THE 2017 GRAPE HARVEST IN BURGUNDY
Burgundy breathes easy again. The presidents of the trade organisation, the BIVB, presented encouraging news at the autumn press conference this Wednesday, 20th September. The harvest is of good quality, with fine, healthy grapes and maturities which strongly resemble those of 1999. A good vintage in perspective therefore, particularly for the reds.
Regional disparities
But not all sectors of the Grand Bourgogne enjoyed the same conditions. Following the euphoria over the quality that we were hearing over the summer, yields have not always reached the levels hoped for, notably for those hit by frost. It is still too soon to put forward precise figures, but talk in the vineyards of Chablis and Chatillon, as well as the Grosne valley, is of production levels well below average.
Globally speaking, all sectors and colours together, Burgundy is looking at a volume close to 1.5 million hectolitres, which is on the high end of average. In 2016, for example, the harvest stood at 1.24 million hectolitres, in other words an increase of 20% in 2017.
*Source : BIVB
A SUPERB HARVEST FOR THE MADAME VEUVE POINT VINEYARDS
We started bringing in the first juices of the Madame Veuve Point parcels at the end of August, and finishing harvesting on the 28th September with the last fruit of the appellation Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits. It is a superb crop, notably for the reds where yields are normal at last. For the whites, the production of Madame Veuve Point is lower in Meursault and Puligny. At Chablis, there is a shortfall of around 30 to 35% in comparison with a normal year.
