In terms of the relationship between weather and vines, the last 12 months have been, to say the least, complicated in the Champagne region.  Flowering took place towards the end of May and it was thought that harvesting would commence as early as the last two weeks of August. Unfortunately, June and July were not only on the cold side, but also quite damp, leading to patches of rot. The normal seasonal temperatures resumed in August, bringing everything back onto a more even keel.

This roller-coaster of a few months meant that the bunches of grapes were growing in an inconsistent manner, with good colour appearing on the outside, whilst the innermost grapes were still very much on the green side! On the plus side, the rot seemed to be more attracted to the outside of the bunches.

As it turned out, everything was finally on course to meet the production requirements of the Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne.

After all the commotion, the entire area was probably very relieved when the opening of the harvest was announced for August 19^th. Around this time, there was a heat wave that had as dramatic effect on the grape pickers as it had on the grapes themselves! Due to the complexities of each bunch of grapes, great care needed to be taken with cutting. As a result, average levels of both acidity and alcohol have been maintained.

For the time being there is a degree of breath-holding going on in the Champagne region, as the wines settle down and decide in which direction they are going to go. We will be well into 2012 before we hear more about this year’s wines from our suppliers.