coast, some wineries began picking Pinot Noir this week, though the bulk of the harvest is still to come. What is slowly coming in, and what remains on the vines, looks promising.

Winemaker Catherine Kistler of Occidental said that the long, fog-laden summer required extra canopy management to counter the humidity of the persistent marine layer. She added however that the balance of the vines and quality of the grapes so far reminds her of 2023 – a remarkable vintage now being bottled and released – when extended, gentle ripening delivered ‘incredible intensity of flavour at low sugar levels’.

Jasmine Hirsch, farming her family’s vineyards in Cazadero, echoed the sentiment: ‘The long, lovely period from start to veraison to now usually foretells high quality.’

In other parts of Sonoma County, harvest is only just stirring. At Centennial Mountain, the first reds are now in tank, while Rodney Strong expects its first fruit from both the Russian River and Alexander Valley in the first week of September or so.

Mendocino County

Further north in Mendocino, the pace has been even slower. Sparkling houses such as Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger and Lichen are already in full swing, but still wine is some way off. Anderson Valley Pinot Noir isn’t expected until the second or third week of September, while fruit from Mendocino Ridge may not be ready until 1 October.

‘Yields are a little lower than average on the west side of Mendocino Ridge, especially in our estate,’ said Jason Drew of Drew Wines, though he added that the lighter set avoided the severe shatter seen in previous years thanks to relatively fog-free conditions during flowering. In some of Drew’s younger blocks planted in 2022, cold soil temperatures revealed nutrient deficiencies – particularly iron, potassium, and phosphorus – with Chenin Blanc showing these most clearly.

By contrast, older dry-farmed blocks appear balanced and thriving, with healthy shoot and leaf growth. Conditions have also been breezier than usual, which, as Brad Jonas from Minus Tide observed, helped alleviate mildew and mould pressure: ‘I’m seeing pristine fruit everywhere, so I’m really happy with the quality.’

Napa Valley

Napa Valley has also seen a largely even and cool summer, conditions that required careful canopy management just after fruit set to limit pyrazines in Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties, explained Barrett Anderson, winemaker at Spring Mountain. But the fire in the Calistoga area has been the most disruptive moment of the season so far – a genuine scare for many producers, with the full extent of fruit losses to smoke damage still to be assessed.

For Spring Mountain, which lost more than half its vineyards – approximately 40 hectares of vines – along with its historic 1870s La Perla winery during the 2020 Glass Fire, the memory remains raw. Anderson noted that one of the Howell Mountain vineyards may have been exposed to smoke this year: ‘We will be sending samples to labs for testing.’

He added that the season is far from secure, with forecasts predicting temperatures in the high 90s this week and red harvest still weeks away: ‘I’m still worried about some late-season heat spikes.’

Santa Cruz Mountains

In the Santa Cruz Mountains, the season has been a ‘yo-yo’, refusing to run in a straight line, according to Jeff Brinkman, director of winemaking at Rhys.

A warm spring pushed budbreak early, only for July to stall everything with weeks of cold and fog, similar to other parts of the state; August then offered just enough warmth to push vines back on track.

‘The region now sits behind 2024 but still ahead of the long, drawn-out 2023 harvest, Inland and higher-elevation sites such as Alpine and Skyline are progressing normally. At the same time, cooler, coastal vineyards like Horseshoe remain late, with smaller clusters and lighter yields,’ Brinkman said, adding that even so, fruit quality is encouraging: acids are high, sugars restrained, and stems well lignified, making 2025 an especially encouraging year for whole-cluster fermentations. ‘So far the fruit is pristine, but September will decide whether this becomes a truly classic vintage for the mountains.’

Paso Robles

Paso Robles has had what Jason Haas of Tablas Creek described as a ‘benign year – no real challenges’, a welcome change after several more extreme recent vintages. The season is running about a week behind 2024, but essentially back on the region’s long-term average rhythm. Yields, which came in light last year, have rebounded to normal levels, with vines setting a healthy crop that appears neither excessive nor stressed.

‘Fruit chemistry is encouraging, with acids holding and flavours concentrating in balance thanks to the absence of heat spikes or prolonged drought stress. So far, it feels like the kind of year you hope for but don’t always get in Paso,’ Haas said.

Labour and market pressure

Even with the weather largely cooperating, the 2025 harvest faces other strains as well. Quality looks strong, but growers caution that abundance doesn’t come without a cost.

‘The bigger concern this year isn’t in the vineyard but in the market,’ said Haas, noting that oversupply and softer sales have been heavily impacting Paso producers.

Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock Wine in Sonoma put it more starkly: ‘I think everyone is optimistic about quality while also hoping for a moderate to low crop as we all continue to rightsize to demand. There is a lot of unsold fruit right now, which is a real bummer for a lot of growers.’

Labour, too, has been unsettled. Baljeu at Knights Bridge pointed to visa denials that thinned the pool of overseas interns. ‘Some we were expecting dropped out,’ he said, and ‘farmworkers are nervous, and it shows’. At Hamel Family Wines in Sonoma, visa issues kept the usual Chilean interns from joining the harvest crew this year.

Haas saw the same absence from another angle: ‘We didn’t have a single intern apply from outside the United States. We usually have several. That’s as good an indicator as I can think of right now that people in other wine-producing countries don’t look at the United States as someplace they want to spend time.’

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The St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé estate announced the start of picking today, Thursday 28 August, marking the earliest harvest date in its history.

This follows the white grape harvest, which commenced in mid-August across the region and has largely concluded in most areas, accelerated by extreme heat that pushed ripening forward.

In an email sent to Decanter today, Aymeric de Gironde, managing director of Château Troplong Mondot, described the season as echoing 2022’s conditions. ‘We are clearly looking at a vintage similar to 2022, with a hot, dry season, small, highly concentrated and very aromatic grapes, and great freshness despite the heatwaves,’ he said.

The 2025 growing season in Bordeaux has been defined by persistent heat and dryness, building on a relatively mild winter, drawing comparisons to 2022, where vines adapted remarkably to produce concentrated yet fresh wines despite the heat and lack of rain.

This contrasts last year’s challenging 2024 harvest for the region, which saw production fall to around 3.3 million hectolitres – the lowest level since 1991 – due to reduced vineyard area (from 103,000 in 2023 to 95,000ha in 2024), severe spring frost, mildew outbreaks and coulure, which all helped drive yields down to roughly 35hl/ha.

This year, consistently high temperatures throughout July and August, with several days soaring into the 40°Cs, have intensified grape ripening and concentrated flavours. Flowering progressed smoothly under favourable conditions, but mid-summer brought intense heatwaves that stressed vines, especially young vines and those on sandy or gravel soils.

Rainfall has been sparse, with August seeing minimal precipitation, leading to smaller expected yields. This dry spell has resulted in far less mildew pressure compared to wetter years, contributing to healthier vines overall.

Cooler weather has ensued this week with some morning rainfall across the region today and forecast for the coming week with temperatures in the low 20°Cs.

De Gironde emphasised the estate’s philosophy of harvesting when grapes are ‘crisp’, adding that the choice to pick was ‘not by default but out of conviction, knowing that our terroir is such that we can really take a hands-on approach to the harvest.’

Vintage expectations are optimistic, with France’s overall wine harvest projected to rise by up to 17% from 2024, driven by rebounds in regions like Burgundy and Champagne, but Bordeaux is also set for higher volumes thanks to the dry, low-disease conditions.

Not all estates are rushing to pick. In Pomerol, many are holding off for expected weekend rains to refresh the grapes and avoid over-ripeness, despite the risk of pushing alcohol beyond current levels, some of which are nearing 14% abv.

Château Cheval Blanc is expected to begin harvesting the first red grapes on Monday (1 September), also notably early for the estate, aligning with the vintage’s accelerated timeline.

Across France, an early start is also underway in the Rhône Valley, where the 2025 harvest began more than ten days earlier than last year.

Despite climatic contrasts, growers there report promising quality, with small berries, high aromatic concentration, and well-preserved acidity suggesting a vintage of freshness and balance.

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The seismic decision, communicated in a letter from the Guinaudeau family on 24 August, was described as a necessary response to accelerating climate change and the increasing restrictions posed by the appellation system.

‘The vintages 2015, 2019, and above all 2022, were all strong evidence of [climate change]. 2025 goes a step further. We must think, readapt, act,’ the family wrote.

The move places one of Bordeaux’s most respected names outside of its historic framework ‘while maintaining the utmost respect for our fellow producers and the appellations of Pomerol and Bordeaux’.

Its decision places it in the company of a small but influential group of domaines that have turned their backs on France’s strict AOC framework in favour of greater creative freedom.

Other outsiders

In Bordeaux, Loïc Pasquet’s Liber Pater has long eschewed the Graves classification to revive pre-phylloxera varieties and ultra-dense plantings, while in the Languedoc the late Laurent Vaillé elevated Grange des Pères to cult status outside any appellation.

In the Jura, Jean-François Ganevat often bottles as Vin de France to explore eclectic blends, and domaines such as Gramenon in the Rhône and La Grange aux Belles in the Loire have also done the same after clashing with appellation rules.

Yet Lafleur is the first of Bordeaux’s top tier, with six highly sought-after wines, to break with the AOC system – a move that underscores both the estate’s singular vision and the mounting pressures of climate change on traditional models.

Rigid rules

For Lafleur, the break comes from the need for flexibility in viticulture and winemaking practices as heatwaves, drought, and shifting weather patterns increasingly challenge Bordeaux’s traditional rules.

Issues such as irrigation restrictions, planting densities, and permitted grape varieties have been hotly debated in Bordeaux as producers adapt to the hotter, drier conditions that characterised 2022 and on-going 2025.

While experimental plantings have been sanctioned under the Bordeaux appellation since 2021, many argue that the changes remain too slow to keep pace with reality.

By stepping away from Pomerol AOC regulations, the Guinaudeau family says it will be free to implement practices that ensure the ‘perennity of our vineyards, the quality and the identity of our wines’ without compromise. ‘We change to remain the same,’ the family wrote in the letter.

Château Lafleur, founded in 1872, has been under the stewardship of the Guinaudeau family since 1985 and is widely considered one of Bordeaux’s most singular estates, producing some of the region’s most sought-after wines. Its decision will affect all six red and white wines within the group, including Grand Village and Les Champs Libres.

The announcement comes just as the 2025 harvest begins, with early tastings already described by the family as ‘shaping up not just as a great vintage, but as an extraordinary one.’

Lafleur’s break with the appellation system underscores the tension between tradition and innovation in Bordeaux at a moment when climate volatility is reshaping the region’s future.

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Wildfires have been reported across Europe amid extreme heat warnings, and a ferocious blaze that began last week in the Aude department of southern France has left one person dead, more than 20 injured and burned more than 17,000 hectares of land. 

Some winemakers in the Corbières area reported severe damage from the Aude fire. It’s now contained, amid media speculation about whether a cigarette butt could have sparked France’s largest wildfire in more than 70 years.

‘My vineyard is 90% destroyed,’ said vigneron Sophie Guiraudon, of organic Clos de l’Anhel in the village of Montlaur, close to where the blaze began.

‘I have lost about nine hectares [out of] 10 hectares of vines,’ she told Decanter.

While her bergerie building survived, trees and hedges planted by Guiraudon since arriving in Corbières in 2000 are gone. ‘All the landscape is just black, without life. I have thought about cicadas, birds, insects…’

She described a mix of emotions ranging from initial disbelief to anger and then a ‘deep malaise’, but was thankful for ‘amazing’ messages of support from friends and trade professionals.

Wine cooperative Cellier des Demoiselles in St-Laurent de la Cabrerisse said 80% of its vines were affected. 

‘Some were more than 60 or 70 years old, a unique wine heritage that cannot be replaced,’ said the cooperative, founded in 1914, on a funding page created via the On Participe website to help protect the livelihoods of around 40 families. 

Initial estimates suggested around 800 to 900 hectares of vines were inside the fire perimeter, although a full damage assessment wasn’t yet available. 

Another 400 to 500 hectares could be affected by smoke, said Jean-Marie Fabre, president of the Vignerons Indépendants de France trade association, but he added final figures could be lower.

Fabre, who’s Domaine de la Rochelierre is only a few kilometres from the fire zone, visited winemakers last week and told Decanter he couldn’t recall seeing a fire of such ‘magnitude, violence and speed’. Many firefighters were saying the same thing. 

Fabre also spoke of producers’ pre-existing difficulties.

Yields in recent vintages have been curtailed by climatic conditions, notably drought, even if the quality of many wines has been strong – as noted by Natalie Earl, Decanter’s regional editor for France, in a comprehensive Languedoc tasting report. 

Fabre said signs of a promising 2025 crop, with yields approaching more normal levels, ‘gave a lot of hope to winemakers who had experienced a difficult three years’. For some, those hopes have been dashed.

Yet, this is a relatively large region. Despite reports of ash falling over the nearby city of Narbonne last week, some wineries away from the immediate fire zone were still hopeful for the 2025 vintage.

Picking has begun at Fabre’s Domaine de la Rochelierre in Fitou and he reported ‘very good quality’ fruit, despite initial concerns about smoke. He added, though, ‘We must wait until we have vinified everything to confirm that we don’t have any smoke impact.’

The Corbières AOC appellation body described the blaze as a ‘nightmare’ and thanked fire crews for their hard work.

Posting on Instagram, it cited other fires that have affected wine country this year and said summer 2025 will be etched in memory as the ‘summer of hell’. But, it expressed the community’s determination to rebuild and rise again.

Fabre said he was in contact with government officials regarding urgent aid to help affected winemakers get through the coming year. 

‘If we are capable of giving them these means, I remain convinced that [this is] one of the finest wine regions in France.’

Meeting the climate challenge

Looking further ahead, Fabre said the French government must understand the climatic changes affecting the nation, and particularly Languedoc-Roussillon, and help producers in their efforts to meet the challenge. 

If not, he warned that in 10 or 15 years it might be too late to turn back, but he added, ‘I am optimistic.’ 

There has also been debate about whether uprooting vineyards has contributed to wildfires spreading more easily, particularly as the French government has returned to the policy of compensating growers to grub-up, to curb overproduction.

Fabre said it’s true that vineyards can act as firebreaks, but he said the debate misses the point.

Changing consumer tastes are a key prompt for growers choosing to uproot in France, and in Languedoc a primary reason is the economic realities of lower yields linked to climate change, he noted. ‘When the vineyard earns you less money than it costs to produce, at some point one has to stop.’ 

Wildfires in Europe and US

Wildfires were burning in other parts of Europe, although it wasn’t clear if vineyards had been impacted. In July, vineyards in parts of Cyprus were reportedly damaged in a large blaze, reported the Cyprus Mail.

On the US west coast, wine officials in central California were monitoring the large Gifford fire.

Further north, the Burdoin fire on the Washington State side of the Columbia River Gorge has burned more than 4,400 hectares (11,000 acres).

Syncline Winery, in Lyle, reported damage. ‘The fire burned through about six acres (2.4 hectares) of vineyard,’ said Syncline vigneron and cofounder James Mantone via email. ‘About 1/2 – 3/4 acres are most likely dead, as these were mostly young vines and didn’t have the mass to resist the fire.’ 

He added, ‘We expect the entirety of our estate fruit to be smoke impacted. We will be sending out for laboratory testing on the affected vines later this week and next.’

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France’s wine harvest will jump as much as 17% in 2025 from a year earlier, with higher volumes especially in Burgundy, Champagne and the Loire Valley due to more favourable growing conditions, according to the first forecast from the French agriculture ministry’s Agreste statistics division.

This year’s vintage is expected to end up between 40 million and 42.5 million hectolitres, the statistics office said in a report, a recovery from the previous season, when disastrous weather resulted in the smallest harvest in more than 60 years at 36.3 million hectolitres. Volumes are seen close to the five-year average.

France is expected to remain the world’s second-largest wine producer behind Italy in 2025, based on current forecasts. The country has faced some unusually severe production declines in the past decade due to adverse weather events linked to climate change, from spring frosts, hail and drought to extreme rainfall.

‘In 2025, weather conditions have been more favourable,’ Agreste said. ‘The dry, hot start to the summer helped limit disease pressure, and there is no major weather event to report at this stage.’

In Bordeaux growing area, south-west France and Languedoc-Roussillon, this year’s production increase is partially cancelled out by grubbing-up plans started in 2023, with more than 20,000 hectares of vines removed in those areas since the previous harvest, the statistics unit said.

Burgundy has had favourable weather this season despite some local hail damage, with volumes expected to be ‘significantly’ higher, after severe mildew pressure in 2024. In the Loire Valley, vineyards are healthy, with production forecast to jump from 2024 and seen above the five-year average, despite some hail damage.

Champagne didn’t experience any weather or grape-health issues at this stage, with volumes expected to significantly exceed last year, and be close to average.

In the Bordeaux region, flowering went well and dry weather resulted in far less mildew pressure, Agreste said. Better yields mean production is seen around last year’s level, even after growers grubbed up 8,000 hectares of vines since the previous harvest.

Languedoc-Roussillon is looking better than last year after beneficial rainfall, and production is forecast to rise year-on-year even after more than 10,000 hectares of vines were grubbed up. Grape development is normal and mildew under control, though the Grenache variety suffered from coulure, or the failure of grape flowers to develop into fruit.

Agreste noted a ‘marked precocity’ for grape development in many areas of France, with early flowering in Burgundy, early ripening in the Loire Valley and an expected early harvest in Champagne. Grapes in Bordeaux are 10 to 12 days ahead of schedule, the statistics unit said.

Agreste is scheduled to update its production forecast in September, including a breakdown by region.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Italy is estimated to produce 45million hectolitres this year, in line with previous years even as growers faced drought and episodes of bad weather, farmers’ union Coldiretti said on 31 July. High temperatures accelerated ripening and prompted an early start to harvesting, while grape quality is good to excellent, with fungal diseases such as downy mildew and odium under control.

