Quantity and quality: this is the dream of Burgundy winemakers every year. Dream that could come true in this 2022 vintage, provided that hail or drought do not strike between now and the harvest. 2019, 2020, 2021… Vintages of quality but with small quantities have followed one another in recent years in Burgundy. A heartbreak for winegrowers, who see their stocks melt, and struggle to satisfy all their customers. The 2022 vintage could well bring them a breath of fresh air. At present, the vintage promises to be qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative, because the sun and the heat of the year announce ripe, healthy and concentrated grapes. Quantitative, because for the moment the vagaries of the climate have rather spared Burgundy. Apart from Chablis, the vineyard escaped frost damage. Then the flower, a decisive period, took place in excellent conditions, leading to magnificent clusters provided, which are just waiting to ripen.
Hail, the sword of Damocles until the harvest
Among winemakers, hope and smile are back as summer approaches. But so is worry. Before the harvest – which is announced for the moment at the end of August – nothing is played. Two dangers still threaten Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay: drought and hail. The drought seems to be receding. Despite very low water reserves, the storms that strike regularly bring the water necessary for the maturation of the berries. The risk of hail, on the other hand, will make the winegrowers tremble until the first blows of the pruner. The phenomenon can strike at any time, with a suddenness that often prevents the anti-hail guns, the only protection available, from being activated in time. True, the phenomenon is usually localized. To date, only the Gevrey-Fixin area has suffered some damage. But recent events have shown that devastating hailstones can also strike large areas. At the beginning of June, the wines of Gascony and the Loire paid the price. More recently, large swathes of Bordeaux and Cognac have experienced the same disaster. So much for the black scenario. But so far, so good. And the 2022 vintage could wellreturn to 2018: solar and generous. The dream of all burgundy winemakers.
