The 2018 harvest

After a very mild winter, perhaps too mild, this vintage was marked by two contrasting periods. The spring was sunny and milk, with no frost, although there were some localized storms with significant episodes of hail that hit certain plots hard on the Côte de Nuits in June. Then the summer was very dry and very hot, blocking the ripening process in some areas. Harvesting was early and was exceptionally abundant. The wonderfully healthy crop promised great potential for producing highly sophisticated wines.

For the Crémants de Bourgogne, 2018 was an exceptional year, with abundant fruit, high quality and next to no disease.

Harvesting began on 23 August and ended on 24 September – similar dates to 2015 and 2017. The expression of fresh fruit reveals marked aromas that contrast from one varietal to another.

The Chardonnays are powerful, with moderate acidity and a lovely roundness in the mouth, fruity on the nose, with apple, peach, and tropical fruit.

The Pinot Noirs are generous, with notes of cherry and rose mingling with aromas that still have a touch of fermentation about them. The wines are well-balanced and have a lovely freshness.

The Gamays have delicate aromas of red fruit like raspberry and strawberry, underlined by touches of clementine and lemon.

Meanwhile, the Aligotés are true to type, lively and lemony. They have good length in the mouth and are perfect for ensuring equilibrium in blends.

In Chablis, after a very dry spring and summer, we feared a harvest that would be less good than predicted, due to a lack of juice in the berries. Very high temperatures in August sent acidity right down in the grapes and brought the harvest forward to the end of August. But this early harvest of very abundant fruit allowed us to preserve some good acidity.

On the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, the harvest began with the Côte de Beaune whites at the end of August, followed by the Pinot Noir in early September on the northern part of the Côte. With the harvest under a radiant sun and heat-wave-level temperatures, the reds offer a rare concentration of polyphenolics. Quantity and quality were the joint order of the day.

Harvesting on the Côte Chalonnaise ran from 27 August to 18 September. Very localized rain had an impact on ripening, which varied from plot to plot. The Chardonnays were harvested first to preserve the lovely acidity of this particularly sunny vintage. The Pinot Noirs with their purple juice already foretold of a rich and powerful vintage.

 

There are vintages that make a mark on a whole region, and the 2018 will no doubt be one of these. Harvesting began on 20 August with the Crémants. They lasted for a month and the weather was perfect and quality exceptional. The grapes were in perfect health and had reached optimum ripeness.

The end of the winter was very cold with intense episodes of frost, which prolonged the dormancy of the vines. Bud-burst was later than usual but there were no spring frosts. The spring was very hot, with rain and frequent storms. There was even some hail, but fortunately, the estate’s vines were spared.

Summer was hot and dry, as it was across France, even on the vine-growing plateaus of the Jura, which are usually cooler.

Conditions were perfect for sunny harvesting. Apart from the Savagnin varietal, which is more sensitive, and suffered a little from the intense heat, the harvest was abundant and very high in quality.

 

January was mild, but February and March were cold. Then came April, which was hot, dry, and fairly sunny; and May, which was rainy with normal levels of sunshine. June was hot and stormy, but the vines remained miraculously healthy. Summer was very hot and dry.

Despite the drought and high temperatures, the vines withstood the weather very well. Harvesting began on 27 August in the earlier zones, and on 13 September for later plots. The 2018 vintage is already being described as incredible and aromatic, dominated by notes of black berries and raspberry, with a touch of spice, and remarkable structure and balance.

 

Atypical and extreme weather – with frost, heavy rainfall, and drought leading to a threat of disease – all presented a real trial for the vines. But despite it all, they survived, and winegrowers were able to plan ahead. Harvesting began with the whites on 3 September and lasted three weeks.

The difference between the northern and southern ends of the Côtes du Rhône was accentuated with a two-week difference in terms of harvesting, which can be detected in the final texture of the wines.

The more southerly Syrahs were dense and colorful, with lovely aromatic expression. In the south, the quality was evident, but in some places, the quantity was somewhat lacking, particularly in certain areas hit by mildew.

The whites are aromatic, clear, and forthright, with lovely colors and unusual hints of silver. They offer very good levels of natural acidity. They are revealing very similar profiles and the same remarkable freshness as the rosés, thanks to hard work in terms of plot selection.

The red wine vineyards were hit by mildew, leading to variations in terms of yields. We needed to be patient, both in terms of ripeness and in terms of vat time.

In the Rhone region, 2018 is a winemakers’ vintage where very close attention is required. In the end, the wines are showing good color with lovely aromatic expression.

 

Harvesting began on 21 August in the Languedoc and lasted for two months, with 2,000 hectares to be picked. A rainy and cold spring held back budburst, and flowering was chaotic with high winds and rain causing shatter and millerandage. However, the end result was satisfactory and relatively even.

Exceptional sunshine during the summer months was decisive for these drought-resistant southern vines. It was a late vintage, but alternating rain and sun during the whole growth cycle nourished the vines correctly and resulted in a lovely balance between sugars and acidity.

Anticipatory work by our partner winegrowers along with daily management of the harvests meant we harvested perfectly ripened grapes and avoided any pitfalls, getting the best out of this lovely vintage. An absence of any lengthy heatwave periods preserved the natural freshness. The winds kept the vines healthy and resulted in naturally concentrated grapes that were perfectly ripe. Moreover, the cooler September nights were very helpful in concentrating aromas and polyphenols.

The red wines have color along with fresh and jammy fruity flavors. The whites and rosés offer aromatic intensity and freshness.

 

This year, the harvests were long, but the quality was exceptional and kept up our enthusiasm. Picking began on 23 August at DeLoach in Sonoma, with the Pinot Noirs gathered on a “fruit” day in the lunar calendar. It finished on 2 November.

Over at Raymond Vineyards in Napa, the secateurs were in use between 4 September and 9 November.

In both valleys, the grapes were magnificent and yields very satisfying. In Sonoma, this was a year for Cabernet, with a level of quality that is rarely seen. As for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, initial tastings are promising elegance and balance, with a lower alcohol content than in previous years. Napa wines from 2018 are characterized as having very ripe tannins and lots of finesse.