In Spain, wine and must production is seen at 37.5-38 million hectolitres, according to Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias, the country’s federation of agri-food cooperatives. That would be up from production of around 31 million hectolitres in 2024.

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Living and working conditions for more than 50 Champagne harvest workers, including undocumented migrants, have been the focus of a high-profile human trafficking trial in France. 

A criminal court in Châlons-en-Champagne this week sentenced three defendants to prison sentences of varying severity, according to French media.

Charges related to the treatment of workers recruited to pick grapes for the 2023 harvest, and regional trade body the Comité Champagne joined the prosecution as a civil plaintiff.

One victim reportedly told the court that workers were treated ‘like slaves’.

Video footage published by France 3 / France Télévisions showed the poor state of the workers’ accommodation in Nesle-le-Repons.

There was no running water or electricity and the group was required to work 12-hour days, from 7am to 7pm, with ‘rotten sandwiches’ offered for food, one victim said.

Three defendants were convicted on human trafficking charges. 

One of them, a woman from Kyrgyzstan in her 40s who was director of a service agency, was sentenced to four years in prison – with two years suspended, according to France24 / Agence France Presse. The report said her lawyer described the ruling as unfair and added she would appeal.

Two men in their 30s also received part-suspended prison sentences, and the defendants were ordered to pay €4,000 to each victim, the report said. 

‘Zero tolerance’

Following the case, the Comité Champagne said, ‘We have already said this, and we will say it again: the events that occurred in 2023 are serious and unacceptable. 

‘They required an appropriate response, and sanctions were taken accordingly. We had a duty to stand by the victims.’ 

It added, ‘You do not play around with the health and safety of seasonal workers. Nor do you play around with the reputation of our appellation.’

Officials said they won’t hesitate to join the prosecution on such cases, if required.

‘Our position remains unchanged: zero tolerance for this type of behaviour,’ the Comité Champagne said. ‘We will systematically act as a civil party if any further cases lead to legal proceedings.’

Last year, the Comité Champagne and other regional partners launched a new action plan designed to better safeguard harvest workers in Champagne vineyards.

Named ‘Together for the Champagne harvest’, the plan emerged from a working group set up in October 2023 to examine health and safety guidance for seasonal workers.

Around 120,000 seasonal workers help to pick and process grapes in Champagne each year.

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The UK now boasts over 300 vineyards and wineries open to the public, with a growing number of options across the country for either a day out or overnight stay, with most indicated by the grape symbol on brown tourist signposts.

Visitor numbers to UK wine estates have risen in recent years, as interest grows in enjoying wines in the surroundings where they are made. In 2023, 1.5 million visits were recorded – a 55% increase on 2022 – with this year set to reach even higher figures as new activities are revealed alongside previous concepts being refreshed to offer more dynamic, year-round experiences. Industry body WineGB expects UK vineyard visitor numbers to grow by 20% through to 2029.

‘Wine tourism helps us become more than a brand that people see on a restaurant wine list, but a place where passionate people are working to make an exceptionally high product offering,’ said Nick Toomey from Rathfinny Wine Estate. The East Sussex producer has refined its tourism offerings since its inception in 2010, starting with a cellar door and gradually growing to include two restaurants – one dedicated solely to their 10 en-suite bedrooms in the Flint Barns – and a host of summer events in partnership with like-minded brands such as Big Green Egg.

‘Tourism is very important both from a financial, educational and social point of view. It is super important for us to connect with our guests, not only does it encourage spend, it also enhances the value for our guests through education and knowledge,’ said Nathaniel McConnell, winemaker and family co-owner at Bluestone Vineyards in Wiltshire.

Indeed, WineGB’s 2024 Tourism Report states that, on average, wine tourism represents a quarter of total winery income – a key component of any winery’s long-term success.

In 2025, WineGB launched a handy travel planner to help with booking visits. From festivals and wine trains to cellar doors and stunning places to stay and dine, there has arguably never been a better time to get amongst the vines.

To plan your visit, download the Visit a Vineyard Guide 2025 for a flavour of what is on offer, or visit the WineGB Producer Directory to find vineyards in your area. WineGB’s English Wine Week runs from 21 June to 29 June 2025.

Upcoming English & Welsh

summer wine events

North

Hop on the Yorkshire wine trail; explore 16 vineyards and nine wineries from Leeds out towards the coast.

South

The annual Vineyards of Hampshire Fizz Fest will be held at Raimes Wine Barn and Vineyard this year on 29th June. The Fizz Fest coincides with English Wine Week, featuring top selections from eight producers, along with live music, street food, vineyard tours, and masterclasses.

The Grange Festival (4th June – 6th July), also held in Hampshire, will showcase a diverse programme of opera, jazz, and dance and is set to take place this year at the historic Grange Estate. Guests can enjoy the estate’s own wines at the bars and during booked dining experiences or savour a picnic on the lawns, in the pavilions, or within The Grange itself.

Further to their Easter chocolate making masterclasses, Tinwood Estate near Chichester has Yoga in the vines every Tuesday at 7pm from May onwards. They also have luxury lodges.

East

Flint Vineyard in East Norfolk have recently opened their new tasting ‘hatch’ and have a series of Camphill Friday nights planned involving wine, beer, street food and music from 4pm-10:30pm across selected summer dates.

West

Art and Music combine through a series of free exhibitions and live music ‘Vineyard Vibes’ dates at Devon’s Sandbridge Barton (formerly known as Sharpham). Stay the night and take a stroll in the Orchard.

Wales

Specialist Interest Group SIG is organising Welsh Wine Week this year (30th May to 8th June) – visit www.welshwineweek.co.uk for more information on tastings and activities

Urban

Every other Thursday, music and literary fans can taste along with Gutters & Stars winemaker Chris Wilson at his Cambridge windmill-turned winery. Each wine is dedicated to a song, album or prose.

*Sign up to our Discovery newsletter for monthly updates on English wines and beyond.

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A warm, dry spring set the season up well, though a cooler, wetter December and January period tested nerves before settling into a classic Indian summer. While perhaps not as straightforward as the outstanding 2024 vintage, 2025 looks set to produce wines of finesse and charm across the regions and varieties, with the first releases just months away.

Auckland

Michael Brajkovich MW of Kumeu River expressed relief at a ‘normal’ sized vintage after two seasons down by 35-40%. Auckland experienced the driest summer since 1958, with consistent warmth but no heat spikes.

‘The fruit ripened evenly and with gradual aroma and flavour development,’ Brajkovich said. Chardonnay was once again the star, arriving early and in pristine condition.

Gisborne

Described as a ‘magnificent vintage’ by Kirsten Searle of Matawhero, 2025 brought full physiological ripeness and a return to normal yields after two lighter years. Chardonnay excelled, providing excellent fruit for both table wines and sparkling bases.

Searle also highlighted the Gewürztraminer from Matawhero’s Riverpoint vineyard as particularly impressive – a fitting celebration for the winery’s 50th anniversary.

Hawke’s Bay

There is genuine excitement in Hawke’s Bay, with some suggesting that 2025 may rival the renowned 2013 vintage. Ben Tombs noted Craggy Range’s earliest-ever harvest, with Chardonnay off the Gimblett Gravels picked on 8 February.

Whites show ‘electric flavour profiles with moderate alcohol’ while Syrah, despite late-summer humidity challenges, enjoyed extended hang time without excessive sugar accumulation, promising finely structured, vibrant reds.

Wairarapa

After four small vintages, Martinborough celebrated a strong yield. A relatively calm spring and lighter winds led to strong shoot growth and abundant flowering. Intensive canopy management paid off with Pinot Noir showing a savoury, charming profile.

Tombs commented on lower acidity and softer tannins compared to the more firmly structured recent vintages at Craggy Range’s Te Muna vineyard.

Nelson

Todd Stevens of Neudorf reflected positively on the vintage: ‘It’s still early but the whites appear beautifully balanced, while the Pinots show poise and should present very well.’ Initial signs point to good consistency across this smaller but significant region.

Marlborough

Murray Cook of Dog Point summed up 2025 as ‘a season of patience’. ‘With generous yields, the fruit took some time to ripen fully. Thankfully, we were blessed with classic dry and warm conditions which kept fruit quality high over what was our longest harvest period (46 days) in 24 years,’ he added.

However, with global inventories still high amid flat consumption and geopolitical uncertainties, many producers opted to leave fruit on the vines. The upside: only the best fruit was picked and consumers can look forward to excellent quality from this key region.

North Canterbury

A rollercoaster year, with Greystone’s Dom Maxwell describing it as one that ‘challenged us, then offered a lot, then challenged us again, and finally delivered in the end’.

Pure fruit flavours and clean fermentations made it a worthwhile ride. ‘We’re excited about the quality we have in the winery,’ Maxwell added.

Central Otago / Waitaki

Valli’s Jen Parr described an unusually compressed harvest of around half the usual span. Despite spring frosts affecting yields, she was thrilled with the ‘tremendous concentration’ and ‘crazy colour’, particularly in Gibbston and Bendigo.

Small berries and clean fruit were common themes with Parr commenting that wines possess richness and an appealing ‘joyful’ quality that should drink well young but also reward a few years in bottle.

The Waitaki Valley – often marginal – had one of its best vintages in recent years, for both ripeness and volume.

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California’s red and white wine grape crush from the 2024 harvest was 2.844 million tonnes, excluding raisin and table grapes, said a preliminary report from the US Department of Agriculture published 10 February. 

That is down on 3.685 million tonnes in 2023, albeit yields vary between producers and areas.

Winemakers in several parts of California have praised the expected quality of their 2024 vintage.

‘The industry has not seen a crop this low since 2004,’ said Audra Cooper, director of grape brokerage at Turrentine Brokerage.

Cooper described the preliminary crush data as shocking, but also said there was some ‘double-edged news’. California is one of several wine regions in the world facing issues with surplus supply.

‘The total California Cabernet Sauvignon crop was down 31% from 2023 and 22% from the five-year average,’ according to Cooper.

‘While damaging to those who grow Cabernet Sauvignon, this decrease is helpful in balancing the oversupply from previous vintages.’

Turrentine said the situation varied by area. It said the North Coast saw its 2024 grape crush drop 15% versus 2023, although it remained 3% above the area’s five-year average. Grape crush in the Central Coast, meanwhile, was 35% down on 2023 and 29% below the five-year average.

Turrentine’s vice-president, Brian Clements, said approximately 100,000 tonnes of grapes were left unpicked in California’s 2024 harvest, signalling ongoing challenges for the industry.

Oversupply is a particular issue for lower-priced wines, under $12-a-bottle, said a recent report on the US wine industry by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). 

Demand for premium wines has continued to be more resilient, and some wineries grew their sales in 2024, found SVB wine division’s 2025 state of the industry report.

It forecast that the supply situation should mean a ‘great era for consumers looking for good deals’.

But it repeated earlier warnings that younger adults weren’t drinking wine to the same extent as the Boomer generation. More should be done to appeal to consumers aged 30 to 45, in particular, it said.

‘The wine industry is undergoing a significant change, marking the first demand-based correction in three decades,’ said Rob McMillan, SVB wine division founder.

‘We have been predicting a generational shift for many years, and the 2025 report data solidifies the wine industry is now living that reality.’

Still, more than half of wineries responding to an SVB survey described their financial health as good or strong, with 10% ‘very strong’ and 6% ‘rock solid’. 

SVB’s report added: ‘Winery owners are resilient. Those who have been in business with their own properties with years of successful brand-building under their belt forged their financial strength over time. Those wineries will work their way through this challenging period.’

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Miserable weather during the growing season means that many Chablis winemakers saw a relatively small 2024 harvest.

Figures were still being finalised, but the overall Chablis 2024 harvest was likely to be less than half of the level seen in 2023, said Paul Espitalié, president of the Chablis Commission, which is part of the regional Bourgogne Wine Bureau (BIVB). 

Frost, hail, mildew and above-average rainfall in spring and early summer all presented challenges for growers, said Espitalié, although he said producers were happy with the quality of grapes that survived the climate’s onslaught. 

‘The wine is tasting good today with a lot of fruit. Of course, it’s more grapefruit and lemon flavours than ripe fruit. [It’s a] very fresh, clean style of Chablis wines.’

A BIVB report on the Chablis 2024 harvest said that yields varied considerably, sometimes within a single village.

While some growers harvested below 10 hectolitres per hectare, a few managed to pick a full crop and the region’s south-east was seemingly spared, it said.

Reserve stocks built up in the 2022 and 2023 vintages should help to cover shortfalls from the smaller 2024 crop, maintaining supplies of Chablis for consumers, according to Espitalié.

Climate change in Chablis

Yet, he said conditions in 2024 add to a sense of climate change throwing up more unpredictable weather patterns in Chablis.

‘It’s not only global warming; we are talking about [the] climate being crazy,’ he said.

‘Some years we will have drought and heatwaves, and the following year we will have two or three times more water.’

Chablis winemakers contended with drought in 2023. In the 2024 growing season, producers saw 50% more rainfall than normal up to the end of August. 

‘This year, Chablis town was flooded twice. We had an amount of rain which was quite incredible,’ said Espitalié. He added that hailstorms hit the region’s vineyards in May, earlier in the year than the usual high-risk period.

Meanwhile, warmer weather in February and March can leave more young vine buds exposed to frost if temperatures plunge in April. 

‘We need to find solutions’

Growers are trying to find solutions, especially to frost, said Espitalié. ‘If you visit Chablis today, you will see a real evolution.

‘You will find a lot of big propellers with heating systems to heat the air a little bit. You will find more and more vines equipped with heating wires to prevent the frost around the buds.’ Pruning vines later in the season can help to delay bud-burst in the following growth cycle, too. 

There is work to explore rootstocks within the Chardonnay grape variety.

Earlier-ripening variants have historically been highly prized, ‘because we were very far north, and the challenge was to have enough sugar and ripe grapes’,’ said Espitalié. ‘Now, we are thinking differently.’

Earlier picking can also help to preserve freshness and acidity in the grapes, he said, quipping that winemakers have stopped taking holidays at the end of August. 

Chablis is also helped by its terroir, however, he added. ‘We really have a specific terroir that gives minerality and saltiness to our wine.

‘Even in quite ripe years in the past, even if at the beginning we had very ripe wines…with a few years of ageing you will find this freshness and minerality.’

Espitalié said that Chablis winemakers were considering asking France’s appellation authority, INAO, for greater leeway in terms of how much wine can be set aside in producers’ reserves in larger vintages.

Some wineries had to throw away good stock from the 2023 harvest, he said. An ability to hold bigger reserves could help winemakers to manage stocks, and also help to maintain more stable pricing in export markets.

Broadening Chablis wines’ appeal in UK

Regarding consumer demand for Chablis, Espitalié said sales were showing a good dynamic globally, but he pointed to several years of declining export volumes to the UK. 

While the UK remains a major destination for the region’s wines, exports fell 4.7% in the first seven months of 2024, versus the same period of 2023, to 1.67m bottles. By value, exports dropped 7.8% to €17.5m.

Economic factors are considered partly responsible for this, but a new marketing campaign set to launch next year will seek to broaden Chablis wines’ appeal by presenting them as wines for every occasion – a move that it’s hoped could also attract a younger generation of drinkers.

‘I think a big challenge for us is to try to do more communication for younger people,’ said Espitalié.

Rise in organics and tourism

In Chablis itself, research in 2022 found that almost quarter of estate managers and co-managers in Chablis were under the age of 40.

This has been linked to various innovations, including a rise in vineyards converting to organic in recent years, according to the BIVB.

More producers have also switched on to tourism opportunities, according to Espitalié, such as by opening shops in Chablis village. This has been accompanied by a growing restaurant scene, and Espitalié said tourist numbers were rising 20% year-on-year. 

In 2023, 500,000 tourists visited Chablis and its surrounding villages, led by visitors from the Netherlands and the UK.

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In 2021, winemakers, like the rest of us, were poised to rebound from the most challenging year in recent memory for, well, the entire human race. But the year was hardly a panacea, nor was it an easy bounce back from 2020.

The heat was extreme at times and unparalleled even for the hot desert climate that is home to nearly all of the Columbia Valley. Furthermore, there were still lingering issues from the COVID-19 pandemic regarding staffing and safety protocols, particularly in states like Washington and Oregon.

In addition, wildfires were once again a problem, although their impacts seem to be isolated to very specific parts of Washington State. I tasted a few wines (less than 10 in a sampling of over 300 wines) impacted by the Schneider Springs Fire, which was localised to some western parts of the Columbia Valley appellation.

However, while the best wines of 2021 undoubtedly show ripeness, there is elegance, balance, and a subdued freshness in those from the top producers.

Both Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah showed brilliance with refined tannins and minerality when diligence was exercised in picking decisions.

Columbia Valley 2021 red wines of the vintage

Gård, Grand Klasse Syrah, Royal Slope 98 points

WT Vintners, Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley 98 points

Columbia Valley 2021 white wine of the vintage

Delmas, Viognier, Rocks District of Milton-Freewater 96 points

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Columbia Valley 2021 wines

Columbia Valley vintage ratings

2021 3/5

A vintage beset by record-shattering temperatures, 2021 in terms of wine quality, was a vintage for those pursuing balance. The heat dome in June, coupled with continued hot weather all the way through harvest, made acidity and freshness harder to come by for many Columbia Valley producers. Winemakers in slightly cooler sights benefitted, as did those who relied on proactive vineyard management. Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon showed that they could take the heat for the most part, and many up-and-coming producers made wines that stood out by picking earlier and benefitting from sites with strong mineral character.

2020 3/5

In this slightly warmer-than-average year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced wineries to create strategies that allowed them to continue to make wine. The best show finesse and balance, with fine examples, in particular, coming from the Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills AVAs. In September, wildfires raged to the south in Oregon, creating difficulty with ripening and impacting some vineyards with smoke taint. However, there wasn’t the same widespread damage here as in parts of Oregon and California.

