Harvest: What Does The 2019 Vintage Reserve For Us?
While the grape harvest has already begun in some French regions, the forecasts are going well on the quality of the 2019 vintage. Will the exceptional weather have tainted the vine? Is this year in advance or late on average harvest start? Can we hope for a quality wine despite the vagaries of the weather? Focus on an event that enthuses amateurs as wine specialists: the harvest.
What are the consequences of the climatic conditions of the year on the vines?
First of all, you should know that the growth period of the vines extends from March to September. The ideal conditions would like the spring to be rather watered and followed by a hot and dry summer. This year, the spring was indeed wet which favored the development of the vine but some late frosts slightly slowed growth. In mid-June, the temperatures suddenly increased to reach scorching values: a real threat for the vine growers! These high temperatures have caused damage to the vines because they block their photosynthesis above 35 ° C. Some plants were even burned by the heat wave of the month of June, many losses have been identified in areas present in the most affected areas. However, we can emphasize that these strong heats are fortunately appeared during a sufficiently early stage of development not to taint the quality of the grapes. Indeed, it is essential for the good maturation of the vine that the thermal amplitude between day and night is important. In periods of heat wave, the nights are particularly hot, which could have blocked certain mechanisms inherent to the multiplication of aromas in the fruit. Cool nights just before the harvest are thus a major asset for the vintage, the heat wave is, this year, arrived early enough not to have a significant impact on the latter!
Will the beginning of the harvest be done on time this year?
The starting date of the harvest depends on the region and the type of grapes grown. In Aude, for example, kick-off was given at the beginning of August while in Languedoc, the harvest was launched in the second half of August for the whites. As for the reds, the grape harvest started rather in the first half of September. There is often a tendency to compare the start date of the harvest with that of last year, but it should be noted that in 2018, the harvest was particularly early. This year, we should start again in the averages despite some plots slightly ahead, the grape harvest will fight full in September, the high temperatures have delayed the maturation of the vineyard.
Will quality be there for the 2019 vintage?
For twenty years, the Chamber of Agriculture has gathered information that can evaluate the evolution of the vineyard but also to make projections. In this way, about 100 control plots provide valuable information on the situation. For the 2019 vintage, the winemakers are not worried despite climatic conditions that could have been disastrous. The grapes are perfectly healthy and the quality looks promising. After the heat wave of mid-June, the rains of the summer were beneficial and made it possible to catch up the volumes lost because of the hot heats. Overall, we expect all the same quantities but aromatic fruit that can reveal all their aromas in quality wines.
And if tomorrow the winemaker, it was you?
The expertise of the winemaker passionate? Do you dream of a huge estate where the vineyards stretch out as far as the eye can see? Know that splendid wine properties are available at Sextant!
At the gates of Bordeaux, we offer two exceptional properties typical of the Aquitaine region. Charming and charming building or castle dating from 1763, several choices are available to you. The vines, perfectly maintained, do not require any investment and farm buildings complete these rare pearls.
Wine property – Bordeaux (33000)
At the top of the hill, with a panoramic view of the countryside is a beautiful castle whose construction began in 1763. With more than 700m ² of living space, this house in excellent condition, surrounded by a park of one hectare, dominates its vineyard of 23 hectares in appellation Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur. The vines are perfectly maintained, restructured, and express a terroir that gives the red wines produced, floral notes typical of the sector. The farm buildings, on nearly 740m², complete this exceptional area.
More information here: https://www.sextantfrance.fr/fr/annonce/vente-propriete-viticole-bordeaux-p-r7-7501167465.html