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In Champagne, the harvest began on 2 September. According to the Bureau du Champagne, the 2019 vintage is characterized by cold and rainfall, drought and heat. The previous sun record had already been broken in February. Spring frosts between the beginning of April and the beginning of May destroyed the buds of the vines on around 1,000 hectares, which corresponds to around three percent of the vineyard area. The heat and drought periods that began in June did not affect the growth of the vines.
According to the Bureau du Champagne, the yield was limited to 10,200 kilograms per hectare, slightly lower than in 2018, when it reached a maximum of 10,800 kilograms per hectare. The 2019 vintage has high acidity and lower colour pigmentation with the same sugar content. In order to achieve the aromatic maturity desired in Champagne, the grapes require a minimum alcohol content of 10.5 percent for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and ten percent for Pinot Meunier.
The earliest possible start of harvesting is determined for the 320 Cru sites and the three approved grape varieties. Each producer observes the ripening process of his grapes and chooses the best time to harvest for each grape variety and each plot within three weeks of the earliest harvest date. Around 120,000 harvest assistants are deployed for the Champagne harvest.
(uka / Photo: Bureau du Champagne)