2019 5/5

It was a cooler year for the warm, largely desert-growing conditions, this and a cold, wet winter, delayed bud break and bloom delivering wines with great elegance, finesse, and balance. Challenging frost events in September and October contributed to smaller yields. The top wines show beautiful finesse and elegance balanced against Washington’s characteristic tannin structure and reliable ripeness.

The heat is on

Living in the Pacific Northwest, I experienced the late June heat dome first-hand. It was a horrifying experience, the likes of which I had never seen before. In Seattle, which typically sees summer temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s (21-26°C), it was 108°(42°C) for multiple days. Despite our coastal location, the air did not move. It was suffocating and it turns out, the deadliest weather-related event in Washington State’s history.

Trothe founder Jeff Andrews’ family has been growing wine grapes for generations in the Horse Heaven Hills, and with all that experience, the heat of 2021 still looms as a defining factor of the vintage. ‘2021 was the year that all the talk of warming trends and excessive heat projections became more than theory,’ says Andrews. ‘It was an undeniable reality. We recorded twenty days of 100°(37° C) or more at Andrews Family Vineyards between 2 June and 16 August. We’ve had warm-to-hot vintages in the past, but 2021 was something we had never experienced before.’

‘Since then, we’ve had one hot vintage after another. Even this year (2024), a “cool” vintage, has been very warm by historical standards,’ Andrews continues.

‘We’re doing everything we can to adapt to the annual onslaught of excessive summer heat, taking steps in the vineyard to produce the best fruit each vintage and preserve plant health for future vintages. We pay close attention to crop load, canopy size, water, and nutrition needs,’ said Andrews.

Columbia Valley 2021: top 10 wines of the vintage

(alphabetically and by score)

Gård, Grand Klasse Syrah, Royal Slope 98 points

WT Vintners, Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley 98 points

DeLille Cellars, Chaleur Estate, Red Mountain 97 points

Force Majeure, Estate Syrah, Red Mountain, 97 points

From the Sky Down, Solaksen Cabernet Sauvignon, Royal Slope 97 points

Gård, Grand Klasse Cabernet Sauvignon, Royal Slope 97 points

Gård, Winemaker Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Royal Slope 97 points

Quilceda Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 97 points

Trothe, Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills 97 points

WT Vintners, Les Collines Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 97 points

A season of extremes

The challenges of 2021 were not only about heat. For many growers, it was the lowest-yielding vintage they’d seen in their careers, and several factors may have been at play.

The winter of 2020 included a late-winter freeze, and precipitation throughout that winter and into spring was lower than seasonal averages, leaving soils dry. Bud break came early, on the last day of March, and then it got cold for a stretch of about ten days, with temperatures below freezing. Hot temperatures followed, and bloom arrived in mid-May. It was windy and hot during bloom, creating challenges for fruit set and, ultimately, yield.

‘2021 was an interesting vintage,’ says Brooke Delmas Robertson, director of viticulture and winemaking for Delmas in The Rocks District AVA.

‘We saw extremes on both ends of the season. Hail and cool temps well into April, while the summer saw temps as high as 115° before the end of June. Residual freeze effects in the phloem (vascular tissue) of the vines and heat spikes too early in the season contributed to very low yields across all varieties, not just in The Rocks District but the Walla Walla Valley as a whole. Beautiful wines were made, but there are not a lot of them.’

The heat dome, which Delmas Robertson references, was the defining feature of 2021. It was an anomaly even in the hot region of eastern Washington and Oregon, where growers saw temperatures across the Columbia Valley go into the 120° (49°C ) range for several days.

See all 300+ Columbia Valley 2021 wines tasted from Washington State and Oregon

Pursuing balance

Most of the Columbia Valley is a desert, which means low disease pressure, ample ripeness and cool nights that allow for sufficient acid retention. For many winemakers, this ‘Goldilocks’ set of conditions, coupled with the ability to irrigate as needed, has made for relatively easy and reliable vintages over the last decade. As hot vintages become the norm, Washington winemakers’ ‘set it and forget it’ attitude from 10 to 20 years ago will be forced to change.

Those with estate vineyards, or a dedicated winegrower who is hands-on in the vine rows, will become essential as climate change pushes temperatures and shrinks picking windows, and certainly made a difference in 2021.

‘Being a viticulturist is a huge advantage when it comes to making wine,’ says Gård winemaker Matias Kusulas. ‘Being the head viticulturalist at an all-estate winery, means I have complete control in every block of every vineyard when it comes to decision making. Dialling in irrigation, fruit mass, and canopy management for a hot season is critical to good chemistry, the right aromatic and flavour compounds, and phenolic development – all of which are very important to a balanced wine. You can only do so much at the winery without negatively affecting the wine’s organoleptic profile. The best approach, to me, is paying close attention and focusing your efforts in the vineyard.’

‘The most important decision I made in 2021 was determining when to pick,’ says Trothe’s winemaker, Ray McKee. ‘It’s an important decision each year: picking determines how you capture the character of the fruit–perhaps underripe and green, or perfectly ripe, fresh, and vibrant, or possibly overripe and lacking nuance. The intensity of 2021 made the picking decision even more pivotal.’

‘As a wine-growing region, Washington has been getting steadily warmer since 2013, and I’ve learned a little more each year – my most important takeaway is that the picking window for great wines is actually relatively small. In 2021, it was still 90°(32°C) or above in October, when it’s typically in the 70s (21°C), and I picked Cabernet earlier than ever before to capture the variety’s vibrancy and avoid a one-note, baked-out wine.’

Columbia Valley 2021: 30 of the top wines tasted

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Figures from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show that England has suffered its second-worst harvest since records began. Wheat, winter barley and oilseed rape all saw double-digit declines.

Most winemakers have only just started harvesting grapes this week, so trade body Wine GB was reluctant to provide an official estimate on the 2024 crop.

However, CEO Nicola Bates told Decanter.com: ‘Like many wine regions in Europe, we have experienced challenging conditions this year and are expecting reduced production due to high disease pressure that has required proactive management.

‘Vintage variation is common in our cool climate and despite record volumes last year [21.6 million bottles], our five-year production average stands at 12.4 million bottles. A comprehensive account of this year’s harvest will be published in December.’

Anecdotally, many English winemakers expect this year’s harvest to be down by between 20% and 70%.

Hampshire has arguably been hit the hardest, so we headed to the county to find out how growers have coped with the grim weather.

‘An incredibly challenging season’

Esteemed Champagne producer Vranken Pommery gave the nascent English sparkling wine industry a major stamp of approval when it expanded into Hampshire back in 2016.

The company now has around 50 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris vines in Old Alresford, which is near Winchester.

‘We are down to about half of what we would expect in a normal year, and around one-third of last year’s record crop,’ said Vranken Pommery’s cellar master Clément Pierlot.

‘I think Hampshire was hit more than many other counties. We had a very good year last year, so we know it’s a cycle, and we have to accept it.’

Will Perkins, head winemaker at Vranken Pommery’s Pinglestone Estate in Old Alresford, put on a brave face when discussing the challenges his team has faced this year.

‘This has been an incredibly challenging season,’ he admitted as he stood in a wet, muddy vineyard, flanked by rows of Pinot Meunier vines. ‘However, to have reached this point with the quality that we’ve got in the vineyard is testament to everybody’s application.

‘We’ve had to be really receptive this year to the conditions. The disease pressure has been super high. The quality we have is amazing, and we are delighted by what we do have to showcase for 2024, given all of the challenges of the season.

‘From January through to today, we haven’t had a window of more than six days without rain, so it has been super challenging. On 1 August, we had 40ml of rain in an hour. It was so localised, just here and in an adjacent vineyard. That was at the most sensitive period for downy mildew in the UK. We have had to be very contextually nimble and adaptive. It has been an incredibly meticulous approach.

‘We had to prioritise saving premium parcels. We are down, but the quality is high, which is reflective of the dedication and the passion of the team.’

Downy mildew gives growers nightmares

Downy mildew has been the primary concern for English winemakers during this year’s damp, humid growing season.

Fred Langdale, vineyard director at Exton Park, which is around 10 miles south of Pommery’s vineyard in Hampshire, is also facing substantial losses. ‘The quality of the fruit was actually good, but the quantity was down around 20% on what we anticipated at the beginning of the season,’ he said. ‘There were a lot of areas where the fruit hadn’t ripened, so we had to be very selective with our picking.

‘The challenging weather came in late June at Exton Park, when it was very damp during flowering. Humidity levels then remained high for the whole summer which put more pressure on the vines, with a risk of downy mildew.

‘Pinot Meunier was hit harder, as it flowered during a wetter period than our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Although this wasn’t detrimental to the quality of the grapes, it did affect the bunch weight.’

Low yields expected across England

Producers across Sussex also experienced challenging conditions this year, but vineyards in Kent appear to have fared better.

Tamara Roberts, CEO at Ridgeview Wine Estate in East Sussex, said: ‘As we near our 30th anniversary, this year’s growing season has proven to be one of the most challenging.

‘However, our strategy of partnering with growers across southern England has been invaluable, especially as our eastern sites have been less affected by the wet weather.

‘Diversifying our grape sources is key to the quality of wine we produce. All have very different characteristics and contribute something special to our English sparkling wine.’

Gusbourne Estate, which owns 16 vineyards across 90ha in Kent and West Sussex, reported a similar situation. CEO Jonathan White said that many vineyards have suffered from mildew, but he added that West Sussex in particular is expected to produce significantly less fruit than last year’s bumper crop.

‘Thanks to careful work in the vineyard, we are confident that only pristine, clean fruit will be picked,’ he said. ‘Any fruit which does not meet our exacting standards will remain in the vineyard. The result is that the 2024 harvest will be considerably smaller in quantity, but we expect the wines to still reflect our usual exceptional quality.’

Plumpton Wine Estate in East Sussex is only picking half the fruit it harvested last year, citing ‘challenges with disease pressure due to constant rain’.

Winemaker Nicholas Brewer at Oastbrook Estate, which is on the Sussex-Kent border, said: ‘2024 has been a challenging year in England, with reduced yields and a late harvest, but it’s a story of less is more, with our grapes ripening well, with no disease.’

Sussex, Kent and Hampshire account for 64% of the UK’s total vineyard area, according to Wine GB. The southwest of England, which makes up around 6% of the country’s area under vine, also had a torrid season.

Duncan Schwab, head winemaker at Sandridge Barton in Devon, expects volumes to be down by 70% compared to last year. He added that many producers in the southwest of England have experienced similar declines.

Producers grapple with climate change

Climate change has allowed English wine sparkling producers to rival the Champenois in terms of quality. The south of England now has similar weather conditions to the Champagne region in the 1960s and 1970s, while the terroir is also similar.

However, experts suggest that the English wine industry will need to grow increasingly resilient as it grapples with climate change moving forward.

Tom Lancaster, an analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: ‘This year’s harvest was a shocker, and climate change is to blame. It’s clear that climate change is the biggest threat to UK food security, and these impacts are only going to get worse until we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.’

Matt Strugnell, the head of viticulture at Ridgeview, added: ‘There is uncertainty about what climate change will mean for us. Building climate resilience into our vineyard management is absolutely key and we are embarking on a journey to investigate in detail what is happening with our soils.

‘This coupled with a more detailed approach to pruning should mean healthier vines in the long term and healthier vines should be better equipped to deal with a changing climate.

‘This season has been a reminder that we grow grapes in a marginal climate. It will always present us with challenges, but personally, I think this is what makes our wines more exciting and interesting – growing these varieties on the limit.’

Producers across the country did what they could to save as many grapes as possible during the torrential downpours of 2024.

‘It has been a challenging year, but we are used to these kinds of conditions,’ said Pierlot at Vranken Pommery. ‘We have a lot of experience with these conditions in Champagne as well. We realised that we would not be able to make a normal yield this year. You have to prioritise certain plots.

‘It’s a relief to see how good the juice is, because we were scared a month ago. We were worried about downy mildew and botrytis, but the fruit is very healthy. It won’t reach the ripeness of 2022, but it will be fine.’

Langdale at Exton Park added: ‘We would usually let the cover crops between each row grow tall and flower to create an effective habitat for insects. However, this year we had to cut these shorter to decrease humidity and allow more air to flow through the vines.

‘We also undertook more intense leaf stripping to expose the grapes to the sun and wind to keep them as dry as possible. Our careful canopy management at the correct times of year encouraged the canes to grow upwards rather than tangled to maximise airflow and we were very precise about our selection of products used to spray the vineyard. All of this combined had a positive effect on counteracting the challenging weather conditions.’

Reserve wines will help producers

Last year, English winemakers enjoyed a record harvest, which produced 21.6 million bottles, following near-perfect weather conditions. Wine GB called it a ‘miracle harvest’ and reported that the top 25% of vineyards recorded an average of 15.6 tonnes per hectare.

As such, many producers still have excess stock left over from last year’s bumper crop, which should help them meet demand.

‘We have reserves in the tanks from last year,’ said Pierlot. ‘Reserve wines are key to helping us to adapt to bad years.’

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Famous regions such as Burgundy and Champagne have projected one of the smallest wine crops in recent years.

The Burgundy and Beaujolais harvests are both expected to fall by 35% year-on-year, while the Champagne crop will be down by around 33% compared to 2023.

Last month, the agriculture ministry’s Agreste statistics projected a total harvest of 39.3 million hectolitres for 2024, which would have been one of the weakest in the past century.

It has now cut that forecast by another 4.6% to just 37.5 million hl, citing adverse weather conditions throughout the growing season.

That will represent a 22% decline compared to last year’s crop, while it will also be 15% below the five-year average.

‘This drop is due to unfavourable weather conditions which impacted all wine-growing areas,’ Agreste said in its monthly report.

Agreste noted that all regions will suffer declines, but they will be particularly pronounced in Beaujolais, Burgundy and Champagne.

Many vines flowered during cool, humid weather, leading to coulure and millerandage.

Heavy rains, frost, mildew and hail all caused problems throughout France too, and the harvest was brought forward in the Loire Valley and other regions to prevent further losses.

A small harvest is not exactly disastrous for France, as the country is already dealing with a growing oversupply crisis.

Global wine production outstripped demand by 10% in 2023, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), and the resulting surplus has pushed down prices and threatened the livelihoods of French growers.

The French government has proposed a €120m plan to remove around 30,000 hectares of vineyards in a bid to tackle the crisis.

In July, Champagne producers called for a 12% cut in the number of grapes harvested this year after sales decreased by 15% in the first half of 2024.

However, many individual growers have suffered substantial losses, which represents a major blow during these challenging times.

In the Languedoc-Roussillon region, the harvest is almost complete, and it is forecast to fall by 13% year-on-year due to drought in some areas and mildew in others.

The Alsace crop is also expected to decline by 13% due to mildew and disrupted flowering, while a 30% decrease is now forecast in the Loire Valley.

In Bordeaux, production is forecast to fall by 14% year-on-year following hail, mildew and issues with coulure.

Yet the worst impacted region will be the Jura, where frost and mildew are expected to reduce the harvest by 75% compared to last year. To compound the issue, thieves have struck in the region.

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Paul Bonin headed to his vineyard in Gevingey to give the vines their first cut, but he was shocked to find that they had been stripped of their grapes.

The 48-year-old winemaker initially suspected that birds had devoured the grapes while he slept, but he then realised that he had fallen victim to burglary.

‘Friends showed me bunches of grapes that had fallen to the ground, neatly cut with pruning shears,’ Bonin told France 3.

Bonin had only harvested 10kg of grapes before the thieves struck, and they made off with 800kg, leaving nothing in their wake.

‘That means another year without income,’ he said. ‘I only made 200 litres of juice. It is a blow to the head.’

Bonin is not the first winemaker to be targeted by thieves in Jura, a region tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss border in eastern France.

Last year, Catherine Hannoun, of Domaine de la Loue winery in Port-Lesney, told Decanter that thieves made off with around 2,500 kg of grapes from her vineyard.

She was one of three winemakers targeted, according to French news channel TF1. Another victim, Laura Bourdy of Domaine Bourdy in Arlay, told reporters that the speed and apparent skill with which thieves stole grapes suggested they were organised and experienced.

The gendarmerie investigated the thefts, but they did not manage to catch the culprits.

Louis Cauzo, the mayor of Gevingey, reacted with fury to the theft at Bonin’s vineyard, which is roughly 0.85ha.

‘I am really outraged. He is a young winemaker who set up not long ago and who has invested a lot. It was his first real small harvest. And it is even more dramatic this year, because there are no grapes,’ he said.

It had already been a challenging year for grape growers in the region, as heavy rainfall, hailstorms and mildew ravaged vineyards across Jura.

Historically, the region’s average production is 80,000 hectolitres per year, but it is expected to fall to around 35,000 hectolitres this year, with experts blaming the climate crisis.

Police ramp up their surveillance during the harvest in Jura and other wine regions, as thieves target not only the grapes, but also agricultural machinery. However, they were unable to prevent the latest theft.

Bonin may add GPS micro-trackers to grape clusters in the future in a bid to catch the thieves.

‘I found a company that provides GPS micro-trackers the size of confetti,’ said Bonin. ‘If we slip them into a few bunches on the plot, we can track the movement of the grapes and see who received them. The pressure needs to change sides.’

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As much of France reels from one of the toughest growing seasons of recent times, Champagne was still holding on to some quiet optimism as harvest continued through September.

Quiet, that is, because yields are low and maturity unpredictable. Optimistic, though, because outside of the Aube in Champagne’s south, Reims and the Marne Valley in the north have largely made it through with a modest yield on the vines, ripening through a much-needed dry spell in mid-September.

After the gigantic, botrytis-affected 2023 vintage, yields were always going to look smaller this year, even before the travails of the weather took their toll.

