As you’ve heard from many winegrowers and wine merchants, 2021 has been the year of “every danger”.

Difficult weather conditions

First there was the late spring frost in April, which, according to FranceAgriMer, was responsible for 28% to 30% of crop losses.

At the same time, spring was rather dry and there was a shortage of precipitation. Then the summer was particularly cool at the start, compared with the usual averages, before giving way to torrential rain which allowed mildew to develop in the vineyards…

This was followed by drought and numerous fires in the south of France from mid-August onwards, which prevented the grapes from ripening. At the same time, botrytis has struggled to develop in regions that are normally conducive to it, such as Sauternes, where the grapes are waterlogged and too low in sugar content.

The harvest finally begins in early September and lasts several weeks. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 2021 will see a harvest loss of between 25% and 30% compared with last year, and between 20% and 25% compared with the five-year average.

This yield is close to that of 1977, the lowest harvest year for an entire generation of winegrowers.

Wines with muted flavors

The famous Champagne saying speaks for itself: “Year 1, year of nothing”. This year’s counter-cyclical weather conditions (spring frosts, summer rains and severe drought in some regions) prevented the grapes from ripening properly.

As you well know, grapes harvested at the wrong stage of ripening have a deficit of aroma and sugar, preventing the production of tasty wines. On the other hand, grapes harvested at an early stage of ripening will not be able to produce wines with the right body, which means that they will not age properly and thus become wines for laying down.

Skilled winemakers

But there’s no need to despair. Many winegrowers have been at the helm of their estates for years, even decades, and some have even grown up there between the vines.

The latter dedicate their lives to their vineyards, and have therefore acquired the know-how to counteract the vintage effect when the vintage is bad and risks producing poor-quality grapes.

So France’s finest estates will always strive to ensure that their wines are of the highest quality.