The 2023 Harvest
"A pleasantly unexpected vintage!”
Start of harvest – 8th of September 2023
Year after year, the exceptional is becoming the norm. Fortunately, winegrowers and winemakers of Bourgogne are resilient and know how to adapt to capricious weather conditions, redoubling their attention in the vineyard and their skill in the cellar. This vintage proves it once again. To the great delight of everyone, the harvest was a stunning one, both in terms of quality and quantity, especially for the Chardonnays.
A gentle start to the cycle
Despite a milder winter than usual, budburst was a few days later than average, due to unstable weather until April (with rapidly alternating warmer and cooler-than-normal days). This slight delay meant they dodged the rare spring frosts.
A rollercoaster spring, but a fine crop of emerging grape bunches
À partir du 20 mai, les températures ont augmenté et sont restées au-dessus de la norme saisonnière, encourageant des progrès rapides vers la floraison. Les toutes premières fleurs sont apparues à la fin de mai. La mi- floraison a suivi le 7 juin, annonçant une récolte pour le début de septembre. Dans l’ensemble, les fleurs ont fleuri dans d’excellentes conditions, avec des températures favorables et beaucoup de soleil. Un cocktail estival avec toutes sortes de temps!
July, like June, was relatively unstable, with alternating thunderstorms, temperature peaks of up to 35- 36°C and high humidity. This kind of volatility is conducive to disease, and winegrowers remained vigilant throughout the summer. In early-ripening areas, the first grapes in the veraison stage - when they begin to change colour - were observed between July 11 and July 18, depending on the sector.
Temperatures remained relatively mild, with a fairly wide day/night range, which was very beneficial to the vines.
A hot harvest
The grapes ripened in warm, sunny conditions, allowing a steady build-up of sugar. August, punctuated by rainy spells, enabled the harvest capacity to be maintained, before ending with unseasonably high temperatures and sunshine.
For this reason, many winegrowers decide to pick at night or in the early hours of the morning. This preserves the freshness of the grapes and the quality of the vintage.
Vinification, once it began, filled the cellars with delicious aromas. The fermentations went well and, after a few weeks, it was possible to distinguish the different profiles that began to emerge.
The 2023 Vintage again has a complex flavor profile and the long harvest will show the different profiles in the wines as they age. A vintage with excellent alcohol and average acidity, a vintage that will show its excellence with a medium term aging.
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