‘There were two to three bunches less per vine this year,’ said Louis Roederer’s cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. ‘There was a lot of fruit to ripen in 2023, so maybe the vine directed its energy to last year, but not this year’.

Mother nature doubled down, handing out spring frosts that caused up to 80% loss in parts of the Côte des Bar in late April. At Alexandre Bonnet in Les Riceys, there will be no Rosé de Riceys made this year – the first time since 1991.

Hail hit the Marne Valley, home to much of Champagne’s Meunier, on 12 May, affecting around 500ha of vineyards.

The unifying story, however, is of downy mildew. ‘We weren’t hit so badly by the frost,’ said Hugo Drappier of Champagne Drappier in Urville in southern Champagne’s troubled Côte des Bar. We looked out over vineyards carrying barely a tenth of their usual yield. ‘But we were hit worse by the mildew,’ he said.

Downy mildew entered flowers and young grapes at the end of June and into July. Unlike for the leaves, which the vine can replace or partially save, this is terminal for affected bunches.

Although there was crop loss in the Marne Valley, the mildew was the worst in working memory for many in the Aube, with possible implications for the region as a whole; much of Champagne’s red wine destined for rosé production is made in Les Riceys, and there will be much less to go around this year.

Ordinarily, downy mildew is controlled either by copper-based sprays, used by organic producers and requiring constant re-treatments, or systemic fungicides used by non-organic producers. If organic viticulture is seen as more challenging, then the sheer pressure of the year has eventually landed everyone in the same boat. In fact organic viticulture, as it did in 2023, seems to be coping well in skilled hands: ‘Our organic trials were good this year, but if you missed a treatment in the vineyards then it’s gone!’ said Émilien Boutillat, cellar master at Piper-Heidsieck.

Surprisingly, Meunier in the Marne Valley was not the primary victim of rainfall, as Perrier-Jouët’s cellar master Séverine Frerson explained: ‘The Meunier in the Marne Valley is better than last year, the characteristic this year is fruitiness and freshness, we could have a very good vintage.’

Charles Philipponnat of Champagne Philipponnat agreed that it is a ‘healthier’ year than 2023, because while downy mildew can affect the yield, it does not necessarily affect quality.

Somewhat more predictably, Chardonnay, despite being later to ripen, seems to have yielded better, possibly missing the troublesome weather at flowering.

‘I’m confident for some beautiful Chardonnay this year,’ said Vitalie Taittinger of Champagne Taittinger, despite a little more reticence on the Pinots. A walk through the Côte des Blancs revealed limited mildew damage and moderate yields on Chardonnay, although maturity is extremely heterogeneous.

The damage in the Aube, together with lower yields overall, will have consequences that are slow to work their way through. Champagne’s unique réserve interprofessionnelle system (formerly known as a réserve individuelle) – whereby a certain amount of wine can be held back from the previous harvest in case of low yields, blocked from being bottled as Champagne by the authorities and kept at a rolling maximum of the equivalent of 10 tonnes per hectare – will be important this year.

Those with almost no grapes will be forced to use almost all of these reserves to make their wines, meaning there will be little in reserve for next year should the weather gods prove equally unkind. Those who put their inferior wines from 2023 into reserve, hoping to swap them out for better ones this year, will face a tough choice as to whether to use them or take the hit and sell them on.

After the sting in the tail of 2023, however, the mood in most of Champagne remains upbeat – even if growers will be hoping that 2025 gives them an easier ride.

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Living in the Pacific Northwest, I think of 2024 as a relatively steady, somewhat cool summer, with a few hot days but no notable anomalies.

I recognise that the weather where I live in Seattle is a bit different than that they receive in the Willamette Valley, and vastly different than that on the eastern side of Washington State, where it has been a very hot summer almost the whole time.

Checking in with winemakers throughout the region has revealed an interesting tale of two growing seasons: a long, steady, warm summer in Oregon and a steady, hot one in Washington State.

Washington

On Red Mountain, third-generation JJ Williams of Kiona Vineyards has seen the warm temperatures finally starting to cool down.

‘Sauvignon Blanc is always our first pick,’ Williams said. ‘And that was 5 September this year. 2024 feels like a 2.0 version of 2021 (considered a hot year). Fruit quality is high, and daytime temperatures have started to cool over the last week, so things are progressing at a nice, gradual pace.

‘The skies are always clear and sunny on Red Mountain, but the lower temperatures have been lovely for the fruit and our crew. This is the first full vintage under the care of our vineyard manager, Javier Ponce. He has worked closely with (and taken over from) Scott, my father, and his 50 years of Red Mountain experience.’

Things on Red Mountain will start wrapping up soon.

‘We’re not planning to do an ice wine this year; instead, we are allocating all of our Estate Chenin Blanc to our Columbia Valley Old Vine Chenin, which changes our timeline,’ Williams said.

‘Usually, our harvest end depends on when it freezes, and we never know. This year, our last blocks will be picked by mid-October. Our old-vine “1975 Old Block” on the estate came in on 14 October last year, and we think it will be close to that.’

On the far eastern side of Washington State, Kelsey Albro Itämeri is owner and winemaker at itä wines in the Walla Walla Valley, focusing on wines from the eastern foothills of the Blue Mountains.

She brings a restrained style that matches the moderation and finesse of the higher-elevation sites she works with.

‘We picked our first fruit, Sémillon, from Les Collines Vineyard on 28 August,’ Albro Itämeri shared.

‘We’re already almost all in (as of 17 September) with just Primitivo for rosé hanging, which we’ll pick by 23 September, and then half a ton of Petit Verdot that is always our last one in – it gets blended into our Merlot. We might pick that in October, but it is absolutely within the realm of possibility that we’ll be done picking by the end of September.

‘I’m really excited about the quality of the fruit this year. As an acid head, this year has been turning out to be my dream. There are lovely flavours with lots of snappy acidity to balance out. Malic acid levels are also pretty high, meaning that with the red wines, we’ll have the opportunity to soften that, especially by going through full or partial malolactic, depending on how things taste.’

Brad Sorensen is the viticulturist at Les Collines Vineyard, one of Walla Walla’s famed vineyard sites. ‘We were relieved that after a very warm summer, temperatures came down as we started harvest,’ Sorenson said.

‘It allows flavours to continue to develop as sugar accumulation slows down. The quality of the fruit looks excellent this year, with almost no issues with disease or damage from the sun or heat.’

Oregon’s Willamette Valley

Gina Hennen is the director of winemaking and viticulture at Adelsheim Vineyard, a Willamette Valley legacy winery founded by living legend David Adelsheim.

‘So far, this vintage has been absolutely dreamy,’ Hennen said. ‘We’ve had highs in the low to mid-70s and mostly sunny skies for the last few weeks. Because of those conditions, we are seeing a glacially slow pace of ripening, and sugar accumulation is happening much slower than our “new normal”.

‘That means we can get longer hang time for enhanced flavour development without the typical compromise of losing acid or creating too much potential alcohol. Over the last week, we’ve been rather casually picking Chardonnay and our earlier ripening Pinot Noir.

‘The weather outlook suggests more of the same in the coming weeks, so we’re happy to keep picking slowly as our estate vineyards gradually move into the ripening window. At this stage, my biggest concern is keeping our harvest interns busy, but that’s a luxurious problem to have.’

Jessica Mozeico, of Et Fille Wines, said: ‘The mid-September cooling in the Willamette Valley has been a complete gift. Up until the beginning of September, we were trending above the Growing Degree Days (GDD) average of the last 30 years.

‘That worried me because if it continued the warm weather would have increased sugar levels, and that could have necessitated harvesting before phenolic ripeness and flavour development were ready.

‘Temperatures dipping into the 50s (10°C) at night and peaking in the 70s (21°C) have slowed sugar ripening, and we’re letting phenolics and flavours catch up. Cool and dry conditions in late September and into October that allow hanging time maturation are ideal.’

Hennen added: ‘Right now, ripening is happening slowly, and acids aren’t dropping quickly. I think the 2024 vintage will be characterised by lovely and vibrant fruit flavours, low alcohol and ample acidity – a classic Willamette Valley vintage worth collecting. This plays right into the Adelsheim style, so I’m definitely looking forward to this year’s wines.’

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What is a field blend? How is it different from a blended wine?

Imagine a meadow of wildflowers picked all at once and made into perfume. Field blends are wines made from different grape varieties that are grown together in one vineyard and then co-fermented. Traditional wine blends, on the other hand, use grapes from different plots, fermented separately by variety and blended later.

The idea of mixed-grape vineyards can be traced to Roman agricultural practices, as documented by writer-farmer Columella in the 1st century CE. It didn’t happen overnight and certainly not for romantic reasons, but rather for yield.

Grapevines were likely sparse and scattered back in the day. Farmers harvested existing wild and native grapes together, and if a grape didn’t perform, it would be replaced with something that might work better.

They would propagate, trade, select and cultivate for desirable traits, such as productivity and resistance to pests and diseases. So, it makes sense that field blends are typically found in the Old World and are associated with older vines, because they pre-date modern varietal planting.

Four examples of field blends listed below

So none in the New World?

Not quite. There are centenarian vines producing field blends outside of Europe. Known for its pre-industrial agricultural approach, California’s Ridge Vineyards produces estate-grown field blends starring Zinfandel.

Also, its Pagani Ranch wine is a field blend from vines planted from the late 1800s. In neighbouring Lake County, Dancing Crow Vineyards makes a wine from co-planted vines in the ground since 1901.

These are among the few surviving field blend vineyards aged 100 years or more in California, as recognised by the Historical Vineyard Society.

Beyond California there are handfuls of other producers who are intentionally planting vineyards to produce field blends, such as South Africa’s Alheit Vineyards.

Which areas of the world are known for field blends?

Austria’s history with field blends is now seeing a revival. Gemischter Satz is a wine that showcases co-fermented grapes cultivated in and around Vienna. Producer Fritz Wieninger describes the perfect Gemischter Satz as a wine in which individual varieties are indiscernible.

‘One variety is like an instrument and the Gemischter Satz is the whole orchestra,’ he explains.

In Portugal’s Douro valley, co-planting has been a tradition for centuries, initially for Port production and more recently also for dry wines. Quinta do Crasto’s Maria Teresa comes from a plot of 54 grape varieties from heritage vines, according to Miguel Roquette, who says ‘the recipe is in the field’.

Exceptionally varied microclimates dictate precise harvest times of specific sections within the vineyard to best illuminate the terroir, and maintain the integrity and complexity of the wine.

Any other names to look out for?

Also in Portugal, Antonio Madeira seeks the ethereal side of the Dão and shares his love of rescuing old forgotten vines to make a palhete, in which black and white grapes are ‘mixed joyfully’ to create easy-drinking ‘farmer’s style’ wines.

The long-ageing ‘complantation’ wines of Domaine Marcel Deiss in Alsace are both traditional and visionary, highlighting soil specificity through 13 Alsace varieties. With great respect for tradition, Scarbolo in Friuli, northeast Italy, appreciates field blends for their ‘fascinating’ complexity.

Second-generation Mattia Scarbolo says it’s about the ‘cooperation of cultivars, with each year being a different love story’.

It’s said that wines of quality come from fruit picked at optimal ripeness. As field blend grape varieties have different ripening times, does this still apply?

Good question! Of course, the dream vineyard consists of vines with similar ripening times, but it’s not always the case – even in a monovarietal vineyard. Factoring in such variables as soil and microclimate, optimal ripeness is not achieved across all grape varieties.

Proponents of field blends strive to find that sweet spot, in which underripe berries contribute nerve and acidity, and overripe ones add complexity and body. Yet, while there are many high-quality field blends being made, this is one aspect of them that deserves further exploration.

Do field blend wines help environmental resilience?

Yes. Historically, field blend vineyards came about in part because farmers were hedging their bets against disease and adverse vintage conditions. This is still an important consideration for producers of field blends today.

David Gates of Ridge Vineyards notes that diversity in the vineyard fosters resilience because different varieties contribute different strengths.

So we should seek out field blends?

These wines tell the story of a unique vineyard, through a kaleidoscope of different grapes. This diversity can offer a wine of unexpected thrill and complexity, balance and regional character.

It’s a great one to add to your wine discovery list.

Marisa Finetti selects four field blends worth seeking out

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What started as a worrisome record-breaking hot summer has cooled enough and given the Golden State an excellent crop.

North Coast:

Starting in Northern California, on Sonoma’s far western coast, is Hirsch Vineyards, a Pinot Noir-focused site perched atop California’s coastal mountain range in view of the Pacific Ocean. Winemaker Jasmine Hirsch said of the ongoing harvest: ‘We had a sweltering July, followed by a mild August. Sunny and warm, but not hot. The vineyards set a good crop this year, which has allowed the fruit to ripen slowly and evenly. This is a dream situation for winemakers and farmers alike.’

Similar high-quality sentiments were expressed from warmer areas of Northern California, where east of Sonoma in the Napa Valley, renowned Cabernet winemaker Cathy Corison said: ‘Weather was perfect for flowering, so there’s a bountiful crop that ripened very evenly. The result is balanced, delicious wines.’

This is a promising start for California’s most famed terroir.

Just south of Napa is the Carneros AVA, known for cool climate varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and sparkling wines of the same grown next to San Pablo Bay. Domaine Carneros CEO and winemaker Remi Cohen said of the vintage: ‘Moderate summer temperatures with occasional short periods of heat were perfect conditions to ripen a slightly above-average crop. Our grapes are grown on our six estate vineyards in the Carneros region, and their regional focus and proximity, coupled with the narrow window for preserving acidity in sparkling wines, made for a very condensed harvest.’

Central Valley

Many of California’s famed wines come from its coastal and bayfront regions. But the majority of the state’s production (about 70%) comes from its immense Central Valley. The majority of fruit from the interior of the state is for bulk wine production, but the Lodi AVA has emerged as a producer of high-quality wine, especially Zinfandel.

Consultant winemaker Chad Joseph works with multiple labels in the Lodi area, including Oak Farm Vineyards in the Acampo region, focusing on full-bodied examples of Italian and French varietals. He said of the inland harvest: ‘Despite the above average summer temperatures this season, we are seeing a more typical harvest with respect to timing and quality. We are just starting to harvest red varieties, such as Zinfandel and Merlot, and are pleased with the fruit so far.’

Joseph mentioned the ‘typical’ harvest timing in direct contrast to 2023 when much of the state picked vineyards weeks later than normal due to unusually cold summer weather. In common with last year is the relative lack of fire smoke, something that had threatened and even destroyed much of the state’s grapes in previous warm years. 2024 included the warmest July on record in California, contributing to the surprise among growers of clear skies and high grape quality despite the heat.

Central Coast

Moving south to the Central Coast, where renowned winemaker Adam Lee oversees Pinot Noir sites in the coastal Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Barbara regions. Lee has seen some interesting variation this growing season, saying of his still developing cool climate grapes, ‘yields seem to be down a bit – maybe 10% or so. The reason for the lower yields seems to be fewer clusters. However, the weather during flowering and set was fantastic, and every berry seemed to set in the clusters.’ Lee went on to conclude, ‘This is leading to an interesting combination of things – overall weights are down, but the juice is especially, well – juicy.’

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France is expected to produce one of its smallest vintages of the past century, with Burgundy and the Loire Valley particularly hard hit by mildew and poor fruit set after an unusually wet start to the summer, according to an updated government forecast.

Wine production is estimated to fall 18% to 39.3 million hectolitres, a bigger drop than predicted a month ago, the agriculture ministry’s Agreste statistics unit said on Friday in a first breakdown of volumes by growing region. France produced only six smaller vintages in the past hundred years, including in 2021 and 2017, government data show.

‘This decline is due to particularly unfavourable weather conditions, which have reduced production potential in almost all wine-growing regions,’ Agreste said. Production ‘would remain slightly higher than the 2021 harvest, which was marked by a severe frost’.

The slump means France may lose its spot as the world’s largest wine producer, with Spain’s farm cooperatives expecting local volumes to climb to 39.7 million hectolitres in 2024 as growers there rebound from last year’s drought and hailstorms.

Many vineyards across France were affected by dropping of flowers and young berries, or coulure, as well as a variation in grape size, or millerandage, both the consequence of humid, cool weather during flowering, according to Agreste. Downy mildew affected most wine-growing areas, sometimes causing ‘significant losses’, while frost and hail also reduced volumes.

The production estimate was revised downward in particular because of a better assessment of flowering results in later growing regions, particularly Charentes, which produces the wine distilled into Cognac and where volumes are forecast to slump 35%.

Burgundy and Beaujolais will jointly produce 2.12 million hectolitres of wine, down 25% from a relatively big harvest from last year, according to the forecast. Mildew hurt production particularly in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or region, while disease and hail caused significant losses in Beaujolais.

Loire Valley volumes are estimated to fall 30% to 2.1 million hectolitres, after grapevines there flowered in cold and humid conditions, with mildew and coulure the main culprits.

In Bordeaux, where 8,000 hectares of vines is being uprooted this year as part of a government-backed grubbing-up plan, growers suffered a wide range of setbacks including again coulure and mildew, as well as hailstorms that damaged vineyards. Volumes are estimated to fall 10% to 3.89 million hectolitres to the lowest since 2017, the data show.

Champagne output of AOP wine is estimated to slump 19% to 2.34 million hectolitres, with spring frost an additional factor on top of poor fruit set, mildew and hail. In Languedoc-Roussillon, France’s biggest growing area and which sells much of its production in bulk, the volume of all wines is estimated to drop 4% to 10.6 million hectolitres.

In the South East including Provence, production is seen falling 12% to 4.42 million hectolitres, while the volume of wine from Alsace is estimated to fall 13% to 914,000 hectolitres. Among France’s smaller growing areas, growers in the Jura were particularly hard hit, with a severe frost and mildew cutting production by 71% to 35,000 hectolitres.

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France’s wine harvest is forecast to fall as much as 16% in 2024 from a year earlier, with unusually rainy conditions during flowering hurting fruit set and a wet early summer prompting outbreaks of downy mildew in vineyards from Bordeaux to Alsace, said the French agriculture ministry’s Agreste statistics unit.

National production may fall to between 40 million and 43 million hectolitres this year, from 47.9 million hectolitres in 2023, according to the first official forecast published last Friday. That would potentially be one of the smallest harvests of the past hundred years.

‘Downy mildew, favoured by wet conditions in early summer, is affecting most wine-growing areas and could cause major losses,’ Agreste said. ‘Episodes of frost or hail have also locally reduced production volumes.’

French winemakers have faced significant challenges from extreme or unusual weather in recent years, with frost in 2017 and 2021 pushing production below 40 million hectolitres. Volumes fell below that level only six times in the past hundred years, including three vintages during and right after World War II, according to official production data.

‘Production is expected to fall in almost all wine-growing basins,’ Agreste said.

The estimates are provisional in light of various grape-health issues and weather events affecting French vineyards, while high soil moisture levels could still limit the decline, Agreste noted. Vine development is one to two weeks delayed compared to last year, according to the report.

Bordeaux production should fall after the wine-growing area was reduced by about 8,000 hectares as part of a grubbing-up plan, in addition to losses from poor fruit set and hail storms. In Burgundy, rains favoured ‘virulent’ mildew that should reduce the harvest, with neighbouring Beaujolais also facing strong disease pressure.

In the Loire Valley, strong mildew pressure should result in fewer grapes, and flowering in cold and wet conditions caused ‘noteworthy’ coulure – the failure of grape flowers to develop into berries – according to the report. Alsace is also suffering from mildew, while late spring frost caused major damage in Provence, with mildew worsening the losses.

Champagne suffered from spring frost and hail that impacted production potential, while abundant rain caused coulure and favourable conditions for mildew. In Charentes, which includes the Cognac region, humid conditions during flowering are expected to cause a ‘significant drop’ in volumes after record production in 2023.

Languedoc-Roussillon was one of the few regions in France where flowering went well, though conditions varied subsequently, with water stress in the western part of the growing region and excess humidity in the Gard to the east causing ‘very virulent’ mildew, the report said.

Meanwhile, conditions are more clement in Spain, after the country’s winemakers suffered a mix of drought and hail storms last year. Production is forecast to increase 20% to 39.7 million hectolitres of wine and must, boosted by a 33% jump in volumes in Castilla-La Mancha, according to a first forecast from Cooperatives Agro-Alimentarias published last month.

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‘The first pick of 2024 for us at Chandon came from our home vineyard in Yountville, which is our warmest estate vineyard and we believe Napa’s northern limit for growing exceptional sparkling wine grapes,’ said winemaker Pauline Lhote.

‘We picked about 57 tons (52 metric tonnes) of Chardonnay on Wednesday from two different blocks in Yountville, 23 tons (21 metric tonnes) of Pinot Noir, and 17 tons (15 metric tonnes) of Meunier on Thursday. I would say that, in a way, this puts us “back on schedule” in 2024, with the first pick almost exactly three weeks earlier than 2023, when we began harvest on August 25th,’ she said.

Like many California wineries, Chandon harvests at night to preserve the grape’s acidity levels. In this case, picking commenced just after midnight, in the early hours of Wednesday, 7 August 2024.

A wet winter and a July heatwave

The 2024 growing season has been hot, and in some ways, it is a return to Napa’s new normal after the cool and slow vintage that produced the 2023 wines.

While the temperatures have been warm after the 4 July holiday – Napa broke records – with nearly two weeks of temperatures in excess of 90°F (32°C). Temperatures soared to 105°F (41°C) in the region on 2 July.

The warm temperatures were mitigated to a degree using canopy management. Yet California’s wet winter, which saw it end a more than three-year drought cycle, really allowed the vines to weather the extreme heat without over-stressing the fruit.

Reservoirs and groundwater in Napa Valley have been full after another wet winter, which saw record rainfall through January 2024. An entire year’s worth of rain fell in just the months of January and February.

The nearby city of Napa recorded 7.6 inches (19cm) of rain in January alone. These reserves meant ample moisture was available as vines entered the growing season and faced a hot month of July.

‘While there had been some early talk of high yields and excess fruit in California, we are currently seeing lower yields than predicted, with small, clean clusters,’ said Lhote.

‘For now the maturity is steady and beautifully paced, so we are feeling no time rush at the moment, which is my dream scenario – though obviously, this is California, so things can always change. My biggest fear during harvest is always heat, so I am relieved that the current Napa weather forecast is also showing no notable heat wave for the next 10 days.

‘All in all, the flavours are there, and so is the acidity, due to the fact that night temperatures the last few weeks have been pretty cool, in the low 50s (10-15°C), which will allow us to bring in grapes at the optimal temperature when we harvest at night. Low temperatures at night are really what dictates the pace of harvest.’

Meanwhile, in nearby Sonoma County

Katie Leonardini, owner of Whitehall Lane Winery and maker of sparkling wine from Sonoma, reported that things were moving right on track in Sonoma. Overall, things are a bit slower in the cooler region, closer to the Pacific coast.

‘Speaking with Jason Moulton (Whitehall Lane’s director of winemaking and viticulture), who walked our Sonoma Stage Vineyard in Petaluma Gap yesterday. He is seeing a moderate crop load this harvest in our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with super lush canopies,’ she said.

‘We anticipate a slightly larger harvest than last year. We are getting closer to harvest and are seeing around 75% veraison today. We’ll perform some strategic leafing this week to provide a little more sun exposure to keep things moving along. We anticipate harvesting the Clone 115 Pinot Noir in about two weeks.’

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A string of extreme weather events continues to wreak havoc in Spain, this time in the northwestern regions of Bierzo and Valdeorras.

A storm on 25 June hit Valtuille de Abajo and the surrounding areas, pummeling between 500-600 hectares of Bierzo’s most prized vineyards with hailstones the size of golf balls, crushing grapes, tearing leaves off vines and even damaging canes and permanent wood.

This is the second hailstorm in as many weeks. On 18 June a storm passed over nearby Cacabelos, pelting about 250 hectares of vineyards around the town with ice. The event also affected the nearby Ourense province, wiping out vineyards across DO Valdeorras.

With only two months left until harvest, growers are left with serious doubts about salvaging what looked to be an excellent vintage. And, extensive damage to vines may jeopardise next year’s harvest as well.

In Bierzo, most of the damage was centred in Valtuille de Abajo and Valtuille de Arriba. The affected area is home to about half of the DO’s premier vineyards, including the parajes of Villegas, Poulosa, Valdoneje, Telleria, Cabanelas, and Las Gundiñas.

‘In Valtuille it’s brutal,’ said Nacho León of Demencia Wine. ‘Almost the whole town was affected, about 90%, if not 100%,’ he said.

León added that damage to vine shoots means the storm will affect both the 2024 and 2025 vintages, calling the situation ‘a disaster’.

Nearby villages Pieiros, Villadecanes, Parandones, and Toral de los Vados were also hit by the storm and saw about 70% of their vines damaged by hail.

Speaking to local newspaper El Diario de León, Carmen Gómez, technical director of DO Bierzo, said she ‘almost cried’ when surveying the affected vineyards. Gómez said some producers no longer have any fruit to harvest, and for those who do have some grapes left, it may not be worth it to harvest at all.

The storm caught the vineyards at a delicate time as vines have recently flowered with grapes in the first stages of growth.

Berries are very sensitive to attacks by fungal diseases up until veraison, and currently there’s a high risk of diseases like downy mildew, black rot and powdery mildew due to wet conditions and high temperatures.

As growers pick up the pieces, the affected DOs have called for urgently treating affected vines to heal the wounds caused by hail and prevent the growth of fungi.

Bierzo’s wine growers will roll out these treatments and continue watching the sky as they cross their fingers that something will be left to harvest in the fall.

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US-born Amber Mihna, global sales director for Napa’s Staglin Family Vineyard, met her British partner Phil Robertson, a senior executive at Amazon, in Mexico, in 2020. Since then, they’ve bought a property in the Cotswolds, planted a vineyard from scratch and will produce their first wines under the Fossebridge Vineyard label in 2025. All while holding down their demanding day jobs. They’re even finding time to grow vegetables, and keep bees.

Amber: ‘We met on the day that the news broke about the Covid situation in China, in February 2020. Phil was on holiday in Mexico, and I was there to host a Staglin wine dinner. I was supposed to be travelling on to Europe for the Prowein trade show and other meetings, but everyone started cancelling. Phil went back to Seattle, where he lived at the time; I flew back to my home in Napa. Because all my work travel plans had been cancelled, I drove up to see him and we toured Walla Walla. I started doing the 14-hour drive up there every other week for about six months. There was no traffic on the road, just Amazon and Walmart trucks. In early June, Phil had a visa issue and got sent back to the UK. The international border lockdown meant foreigners couldn’t fly into the US. But I was able to fly to the UK.’

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Phil: ‘Because I was in the process of moving, with all my stuff stuck in a container somewhere, I was legally allowed to stay in tourist accommodation. Amber would fly over and we toured around southern England: Somerset, the New Forest, the Cotswolds here in Gloucestershire. We wanted to find a house, and we had also both dreamed about owning a vineyard. Amber had even travelled to Piedmont and Tuscany looking for vineyards. While staying near here, we saw Fossebridge House advertised for sale in Cotswold Life magazine. We’d looked in Devon and Sussex also, but fell in love with this house, and the location in the Cotswolds, mainly as a place to live. Built in the 1950s, it hadn’t been decorated since the 1970s and was a complete wreck. But it wasn’t listed so we had the freedom to do the renovations we wanted to.’

Amber: ‘The house came with 3ha and we now have around half of it under vine. It was a massive clearance job – there were stinging nettles up to waist level, and we had to remove 100 tonnes of wood from the trees. You have to apply for change of use if the vineyard is 2ha or above, but ours was smaller so that wasn’t necessary. We carried out soil tests, mainly to make sure there was nothing toxic in the soils – all was fine. Then we did some soil samples. The soil is the commonly found Cotswold brash, a limestone soil with high stone content, with clay and sand, over rock. The vines are on a south-facing slope behind the house, so ideal orientation.’

Phil: ‘Through word of mouth, we came across a guy who had run Biddenden winery in Kent and has now set up a vineyard establishment business. He sourced the vines for us, from France and Germany, and planted them. We planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 2021, and then in 2023 more Chardonnay, some Pinot Meunier and Sauvignon Blanc. The Sauvignon Blanc was a late addition, inspired by the success of nearby Woodchester Valley Vineyard with its award-winning SB. It helps to have a still wine, to generate a bit of revenue while your sparkling wines are ageing on lees. We’re also planning to make a Pinot Noir rosé. The sparkling line-up will comprise a non-vintage cuvée, a richer, nuttier blanc de blancs with more time on lees, and a 100% Pinot Meunier.’

Amber: ‘We decided not to plant PiWi (fungus-resistant) varieties. Lots of people round here have planted them and do well with them, and they undoubtedly cope better with frost and mildew. But for me, drinking wine means vitis vinifera. You don’t find much Chardonnay in Gloucestershire, as it’s harder to ripen. Most of the local wineries use Seyval Blanc or Solaris for their sparkling wines.’

Phil: ‘The only drawback to the location is that we’re quite high up here for the area, on the Cotswold escarpment, so we do experience frost. Lots of wineries use bougies (paraffin candles). But we’d need around 300, so the cost would be around £3,000 a night. Plus it only gives you 1.5˚ to 2˚C protection, so it doesn’t even work if the temperature falls too low. The other downside is that it’s manual – you have to physically go out and light them all. Not only does that take time – we have 6,000 vines, at 1m spacing – but also we both travel a lot for work, so we needed a remote solution. Amber is on the road around 200 days of the year. We looked at heated wires and infrared lights, but the running costs are very high. So we’ve installed a water-based system, which has high capital costs but lower running costs (about half the cost of lighting bougies over five years), and can be activated remotely. When it gets cold, sprayed water stops the bud from freezing – it’s slightly exothermic (heat creating) – and then encapsulates the bud in a cocoon of ice. You keep spraying so the pipes don’t freeze, and the temperature stays at 0˚C.’

Amber: ‘We also get lots of rain, so mildew is a challenge. Most people reckon you can harvest in your third year from planting, while some advise you wait an extra year. We didn’t have a choice as we hadn’t bought a sprayer last year and had mildew in the leaves and trunks – it rained virtually every day in July and August. We won’t harvest until 2025, but it gives the plants a better base to build from. We’re expecting seven or eight good harvests out of 10, given the marginal climate. It’s getting warmer, but achieving the sugar levels you need, even for sparkling, can be tough, especially when you factor in the altitude here (you lose 0.5˚C for every 50m).’

Phil: ‘It’s expensive starting a vineyard in the UK, and we don’t have investors – we’re bootstrapping it as much as we can. Brexit hasn’t helped in terms of the taxes we need to pay to get equipment purchased from abroad through customs. We get help when we need it, but we do most of the work ourselves, trying to incorporate organic practices wherever we can. We can prune the top vineyard in 20 hours. It’s a killer on the back though. We’re currently looking at winemaking options. In the long term we’d like our own winery here, but in the meantime we’ll use another winery or a contract winemaking firm.’

Amber: ‘Napa feels very different as a winemaking community, as it’s such a small area – 5 miles by 30 miles. And producers have learned to collaborate really well in the face of the recent natural disasters. In contrast, wineries here are spread across the whole of the south of the UK, even extending north to Yorkshire. It’s harder to have a community over that distance. That said, when we needed some more posts urgently we put a shout-out on the WineGB forum, and a winery in Cornwall let us have some they didn’t need, for free. That was a great feeling. The local community here is great too. Initially there was disbelief among the locals that we were planting vines, but now they’re excited. The day that we put the first vines in the ground we had a party, because we wanted everyone to know what was happening. That is paying off.’

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Catalan grape growers praying for water have had their prayers answered, but not in the way they had hoped. A hailstorm that fell on 1 June in the Penedès region of Catalonia devastated an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 hectares of vines. Hardest-hit areas might see any chances of a 2024 harvest completely wiped out.

This is the latest in a series of unfortunate weather events for the Spanish region, which faced a bout of mildew in 2020 and has been under severe drought alert for much of 2024.

Catalan wine publication Vadevi published a map of the storm’s path drawn by local growers. It shows a vertical line from Sant Joan de Mediona to Cubelles, cutting straight through Vilafranca de Penedès. The worst-affected vineyards were in the towns of Santa Margarida i els Monjos, Castellet i la Gornal, Sant Martí Sarroca and Font-rubí.

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‘There was rain in the forecast that night, but instead of water it was just ice falling,’ said Ferrán Lacruz of Bodega Clandestina, located in Sant Martí Sarroca. The storm began around 8pm, with hail falling fast and furiously over the span of half an hour. Lacruz suffered some damage to his Macabeo/Macabeu crop, but his vines mostly escaped the full rage of the storm. Others were not so lucky.

‘Some vines just have the trunk left,’ said Josep Marrugat, head of viticulture for agricultural union Unió de Pagesos. Marrugat said there will be no harvest from the most severely damaged vines this year, and next year’s harvest might also be compromised. Speaking to local newspaper La Ciutat, he classified the situation as ‘very demoralising.’ Unió de Pagesos estimates a loss of about seven million kilos of grapes, or about €5m, for local grape growers.

Most of the vineyards damaged by hail produce grapes for DO Cava, exacerbating an already difficult year in which the regulatory council has had to take extraordinary measures to meet high global demand. Added to this is the uncertainty generated by the Catalan elections in May, in which no party was able to win a majority needed to form a government. Marrugat said that so far there was no one who could make the decision to send aid to growers with damaged vineyards.

Both Marrugat and Lacruz called for the support of the entire wine sector to stabilise prices and allow growers to make a living in the face of an increasingly chaotic climate. And also for a change of mindset. ‘It’s not only wineries who purchase grapes, but also consumers, who need to understand that prices need to change for the Penedès to have a future,’ said Lacruz, who does not produce wines under an appellation. ‘We need to make a change from volume to value, in order to be able to survive in years when we produce much less,’ he concluded.

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The French photographer won the award in 2023 for his beautifully framed shot of a girl emptying a vat in Burgundy.

He has now successfully defended his crown courtesy of an aerial shot of a harvest in Volnay, located in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy.

Gaudillère’s photograph displays an intelligent use of natural light to capture all the key players in the harvest – the grape pickers, the horse and the tractor – providing intriguing shadows on the dust track.

The shot won the ‘Places’ sub-category within the Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year award, which is part of the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year awards.

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Gaudillère’s photo was then judged against the winners of the ‘People’ and ‘Produce’ sub-categories, and it was determined to be the best overall.

Fellow French photographer Jonathan Thevenet won the ‘People’ sub-category for his image of a family pulling together during the harvest at the Aegerter estate in Burgundy.

It was a clean sweep for the French, as compatriot Guenhaël Kessler clinched the ‘Produce’ sub-category for In the Tank During Alcoholic Fermentation.

The image was described as ‘an almost abstract close-up of the vivid colours of fermentation’, which was captured for renowned oenologist, Xavier Vignon, in the Rhône Valley.

Wine writer Joanna Simon, one of the judges, said: ‘The quality of the images overall was outstanding, and I love the way the three category winners evoke the conviviality and excitement of grape picking and the sheer beauty and colour of winemaking.

‘The two vineyard photographs both show the harvest in action and yet they couldn’t be more different – different people, places and times of the day captured for all time from very different viewpoints.’

Decanter’s art editor, Patrick Grabham, was also on the judging panel, along with wine writer Sophia Longhi and Errazuriz ambassador Pepa Chadwick.

The awards were presented at the Mall Galleries in London on Tuesday evening, announced by celebrity chef Andi Oliver.

An exhibition of all the winning and nominated photographs will run from June 5-9 at the Mall Galleries, located close to Trafalgar Square on The Mall, and there is also an online gallery.

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The 2023/2024 season has been another unusual one for Chile. In contrast to the extreme summer of the 2023 vintage, this season has been marked by mild temperatures. But the really striking thing about harvest 2024 was the contrasting impacts of the weather on the north and the rest of the country.

Ocean impact

With the El Niño phenomenon in transition during 2023, ‘temperatures in the Pacific rose 1–1.5 degrees,’ says Marcelo Papa, technical director at Concha y Toro. ‘In Chile that meant a mild winter, resulting in varied budding patterns. The high ocean temperature created greater cloud cover, less direct sunlight and rainy winters. These conditions continued after budding, resulting in slow ripening.’

A tale of two harvests

Andrea Calderón Vásquez, the oenologist at 1865 Wines which has vineyards in Elqui and Limarí in the north; in Leyda, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua, Lontué (Curicó Valley) in central Chile; and in Malleco Chile’s – southernmost wine region, said: ‘It was like there were two harvests in Chile, one for the north and another for the central and southern regions.

‘For the northern harvest, I had to return from my holidays early, but I could have taken a second holiday while we waited for the southern harvest.’

In the north of Chile, the harvest was brought forward by between 15 and 20 days. From Santiago to the south, grape picking began 20 days later than usual.

North: quick and dry

In Limarí, ‘the winter was short and mild, causing vines to bud three weeks earlier than usual’, said Héctor Rojas, viticulturist at Tabalí. The rainfall in the south didn’t reach the north – the South Pacific High (a high-pressure system that can slow wet weather) resulted in a dry season for northern vineyards. Water shortages meant limited irrigation, which resulted in yields approximately 20% lower than usual.

Other producers in Limarí reported that the increased cloud cover was beneficial in the face of such dry weather, preventing overripeness in varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

High summer temperatures in Elqui brought ripening forward. Gabriel Mustakis, winemaker for San Pedro labels such as Kankana del Elqui and Tierras Moradas said: ‘The harvest occurred up to 15 days earlier than usual in Elqui. Fruit development occurred more rapidly, with greater sugar accumulation, excellent concentration, higher alcohol levels and balanced ripeness.’

The centre and the south: slow and wet

Aurelio Montes, of Viña Montes in Colchagua, said that 2023/2024 was ‘one of the strangest seasons I’ve seen as an oenologist. Winter 2023 had high temperatures and high rainfall. A cold, damp spring resulted in weak fruitset and fewer berries. Summer continued the trend of low temperatures, further delaying growth and ripening’.

‘Almost Bordelais’

In Maipo, overall the year was ‘decidedly cold and cloudy, with low sunlight. It was almost Bordelais’, said Papa. The cool end to 2023 was followed by high summer temperatures in January and February, resulting in gradual, uneven ripening. Earlier-ripening varieties such as Cabernet Franc were delayed by two to three weeks; yields for later-ripening varieties such as Carmenère were impacted by the cool spring. Thankfully, the end result was balanced; Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère both have moderate to low alcohol levels, elegant tannins and good freshness.

Sebastián Ruíz Flano, winemaker at Viña Tarapacá in Maipo, is quite enthusiastic about the 2024 harvest. ‘Harvest began 15–17 days later than usual but we’re happy with the results; the alcohol stayed low and the tannins are incredible. Fruit health was excellent because the rain held off, allowing us to harvest at just the right time. It was a great season.’

Vásquez added that in the coastal region of Leyda, ‘the cold spring impacted fruitset, producing lower yields. Uneven development steadied out in summer and we harvested on a date similar to previous years. Sparse bunches and prevalent local breezes resulted in healthy fruit’.

The southernmost Chilean wine region of Malleco experienced the same cool spring and delayed fruit development, but also heavy rainfall – 60mm fell in two days in March, triple the weekly average. Overall the season was damp and cold, resulting in Pinot Noir with lower alcohol levels and good acidity.

It’s certainly been another strange year for Chilean winemakers, in different ways. Ultimately, yields for the 2024 vintage are 10 to 15% below average but, despite the unusual weather, quality expectations are high.

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Following record low yields for the 2023 harvest, there were high hopes for a stable 2024 vintage in Argentina – but nature had other plans. Erratic weather resulted in one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.

The Zonda wind – the hot, dry gale that swoops down from the Andes – took an usual turn from September. Pablo Richardi, winemaker at Flechas de los Andes explains that ‘it wasn’t so much the intensity of the Zonda as its persistence. We had three days of wind when the vines were already vulnerable, with tender buds and leaves. The wind reduced the canopy and dried out plant tissues, making them less productive’.

The weather was cool and dry until mid-January when a heat wave saw temperatures hit 40 degrees, hastening ripening in vineyards all around the country. In some places the heat was so intense that vines shut down.

Low yields, but not as low as 2023

Vines were already fragile going into this tricky season, courtesy of the late spring frosts in the preceding vintage. ‘The 2024 harvest produced more fruit than last year, but it was still 15% below average,’ said Germán Di Césare, chief winemaker at Bodega Trivento.

A cool, dry spring in Mendoza and the rest of Cuyo saw significant snowfall accumulate in the Andes mountains. The subsequent snowmelt swelled rivers to a degree not seen in many years. This is significant in Argentina, where the majority of vineyards rely on irrigation.

Perfect balance

Alejandro Vigil, President of Wines of Argentina and the winemaking director at Catena Zapata, said, ‘The 2024 harvest was quite unusual. Although it was hot overall, we experienced “high lows” rather than extremely “high highs”. As a result, sugars that concentrated during the day were consumed overnight, with acidity retained, providing perfect balance. This vintage is extremely encouraging. The incredible whites and reds from high, cool areas remind me a lot of the extraordinary 2021 vintage.’

‘The incredible whites and reds from high, cool areas remind me a lot of the extraordinary 2021 vintage.’

Mendoza

Di Césare reported, ‘The vineyards all across Mendoza are remarkably healthy. Uco Valley sub-regions had their differences, depending on the impact of the preceding season’s frosts and how the vines bounced back. Overall, we saw low yields but excellent concentration among the reds.’

Pablo Durigutti, winemaker at Durigutti Family Winemakers, added, ‘Micro-frosts reduced yields in Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo, but we achieved good concentration and typicity in the Malbec. Cool, rainy days were good for ripening. We are seeing silky tannins and well-defined fruit.’

Richardi said, ‘After the January heatwave we expected an early harvest, but actually we were able to wait for just the right time. The first samples are showing moderate levels of alcohol and gentle, rounded, mellow tannins. Lower yields often mean better quality and I think this will be an excellent year, with easygoing, well-rounded wines.’

San Juan

‘In the Pedernal Valley in San Juan, a cold, dry winter was followed by the wind, impacting yields – but not quality. Both whites and reds, especially Malbec, look promising’, said Paula González, winemaker at Pyros Wines.

High-altitude vineyards

In the Calchaquí Valleys, ‘the changing climate and Zonda reduced yields by about 30%’, reported Alejandro Pepa, oenologist at El Esteco.

Thibaut Delmotte, winemaker at Bodega Colomé, said: ‘Early ripening produced fresh, healthy fruit for white wines and the February and March rains ensured balanced ripening for the reds, promising excellent quality and fantastic aromas.’

Patagonia

Down south in Patagonia, Hans Vinding-Diers, owner of Bodega Noemía, said: ‘The rainy winter and windy spring in Río Negro gave way to a roasting January but the harvest went smoothly. The Pinot Noirs in particular are showing surprising elegance and the Malbec and Cabernets appear to have developed perfectly.’

Juliana del Águila, from Bodega del Fin del Mundo in Neuquén, added, ‘the mild winter followed by a cool summer resulted in really healthy fruit. Yields were lower but we are seeing concentrated aromas, colours and flavours, with moderate to low alcohol. The standouts are the Semillón, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Syrah.’

The 2024 harvest in Argentina was once again extremely challenging. While quantities may be lower than hoped for, quality looks to be extremely high for both white and red wines.

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A slow start

In most regions, winter was marked by low temperatures and low rainfall. Eduardo Félix is an agricultural engineer and technical advisor at Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura – Vinos del Uruguay (INAVI). He said that ‘spring compensated sufficiently for excellent budding. The lack of rain during blossoming was helpful for the developing bunches and ensured healthy foliage. The beginning of summer was cool and ripening was slow.’

‘Other than Albariño and Pinot Noir, grapes ripened very slowly,’ said winemaker Santiago Deicas of Bodega Familia Deicas, which owns vineyards across Uruguay. As a result, ‘we’re seeing lower alcohol levels and excellent natural freshness across the country.’

February heatwave

Globally, 2024 was the hottest February on record and a week-long heatwave saw temperatures rise well above 35 degrees in Uruguay. Some vines went into hydric stress, particularly in the eastern regions where soils tend to be stonier, retaining less water. Oceanic influence helped to mitigate the heat, but, as in 2023, irrigation was beneficial in some areas.

Record rains, lower yields for Tannat

After the February heatwave, producers were relieved by the slow pace of ripening – until an average of 350mm of rain fell in a single week in March, causing floods in some parts of the country.

Regions that harvested before the March rain were able to achieve ideal ripeness and excellent quality for Uruguay’s flagship variety, Tannat. Those who harvested after the rain saw mixed results. Eduardo Boido of Bodega Bouza said, ‘In Pan de Azúcar (in Maldonado) where the soils are stony and permeable, we were able to harvest without any trouble. But in the south, especially Las Violetas (in Canelones), the rain was more intense and the clay soils meant that the last Tannats suffered quite a lot.’ Any fruit still left on the vine had to be written off.

In the Rivera region in Uruguay’s north, the spring rains were preceded by a wetter-than-usual winter, with 400mm of rain falling each month from September to December 2023. ‘Typically we only get about 1000mm annually’, said Francisco Carrau of Bodega Cerro Chapeu, the only commercial winery in the Rivera sub-region of Cerro Chapeu. Tannat yields were heavily impacted: ‘We harvested 40% less than usual,’ he said.

Quality whites and Pinot Noirs

There was a silver lining to lower yields in the north. ’Less fruit meant we could harvest everything more quickly, before the March rains. Thankfully, summer was dry and we saw excellent fruit quality, particularly for white varieties,’ said Carrau.

Deicas agrees that white wines will be worth looking out for, together with Pinot Noirs. ‘Albariño continues to impress, regardless of the harvest, and we picked Chardonnay and Pinot Noir a long time before the rain. Quality was locked in during the cool January, when the fruit was ripening,’ he said.

In Colonia, Uruguay’s westernmost region, harvest was also completed before the rains arrived. Rodolfo Bartora of Los Cerros de San Juan was pleased with the Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Of the red varieties, he believes Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Tannat have achieved the best balance.

Uruguay has experienced a series of challenging vintages recently, but no two are the same. For many Uruguayan producers, navigating the 2024 vintage felt like steering a ship through rough seas, but – particularly for the white varieties – eventually finding safe harbour.

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An incredible flowering and fruit set period, not seen since at least 2016, set the scene for large potential yields in the Bordeaux 2023 vintage.

In the end, these were reduced to still-very-high crops in many cases – although it’s worth noting disparities in yields from one appellation to another, and even within appellations.

Subscribe to Decanter Premium to read the full Bordeaux 2023 En Primeur report, and see the top-scoring wines, when it goes live on Friday 3 May

Northern Médoc appellations St-Estèphe, St-Julien and Pauillac saw yields above their 10-year averages, as did St-Emilion Grand Cru and Pomerol on the Right Bank, although Margaux, Pessac-Léognan reds and Sauternes were down on their average for the past decade.

When compared to 2022, however, average yields in all Médoc appellations rose year-on-year – apart from Moulis (-7%), Listrac (-22%) and Graves (-19%).

It’s also a mixed picture on the Right Bank compared to 2022, with St-Emilion and St-Emilion Grand Cru down 15% and 6% respectively, Montagne St-Emilion down 7%, Lussac down 8% and Puisseguin down 14%.

Whereas, St-Georges St-Emilion is up 27%, Pomerol 39%, Lalande de Pomerol 19%, Fronsac 37% and Canon Fronsac 6%.

Bordeaux AOC red yields are down 26% to 33.3hl/ha, with Bordeaux Supérieur down 19% to 28.9hl/ha, while Entre-deux-Mers reds were 32.4hl/ha. These were the areas hit hardest by mildew, with natural conditions exacerbated by the presence of abandoned vineyards.

Bordeaux 2023 yields in context

Generally speaking, total production in 2023 across the region was just under four million hectolitres, or around 384m litres. That’s down 7% on 2022, which came in at 411m litres, and slightly up on 2021 (377m litres).

According to Gavin Quinney’s 2023 weather and crop report, which sourced data from French Customs and the Bordeaux wine bureau (CIVB), the three-year average from 2021-2023 of 390m litres was 20% lower than the annual average of 487m litres over the previous decade (2011-2020).

In 2001 to 2010, Bordeaux made 581m litres on average per year.

However, the 2023 stats were also affected by the uprooting of 4,000ha of AOC Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur vines. There was a 4% reduction in total hectares compared to 2022.

It’s also worth noting that Bordeaux en primeur generally only accounts for a tiny percentage of the region’s total wine output.

Click here to see a breakdown of 2023 yields across all Bordeaux appellations, provided by the CIVB using data from French Customs.

St-Estèphe

2023: 51.6hl/ha

2022: 31.5hl/ha

Variance from 2022: +63%

The appellation saw frost on 5 April, then five days of hot weather in May (between 25 and 30°C) that caused ‘incredible flowering’, said the team at Cos d’Estournel.

St-Estèphe also saw around 153mm of rain from May to the end of September. This was less than in appellations further south, but it included 80mm in June – with a record 47mm on one day on the 22nd, which meant estates had to spray three times.

However, the appellation’s proximity to the Gironde estuary meant there was also more wind than in some neighbouring appellations, a key factor in drying the grapes quicker and therefore limiting mildew damage.

Cos d’Estournel performed some green harvesting, on Merlot, for the first time since 2008, with a yield higher than 40hl/ha.

Phélan-Ségur’s harvest was the longest on record. It saw an eventual yield of 52hl/ha, with no mildew and no green harvesting. The estate also reported 12 days of temperatures above 40°C in July and August.

St-Julien

2023: 50.3hl/ha

2022: 34.3hl/ha

Variance from 2022: +45%

St-Julien saw more sunshine in August and September than in 2022. Annual rainfall was 584mm, with 133mm in summer – leading to less mildew pressure than in some other appellations.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou said its vineyard teams reduced the potential crop by around 50% via green harvesting and decompaction of grapes for aeration and sanitary reasons.

‘Nature gave us what we wanted in the late season heatwave, but you needed the resource,’ said Tracey Dobbin, special advisor wine and markets. The team waited until 21 September to start picking the Cabernets and continued until 3 October, with the estate retaining 130 pickers on stand-by for the whole month.

Both Branaire-Ducru and Léoville Poyferré produced high yields in 2023 – 53hl/ha and 52.78hl/ha respectively. The former was using new winemaking facilities for the first time, while it’s the ‘first time the cellar has been full’ at Poyferré.

Storms were a big threat in 2023, and Poyferré used its anti-hail system several times.

Pauillac

2023: 47.1hl/ha

2022: 34.8hl/ha

Variance from 2022: +36%

Localised storms and heavy rain in June caused problems with mildew. Lafite Rothschild, in particular, saw more than 20mm difference in rainfall across 2km.

There were heatwaves in August and again in September, as well as rain on 19 and 20 September – although 100mm had been forecast and the actual amount was between 20mm and 40mm.

‘The rain came at a complicated time,’ said Saskia de Rothschild, CEO of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (DBR Lafite), explaining the team had to decide whether to wait or begin picking the Cabernets.

The threat of 70mm of rain prompted the harvest to begin, but in the end the estate saw 28mm; ‘not enough to cause any real damage’. Lafite reported yields of 45hl/ha, the highest since 2018 (40hl/ha). All other vintages since 2015 have been under 40hl/ha.

With an eventual yield of 37hl/ha, Pichon Baron green harvested Merlot, leaving six to seven bunches per vine. It lost 30-40% of grapes to mildew on three parcels, with a 10% loss on the rest.

Pontet-Canet had its longest harvest on record, stretching from 7 September to 10 October – with 250 pickers taking more than 10 days to pick the estate’s Merlot, when usually it would be done in three. The team also waited until 28 September to pick Cabernets, much later than the rain during the middle of the month.

Lynch-Bages also had its longest harvest, starting on 13 September and finishing on 4 October for reds.

Nicolas Glumineau, general manager and winemaker at Pichon Comtesse, said 2023 is ‘definitely a Cabernet year, because of the long harvest’. However, he also said the Merlots were the best the estate has made in 25 years.

‘The late season is perfect for Cabernet; Merlot is a sprinter and Cabernet is a marathon runner. The best Merlots give the density and the flesh on the mid-palate, which is what the Cabernet needs in 2023, but it was only a quarter of our usual production.’

Margaux

2023: 37.7hl/ha

2022: 31.3hl/ha

Variance from 2022: +20%

Due to its size, and estates having vines spread out across the appellation on different soil types, there are varying yields in Margaux. Some areas experienced more rain and more mildew pressure than others.

Almost incredibly, in the same appellation, estates may have either half or double the yield of their neighbours.

Margaux seemed to have suffered the most of all the major appellations from mildew in 2023. Average yields are the lowest since 2018, with the exception of last year.

Rauzan-Ségla winemaker Nicolas Audebert said a mix of vineyards across the appellation helped the team ‘build’ the wines as they wanted, mitigating the effects of the weather, but commented that there was as much as 3°C difference in temperature between some of the plots on any given day.

At Lascombes, new winemaker Axel Heinz spread the harvest out over five weeks with a big team required to sort sunburned grapes and make several passages through the vines to pick only what was ripe.

The maceration duration was shortened from an average of five weeks to three, with a touch of saignée for Merlots on heavy terroirs. Lascombes had a yield of 35hl/ha, with some loss from mildew.

Pessac-Léognan reds

2023: 38.1hl/ha

2022: 35.7hl/ha

Variance from 2022: +5%

Smith Haut Lafitte lost 40% of its Merlot to mildew, and used seven different sorting stages ahead of, and during, the harvest.

Harvest for the whites started on 23 August and winemaker Fabien Tietgen said that it was the first time the team had started picking before the property’s sister estate in Napa Valley.

He also commented on an anomaly in the technical data regarding the presence of mildew. ‘We thought we knew mildew, but last year our analysis said it was impossible and yet we still had some.’ The estate had a yield of 26hl/ha, which is roughly the same as a normal year, albeit below the appellation average.

Domaine de Chevalier also experienced low yields, and lower than in 2022, with 31hl/ha in reds – although it saw a large 45hl/ha for whites.

Malartic Lagravière’s harvest lasted from 12 September to 5 October, with a yield of 39hl/ha for the reds. Haut-Bailly had a potential yield of 45hl/ha, which was reduced to 40.5hl/ha after the dry and hot weather in August concentrated the grapes.

First growth Haut-Brion had two lines of sorting for the second year, with a vibrating table and densimetric bath. It saw 50hl/ha yields, the same as Les Carmes Haut-Brion, which is the largest ever.

Pessac-Léognan whites

2023: 50.3hl/ha

2022: 31.6hl/ha

Variance from 2022: +45%

Smith Haut Lafitte noted that 2023 had 959mm of rainfall and was the fourth wettest vintage in 25 years, yet the summer was slightly under the average rainfall for the last 20 years.

The dry July and August saved the vintage, drying out the soils and, together with cool nights, preserved acidity and freshness in the white grapes.

Generally, across the appellation harvest started between 18 and 24 August. At Smith Haut Lafitte, the white harvest began on 23 August, with the young Sauvignon Blanc and finished on 9 August.

St-Emilion and St-Emilion Grand Cru

2023: 43.1hl/ha and 40.6hl/ha

2022: 50.2hl//ha and 41.2hl/ha

Variance from 2022: -15% and -6%

Widespread mildew pressure meant estates had to be extra vigilant and reactive. The appellation saw 239mm of rain from May to the end of September, although Beau-Séjour Bécot quoted 330mm of rain during the entire vegetation cycle.

Cheval Blanc has its biggest-ever vintage in the cellar – after the longest harvest on record – with a yield of 40hl/ha, despite regulating a portion of the estate’s young vines via green harvesting and de-compaction. Troplong Mondot had equally generous and record-breaking yields, at 53hl/ha.

For La Dominique, the year was separated into three parts; ‘managing the frost, managing the mildew then managing the harvest’, which was the earliest and longest ever. The team spent 22 days picking the Merlots.

Laroque green harvested for the first time since 2018, because it was ‘important to balance each vine’, said winemaker David Suire, who noted that old vines and their massale selection ‘really helped’ combat the weather in 2023.

For Nicolas and Cyrille Thienpont, some estates had to be sprayed three times-a-week during the biggest threat of mildew, while others had none. Their Castillon and Côtes de Francs estates in particular experienced less rainfall than in St-Emilion.

For Ausone, Edouard Vauthier said successful mildew treatment was about being fast, but ‘you needed to find the time. When it rains for eight hours, you need an open window with no rain’ – particularly important for certified organic estates.

At Beau-Séjour, Joséphine Duffau-Lagarosse was ‘completely ready’ for 2023, preferring the vintage conditions to 2021, having purchased special caterpillar tractors and doubling the harvest time from four days to nine. The estate produced its highest yield since 1990 – 53hl/ha.

In 2023, to cope with the conditions, Clos Fourtet’s Matthieu Cuvelier hired one new member of staff just in case the team needed to treat in the evenings and weekends. ‘You needed more tractors and more drivers [in 2023]’, he said.

Pomerol

2023: 45.2hl/ha

2022: 32.3hl/ha

Variance from 2022: +39%

Petrus harvested between 11 and 20 September, finishing before the rain. The team did some de-compaction but little green harvesting. Due to the ratio of juice to skin, no saignée was done, with 2% of press wine in the final blend.

Winemaker Olivier Berrouet said the wines showed high tannic potential during fermentation and so the team decreased the volume of wines during the pump overs, with no mechanical punching down, and instead lengthened the time in vats to better control the power of the vintage.

For Omri Ram at Lafleur, 2023 was ‘an extreme vintage with no extremes’. Instead of hl/ha, Lafleur uses the quantity of one bottle of wine per vine as a measurement of quality, noting that 2023 is ‘at the top of our normal range’. Despite the heat, 2023 was considered a ‘cool vintage’, with no green harvesting and no de-leafing.

Clay soils helped retain moisture with no need for irrigation measures, which were called for in 2022.

Sauternes and Barsac

2023: 12.2hl/ha

2022: 14.1hl/ha

Variance from 2022: -14%

Estates generally reported high average sugar levels, but with balancing acidities thanks to a quick, warm and dry end of the growing season.

Like much of Bordeaux, Sauternes suffered from a ‘virulent outbreak of mildew’ in June, seeing 45% more rainfall than normal that month alongside higher-than-normal daytime temperatures, according to Sauternes expert Bill Blatch.

While quality was largely not affected, some estates had far lower yields than normal, because of losses due to mildew.

Château Climens in Barsac, for example, had only 2.7hl/ha and Château La Tour Blanche only three. Conditions were somewhat cooler than normal in July and early to mid-August, promoting acidity and freshness, while hotter weather in late August and a hotter-than-normal September led to concentrated grapes – albeit with little botrytis.

Initial September pickings featured many raisined grapes with some botrytis, although this period accounted for only 15-20% of everyone’s total harvest, Blatch said.

A powerful September heatwave – with temperatures reaching 42°C – also scalded some grapes, said Jean-Pierre Meslier, at Château Raymond Lafon, prompting the need to discard desiccated grapes.

Significant rainfall on 21-22 September finally brought considerable botrytis, and an ideal ‘rôti’ stage of botrytis developed in October – so that pickings from 2-12 October provided about 75% of the total harvest.

Additional reporting by Panos Kakaviatos

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It all started from a single plot in ‘Contrada Fossa di Lupo’. Arianna Occhipinti acquired the first hectare of bush vines when she moved back to her hometown in Sicily, Vittoria, after having obtained an enology degree from the University of Milan.

Encouraged by her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, who had co-founded the renowned COS estate, she established a garage winery, relying on rudimentary equipment and embracing a minimalist philosophy from day one.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Arianna Occhipinti’s wines

When telling her story during my visit to the estate, she confessed that starting from scratch had been anything but easy.

‘While being Sicily’s only DOCG wine because of its historical relevance, Cerasuolo di Vittoria was virtually unknown, and the local Frappato grape had almost disappeared,’ she explained.

‘Rescuing forsaken old vineyards has been the toughest job: their owners received subsidies to uproot them, so they were reluctant to hand them out to a young farmer.’

Obstinacy, extreme passion, and a clear vision allowed her to reverse the downward spiral and become one of the most critically acclaimed independent growers of her generation.

Twenty harvests later, the influence of Arianna Occhipinti’s work goes beyond the up-and-coming Vittoria area and the Frappato variety, which she almost single-handedly put back on the international wine map.

Many talented emerging producers in Sicily admit having drawn inspiration from her game-changing approach: an almost Burgundian take on low-intervention winemaking mixed with Mediterranean viticultural know-how.

Arianna Occhipinti

Location: Vittoria, southeastern Sicily

Date established: 2004

Area under vine: 40 hectares

Age of the vineyards: Seven to 65 years.

Key grapes: Frappato, Nero d’Avola, Zibibbo, Albanello, Grillo.

Total production: approximately 150,000 bottles

Winemaking style: low-intervention, with grapes sourced from biodynamically farmed vineyards.

The quest for finesse

By making some of the brightest and juiciest wines in Italy, Arianna Occhipinti’s success stems, in part, from her unique ability to defy the stereotypes that Sicilian reds are simply hearty and jammy.

‘Vittoria is no Etna,’ Arianna explains. ‘Our vineyards are located in the southernmost corner of Eastern Sicily, and lie south of Tunis. Temperatures here often outstrip 40 degrees during summer, and annual rainfalls rarely exceed 300 millimetres.’

So how does she achieve a mid-weight and airy style that often draws parallels to Burgundy red?

The answer may lie beneath the ground: ‘Vineyards in Vittoria lie on an ancient seabed consisting of layers of sand and white limestone,’ explains Arianna.

‘The presence of the latter is crucial, as it absorbs the light, and lowers soil temperatures. It also drains water at the top, then releases it slowly during the driest months.’

Even Nero d’Avola, a grape known for giving smooth wines with slightly candied fruit, acquires a racier personality in the area around Vittoria.

‘All misconceptions about Nero d’Avola derive from producers having planted it on heavy clay-rich soils, especially in western Sicily,’ Arianna continues. ‘When planted on white limestone with little clay, it retains outstanding acidity, Champagne-like low PH, and moderate alcohol.’

Frappato’s unique identity

Genetic ties to Sangiovese, Nerello Mascalese and Gaglioppo all contribute to shaping the peculiar identity of Frappato, the indigenous grape she brought to fame.

When asked why she decided to market a mono-varietal Frappato as the estate’s flagship wine instead of relying on Cerasuolo di Vittoria’s typical blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, Arianna replies: ‘I conducted research on Frappato while studying enology, and realised it shared features like small berries, a thick skin, a light colour and high natural acidity with some of the best grapes in the world. The few single-variety versions available at the time were simple and easy going but I wanted to prove it could produce world-class wine.’

Late ripening and low-cropping, Frappato vines were frequently abandoned, especially in times when Sicilian farmers were often earning little more than €0.15 cents per kilo by selling grapes to cooperatives.

‘It only gives one bunch per shoot, yielding between 20 and 45 hectoliters per hectare. But it also accumulates sugar slowly, so alcohol falls in the 11-13% range,’ Arianna adds.

Frappato is also especially good for terroir expression, as shown by the three ‘vini di contrada’, originating from single vineyards within the commune of Vittoria.

‘The aim with them is to highlight the fact that variations in soil composition lead to significant differences in the aromatic profile,’ says Arianna.

Five out of 10 wines in the portfolio currently originate from a specific contrada, including her top-shelf, mono-varietal Grillo, called ‘Santa Margherita’ (‘SM’ for short), a recent addition to the line-up. Planted on white sandy-calcareous marl, Grillo behaves similarly to Frappato and Nero d’Avola, retaining impressively high acidity (often above 7g/l).

In the vineyard

Total vineyard plantings amount to 40 hectares on a plateau that ranges between 250 and 280 metres above sea level, within sight of the Iblean mountains and the Mediterranean Sea lying some 20 kilometres away as the crow flies.

Benefiting from the strongest solar radiation in Europe outside of Southern Spain, and from constant drying winds, disease pressure is usually minimal. ‘In a favourable vintage, you only need to treat the vines two or three times with copper and sulphur,’ notes Arianna.

Having started to follow the development of the natural wine movement in Italy while studying in Milan, Arianna also implemented biodynamic practices in her dry-farmed parcels, and she is currently considering obtaining biodynamic certification.

In the cellar

Harvest normally starts in the second week of September, and takes up to three weeks to complete. While the Nero d’Avola, Zibibbo, Albanello and Grillo are fully destemmed, up to 20% of the Frappato undergoes whole-bunch fermentation, which further enhances its sweetness, and adds a touch of herbal freshness.

As Arianna says: ‘Frappato’s small berries and ripe stems facilitate this process. With Nero d’Avola you can’t do the same as it tends to have greener stems.’

Fermentation occurs spontaneously and with little or no temperature control in concrete tanks. The reds then spend between two to four weeks on their skins, and punching down and pumping over are carried out as gently as possible to avoid excess extraction. Maceration for the whites varies from 48 hours for Grillo up to 12 days for the likes of Zibibbo and Albanello.

The Zibibbo, Albanello and the entry-level reds mature in concrete. The Nero d’Avola, Grillo and Frappato for the single-varietal wines normally spend between 12 and 16 months in 5,000 litre Slavonian and Austrian oak casks, and the Cerasuolo di Vittoria blend rests in French oak casks for at least 32 months.

The wines are then bottled unfiltered and unfined, with only minimal additions of sulphur dioxide.

The wines

Arianna Occhipinti’s wines have become increasingly refined and focused over time. At times they may still show a touch of reduction or just a bit of funkiness upon opening – derived from the uncompromising winemaking style, but never so much as to detract from their overall sense of purity.

Most importantly, they constantly evolve in the glass, taking on different shades after exposure to oxygen and retaining their freshness for days.

The 100% Frappato wines usually steal the show with their intoxicating aromatics and tremendous early-drinking appeal, yet the ‘Grotte Alte Cerasuolo di Vittoria’ and ‘Siccagno’, a pure Nero d’Avola, also deserve attention.

They may be less immediate at first, displaying a more structured palate and requiring longer to become fully expressive, but evolve gracefully in bottle, as shown by excellent back vintages of Siccagno (2014 and 2016) tasted recently.

The introduction of the ‘SM’ bianco marks yet another milestone: even though Grillo is commonly associated with western Sicily, it is likely to become a benchmark wine for the variety.

Looking ahead, Arianna has also started a new project to revive cork production in Sicily.

‘A large cork forest lies only 20 minutes away from Vittoria: it was nearly abandoned, so I started collaborating with a local cork producer who sources raw materials from there,’ she says. ‘It isn’t just a matter of achieving better quality control: the work of artisans is also essential for the preservation of ancient crafts and rural landscapes.’

Arianna Occhipinti: Latest vintages

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In October, the Napa Valley vintage was in full swing; a huge crop, the vines turning yellow against a sombre background: the hills all around, on the east side in particular, blackened by a series of wildfires that raced through the dry hillside grass, scorching the scattered oaks. Wineries were jubilant at 2023’s quality, after a slow, steady ripening season with none of the extreme ‘heat spikes’ that often grill exposed grapes here.

Looking back over great vintages for comparison, several people mentioned 1969. It was the first commercial vintage ever for the Chappellets on Pritchard Hill, where I have been lucky enough to be a regular visitor over these 60-odd years. Donn Chappellet’s ideal wine was Château Latour, and the vines on his dry north-facing amphitheatre vineyard in a great year could justify his aspiration. When Molly Chappellet, Donn’s widow, opened their 1969 Cabernet at dinner I had visions of Napa in the ’60s. In 1966, Robert Mondavi opened the iconic (yes, really) adobe arch that still appears on Mondavi labels.

I was discussing old California vintages (sadly almost unknown in Britain) with Darrell Corti, whose wine store, Corti Brothers in Sacramento, bears comparison – in reputation, not appearance – with Berry Bros in London. It is not, as it is in Bordeaux, the ripest years that find the balance needed to mature to greatness. Nor does the strong, sweet style of Cabernet recently too much in fashion compare with the valley’s finest wines of the past.

Darrell is known as, among other things, America’s great expert on Madeira – which historically can be called the States’ original favourite wine. Also on old Sherry, sadly now a minority interest (and great value as a result). He is a creator, though, as well as a scholar, and has developed California’s answer to Madeira – a gorgeous, profound yet somehow lightweight sweet Verdelho from Amador County, a historic region in the Sierra foothills more famous for its gold than its wine. In a world of Chardonnays and Sauvignons, there is real excitement to be found among neglected grape varieties from forgotten regions. Wine is a much broader church than most wine lists acknowledge.

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The start of a New Year sees resolutions made (and broken), and the inevitable crystal balling of the year to come.

Western Australia spans over 2.5 million square kilometres, and the closest capital city to Perth is a three-hour flight. This isolation, and the fact that the state produces about 20% of Australia’s premium wine, has given rise to a population of wine drinkers loyal to their home-grown producers and wine regions.

Here is a glimpse of what I believe 2024 holds for Western Australian wine.

Pét-nat on the decline

The natural wine movement is evolving, as most sommeliers and wine retailers worldwide will confirm. Western Australians are still enjoying their fizz au naturel, however, palates and wallets are much more discerning. Good quality, clean examples that offer good value for money are still on the pour, but you’ll see smaller volumes and few remaining above the A$35 (£18/$23) price point.

Crunchy reds continue their rise

Last year saw a thirst for chilled reds, and the demand shows no slowing. It makes sense in a climate where summer days easily hit the 40°C mark. In addition to more chilled reds on the shelves, there is a general shift with more winemakers looking towards elegant, lighter-bodied red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon remains king as far as Western Australia is concerned, with Margaret River taking three Best Cabernet Trophies home from the nation’s seven capital city wine shows in 2023.

More ultra-premium releases

Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are excellent value for money, especially when nestled amongst peers from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Napa on a wine list. It’s no secret that as European summers get hotter, Margaret River producers are lucky to continue to enjoy a moderate maritime climate and perfect growing conditions for these varieties. And winemakers are excelling at their craft. Only a handful of producers have released wines above the A$200 (£105/$134) mark, but 2024 will see several more hit the market.

Sparkling keeps sparkling

Western Australia produces several fantastic sparkling wines; however, most don’t make it out of the state. The thirst for bubbles continues its ascent – both for premium imports and locally produced bubbles. Aly Forsyth, proprietor of Old Bridge Cellars, which has locations in both North Fremantle and Como, says: ‘Many people’s Christmas Champagne was traded out for Idée Fixe and local sparkling wines under the $50 mark.’ Next door to Idée Fixe’s main vineyard in Karridale, Glenarty Road is increasing its vineyard by an additional 4ha to keep up with demand. Howard Park has taken sparkling seriously for years, and 2024 sees production increase in both tank and traditional method bubbles. Look out for several other well-known producers who have been working on limited-release sparklings too, such as Xanadu and Corymbia.

Alternative varieties to watch out for

Unlike European appellations, producers are not tied down to tradition or regulation. They can continue with the varieties that are doing well or shift to alternative varieties that might better suit the culture, climate and soil. Fiano, Vermentino and Albariño are three white varieties on the rise, while reds include new graftings of Grenache, Mencia and Dolcetto. Savagnin might also see future success after the variety’s initial case of mistaken identity with Albariño.

The launch of the Swan Valley Old Vine Charter

The Swan Valley Old Vine Charter has been in development for some time now, and this year sees it realised. Like the Barossa Old Vine Charter, it will encourage old-vine preservation and the continued use of these vines’ fruit to produce premium wines. Look out for more wine tourism in the region centred on the charter.

2024 vintage

Vintage is early. Very early. Margaret River producers are kicking off about three weeks earlier than usually predicted (a classic Margaret River vintage starts in late January to early February), and some producers in the Swan Valley had already finished by the second week of January. Most have never seen a vintage so early. It’s early, it’s warm, but the fruit looks fantastic. Clive Otto, winemaker at Fraser Gallop, predicts Margaret River Cabernet, in particular, will be outstanding, with similar characteristics to the 2020 vintage.

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The Stellenbosch estate is often compared to a ‘First Growth’ for its track record of excellence ever since the first estate vintage of 1973. Most recently Kanonkop secured the coveted accolade of Decanter’s 2023 Classic Red Wine of the Year for its 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Half a century of exemplary winemaking doesn’t happen by accident. Since the get-go, the focus has been on the production of fine red wine, namely Pinotage, Bordeaux-style blends and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Krige family inherited the home farm in 1929 from Paul Sauer, the namesake of the famous wine. Today, Kanonkop is run by descendants, brothers Paul and Johann.

Since that first vintage only a few winemakers have been at the helm. And, like his famous predecessors, Jan ‘Boland’ Coetzee and Beyers Truter, Beeslaar is also leaving to concentrate on his own brand, Beeslaar Wines.

Not surprisingly the focus for Beeslaar Wines is premium single-vineyard Pinotage, and the estate also produces Chardonnay.

‘It was, and still is, very difficult,’ said Beeslaar when asked about the decision to leave. ‘It’s like cutting an umbilical cord. Though it was just no longer possible to stay on at Kanonkop and further grow Beeslaar Wines.’

The impact in his tenure has been significant. While the accolades are manifold, some stand out more than others. Among them, clinching South Africa’s first 100-point score from Tim Atkin MW for the Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2015 and of course Decanter’s 2023 Classic Red Wine of the Year.

‘There have been too many to mention,’ said Beeslaar when quizzed about his highlights over the years. ‘The biggest success has been growing the brand from 300,000 bottles to three million. To produce these serious volumes, and to still elevate the quality was challenging.’

The growth has been steady from the first 1,000 tonnes in 1973 to 3,000 in 2023. The Simonsberg estate provides 580 of these, while the rest is sourced from a network of 22 growers.

‘I’m going to miss the grapes, the people and the beautiful environment,’ said Beeslaar on his departure, billed to be at the end of August 2024.

Beeslaar and the Kriges have come to an agreement that he will continue to consult and ‘spend time at Kanonkop whenever needed’. Though Johann laments that it is sad to see Beeslaar leave the team, he cites the arrangement as ‘gentlemanly’.

There is no industry heavy-hitter waiting in the wings, rather Kanonkop will continue internally. ‘We have a team that has been working together for a couple of years: winemakers Francois Van Zyl, Christelle Van Niekerk and Ruan Van Schalkwyk,’ said Beeslaar. Suzaan Krige, Paul’s daughter, is also joining the team as assistant winemaker from 2024.

‘Neither was Jan Boland Coetzee or Beyers Truter a figurehead when they started at Kanonkop, they made it their own,’ said Johann of the younger generation now at the coalface. ‘If you create an environment where someone can flourish in their own way, then we have everything laid out on a red carpet at Kanonkop.’

He went on to say that ‘nothing will change’ and that the systems are in place for continued success.

‘I believe you never stop growing a company, as soon as you do there is no more innovation for the youngsters.

‘Watch this space,’ he concluded. ‘There are a few new projects in the works.’

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There has been early praise for Burgundy 2022 wines ahead of the traditional January en primeur season.

‘Overall quality is very high for red wines and good to very good for white wines,’ said Decanter’s Burgundy correspondent, Charles Curtis MW, in a full vintage report coming soon to Decanter Premium and also featured in Decanter magazine’s January 2024 issue.

Alongside high quality, Burgundy 2022 represents a return to ‘modern-day average size’, Will Hargrove, head of fine wine at UK merchant Corney & Barrow, told Decanter in late 2023.

He said the merchant will host its first proper Burgundy en primeur tasting since the pre-Covid era, on 16 January.

The tasting did not run last year due to scarcity of a weather-hit 2021 vintage, especially for white wines.

‘Yields were almost universally higher (for 2022 than 2021) so there should be more availability this year,’ said Julian Campbell, senior buyer – and Burgundy buyer – at Justerini & Brooks, which will host a tasting on 17 January in London.

Campbell said economic conditions will likely impact some consumers, but he still expected strong demand for 2022-vintage wines, noting high quality and also historical levels of interest. 

‘For the past decade we’ve had a waiting list for the majority of the Burgundy we offer en primeur,’ he said.

Tight allocations remain a common theme in Burgundy, particularly for the most sought-after wines.

Still, for prospective buyers, Campbell said a combination of higher yields and the economic climate means ‘the vintage should offer customers their best chance of accessing cuvées that have been limited over the past decade’.

He added, ‘It’s definitely a year for customers to chance their arm in asking for wines they might not previously have had access to.’

Burgundy 2022 en primeur release prices to stay stable?

Price rises have been a major debate in recent Burgundy en primeur campaigns, although the picture naturally varies between wineries.

Several producers implemented increases last year to cover costs in the small 2021 vintage.

Justerini & Brooks, Corney & Barrow, Goedhuis & Co and Berry Bros & Rudd all indicated prior to Christmas that they anticipated release prices for the 2022 vintage to remain broadly flat, compared to last year’s campaign.

While release prices may not fall, many producers already know they have a relatively large 2023 vintage sitting in their cellars, which may ease pressure for further increases, said Hargrove.

Campbell said in December: ‘We haven’t seen many prices yet, but what we have seen has been mainly flat versus last year – and we expect most producers will follow suit.

‘This feels like a sensible move in the current climate.’

Berry Bros & Rudd said in a Burgundy 2022 preview report in early December: ‘It is impossible to generalise, and we have not yet received all our allocations, but prices on the whole remain stable thanks to the security of two back-to-back vintages of good production levels. With the growers facing inflationary pressures on energy, dry goods and wages, this is very positive news.’

Coming soon

Look out for Charles Curtis MW’s full Burgundy 2022 vintage preview on Decanter Premium and in Decanter magazine’s January 2024 issue.

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In most of the Languedoc, the growing season got off to a good start, with a normal winter, dry in some places but sufficient rainfall in others, and no reports of damaging frosts.

Pic St Loup, one of the wettest appellations in the region, then had a particularly wet May and June. ‘This allowed for good fruitset,’ said Victorine Fraisse of Domaine de Villeneuve.

Benoît Viot, winemaker at Le Chemin des Rêves and president of the Pic St Loup appellation, added that there was about 200mm of rain during these two months, so ‘the vines were therefore able to approach summer with beautiful canopies, but there was strong mildew pressure to control’.

No rest for the wicked: the wet conditions meant ‘being ever present in the vines’, said Cyriaque Rozier of Château La Roque and Château Fontanès.

The threat of mildew in such damp, humid conditions was incredibly high, but those that were organised enough were able to treat it, although it kept them on their toes. Treatment with copper and sulphur was widespread throughout the region.

This rainy spring in Pic St Loup meant the vines had good water reserves going into summer, ‘which makes a change from the previous vintage’, said Marie Cavalier of Châtaux de Lascaux, ‘and the vines were able to resist the first heat of the summer months.’

But they were lucky. By contrast, other areas of the Languedoc were in desperate need of rain throughout the growing season. Peter Core, of Mas Gabriel near Pezenas, points out that the winter was very dry there; where annual rainfall is about 600mm, which mainly falls in the winter, this year they had just 350mm between last year’s harvest and the beginning of August this year.

In La Clape, the season started with very little rainfall. This was assuaged somewhat by downpours in mid-July, and the state of the grapes at that stage was excellent, with large bunches at fruitset according to François Bouscary of Château Rouquette sur Mer.

In Picpoul de Pinet the disease pressure was lower, but the drought was felt keenly, and as a result ‘the berries are very small’, said Claude Jourdan of Domaine Félines Jourdan.

The drought put many vines into hydric stress, and caused widespread blockages in maturity – 2023’s slogan was ‘still no rain,’ said Jourdan.

There are reports, though, that some varieties are managing the stress better than expected. ‘We’re realising that the vines are reacting very well,’ said Brigitte Chevalier of Domaine de Cébène in Faugères, ‘they stop growing, producing less leaves, thus limiting evapotranspiration.’

‘The vines surprise us with their resistance,’ added Clémence Fabre of Famille Fabre in the Corbières.

The worst is yet to come

But as the end of August arrived, so did disaster: 20 August brought an intense heatwave right across the region which saw temperatures rocket to 43 degrees and last for four days. This was compounded by nighttime temperatures not dropping below 30 degrees.

‘It was catastrophic,’ said Xavier Ledogar of Domaine Ledogar in the cru of Boutenac in the Corbières, an area which suffered particularly badly. He reported that in many plots the vines’ leaves were burned, and with no shade left to protect them, the grapes burned too. ‘This is the first time I’ve seen this,’ he said.

‘The heatwave accelerated maturity,’ said Xavier Bruguière of Mas Bruguière, and for many harvest was brought forward earlier than expected.

Ultimately the extent of the damage depended on variety (Syrah was in a bad way), soil type (deep roots in schist soils fared better), and water reserves (Pic St Loup’s spring rains helped).

As might be expected from such lack of water, in general berries were small, with little juice, so yields in general were down. That being said, there were some surprising instances of abundant yields and lots of juicy grapes.

‘Despite the fear, the drought, the heat and the few plots in distress, the vintage is very pretty,’ said Charlotte de Béarn of Château de Jonquières in Terrasses du Larzac.

How can vignerons maintain morale in the face of worsening extremes? Many don’t. One thing is certain: you need incredible resilience to be a vigneron in these times.

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World wine production is set to fall 7% this year to the lowest since 1961 after extreme weather impacted all major growing regions, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).

The world is expected to produce around 244 million hl of wine in 2023, from last year’s 262 million hl, which was already below average, the OIV said in a presentation on Tuesday. Growers in major producing regions were hit by everything from drought and flooding to wildfires and fungal disease.

Wine grapes are highly sensitive to climate disruption, and growers are seeing the effects on their vines, with changes to the growing cycle and more frequent extreme weather events. This year saw multiple climate-related records, from the hottest month ever measured, to unprecedented heatwaves, wildfires and rainfall events, according to the United Nations.

‘Once again extreme climatic conditions such as early frost, heavy rainfall and drought have significantly impacted the output of the world vineyard,’ Giorgio Delgrosso, the OIV’s head of statistics, said in an online presentation. ‘Meteorological anomalies are becoming the new normality, and this is without any doubt one of the most relevant challenges for the wine sector.’

European Union wine production is estimated to fall 7% to 150 million hl, the third-lowest volume this century, according to the OIV. Southern Hemisphere production is predicted to fall 19% to 45 million hl, the lowest since 2003.

Europe faced a range of weather issues, with only a few countries registering good conditions and average or above-average volumes, according to Delgrosso. Some countries faced fungal pressure after a rainy spring, while storms and hail caused floods and damage in the vineyards. In the south of the EU, severe droughts caused water stress for the vines.

Italy’s wine volume is estimated to fall 12% to the lowest since 2017, with downy mildew ravaging vineyards in the country’s centre and south. Spanish production is seen falling 14% to a 20-year low as the result of a severe drought. Of the world’s big three producers, only France recorded relatively stable production, even as vineyards in the south and southwest suffered damage from drought and downy mildew

Among smaller European producers, the situation is ‘particularly worrying’ in Greece, where production volume fell 45%, a combination of grape diseases and drought that severely damaged the vineyard, Delgrosso said.

Chile, Australia and Argentina recorded production declines of 20% or more. Growers in Chile were hit by drought and wildfires, while Australia faced a combination of persistent rainfall, unusually cold temps and floods caused by the effects of the La Niña weather phenomenon, as well as yield caps to reduce oversupply.

US wine production is seen rising 12% this year, as cool temperatures and heavy winter rains in the Napa and Sonoma regions brought much-needed moisture to the vines there, after several years of droughts, according to the OIV.

Low global production this year could bring a certain equilibrium to the world wine market, according to Delgrosso. With the economic and geopolitical context ‘complicated’ and inflation remaining high, world wine consumption has been falling and stocks are rising in many regions.

‘From a more global perspective, the world of wine has faced a series of unprecedented crises in the last three years that are having a significant impact, and that will probably lead to some structural changes in the sector,’ Delgrosso said.

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Thieves targeted several winemakers in eastern France’s Jura region in September, entering vineyards undetected and helping themselves to a portion of grapes making up the 2023 vintage.

It’s the not the first time thieves have stolen grapes from French vineyards on the eve of harvest. Yet, the scale of thefts in three separate incidents in the Jura were unusual, said Jean-Charles Tissot, head of Jura’s regional wine council (CIVJ), to BFMTV.

Catherine Hannoun, of Domaine de la Loue winery in Port-Lesney, told Decanter thieves stole an estimated 2,000 to 2,500kg of grapes from an area of vines spanning around 0.3 hectares (or ’30 ares’). 

‘At first, I didn’t believe it,’ Hannoun said. ‘I went up and down the lines telling myself: “it’s not possible”.’ Thieves didn’t touch the first one or two vines on each row, making it difficult to see the theft without entering the parcel of vines.

To make matters worse, the grapes in the parcel affected had been looking magnificent for the 2023 vintage, Hannoun added.

Red wine grape variety Trousseau made up around 55% of the stolen haul, said Hannoun, who had to quickly reassign a team of harvest workers after finding the affected parcel empty.

Chardonnay made up around 35% of the stolen grapes, with Savagnin accounting for a further 5% and other miscellaneous varieties also accounting for around 5%.

Hannoun described experiencing a surge of anxiety upon discovering the loss, ‘with thoughts like, “Who could have done this? Why? Why me?”.’ She subsequently realised it wasn’t personal, after another winemaker based in Arbois called to say grapes were also stolen from their vineyards.

Thieves have reportedly taken grapes from three Jura wineries, with the total stolen haul estimated at €150,000 (£130,000), reported French news channel TF1 in September. 

It quoted one victim, Laura Bourdy, of Domaine Bourdy in Arlay, as saying the speed and apparent skill with which thieves stole grapes suggested the culprits were well organised.

France’s gendarmerie, a military body with policing responsibilities, regularly patrols French vineyards during harvest time. TF1 said the local brigade in Jura reinforced its vigilance following the thefts.

Hannoun said the local gendarmerie team was very understanding when she reported the grape theft. Having considered the incident since, however, Hannoun was still at a loss to explain it. ‘I don’t see who could have done it.’ 

Jura was likely to see a relatively bumper crop in 2023, with harvest size set to rise 35% on 2022 and around 64% versus the area’s five-year average, said France’s agriculture ministry on 16 October.

Nationally, France was expected to produce around 46 million hectolitres from the 2023 wine harvest, around 3% up on the country’s five-year average. The picture varies by region, with the overall crop in Bordeaux set to be smaller year-on-year, but France is set to overtake Italy as the world’s biggest producer.

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Wine-growers’ insured damages are estimated at €100.5m in 2023, Agroseguro said in a statement last week. That’s more than double the payout for wine-grape damage last year, and the most since the agricultural insurance system was founded in 1978.

Drought and multiple hail storms made for ‘a very difficult year’, Agroseguro spokesman Aitor Moriyón told Decanter. ‘We had problems with the biggest drought in the history of Spain, and a very difficult September month, with rain, wind and hail.’

Spain will produce its smallest vintage in six years after adverse weather hit major growing areas, with volumes forecast to fall 20% to about 33m hectolitres, industry group Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias Castilla-La Mancha said in September.

Climate change is creating harsher conditions for Spanish wine-growers, with multiple record drought and hail events in recent years, according to Moriyón. Agroseguro’s previous biggest payout for wine-grape damage was €83.5m in 2021, another year when drought and hail hit Spanish vineyards.

‘Climate change and the actual reality are really tough, especially for all the producers,’ Moriyón said.

Vineyards in Castilla y León suffered damage from very cold nights in April and May, while Catalunya was particularly impacted by drought, Moriyón said. La Rioja, Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha suffered from multiple slow-moving depressions, known in Spanish by the acronym DANA, which brought heavy rainfall and hail.

Agroseguro already paid out €65.7m of the expected damage this year, including around €23m for hail and storm damage, €21.3m for drought damage to vineyards, and almost €12m for wine-grape losses caused by frost.

Agroseguro’s total indemnities for agricultural damages are expected to exceed €970m in 2023, the most ever. Capital insured increased for a ninth year in 2023, and agricultural-insurance cover will probably increase again next year, according to Moriyón.

Spain is the world’s third-largest wine producer, behind France and Italy. Italian wine output is forecast to fall 12% after the country suffered its own share of extreme weather, while France expects stable output, with higher wine volumes in the north making up for drought damage in the south.

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