Frost wreaks damage in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne
Plummeting temperatures in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Chapagne are taking their toll on vineyards, with another night of hard frost hitting the regions last night.
Temperatures of -3 degrees centigrade in the vineyards of Bordeaux for the past two nights have caused considerable damage to vinayards already well into their growing season thanks to the mild spring.
Farming union FDSEA said the frost made for a “devastating” spring for its members, although warned that full assessment of the situation was still underway.
However, initial estimates indicate that thousands of hectares of vines and other crops had been damaged.
Many of Bordeaux’s producers are small scale outfits, and unable to afford advanced frost protection such as sprinklers and heaters employed by the bigger companies. But some have been using candles, heaters and even the down-draught from helicopters to try to save their crops.
Many are already facing financial difficiulties, but the local branch of FDSEA sad “this frost has reduced winemakers’ hopes to nothing.” according to a report in Decanter.
“Today we are likely seeing the most important freeze since 1991. And there are more frosts forecast for the coming night,” Patrick Vasseur, vice chairman of the FDSE said.
In some areas of the Right Bank, losses of between 50 – 100% are being forecast, according to Thomas Duclos, associate oenologist at Oenoteam. However, he conceded that it was too early to properly estimate the damage of the 2017 harvest at such an early stage.
While the plateau of Pomerol has escaped the worst of the frost, on the Right Bank, those in the valley were particularly badly affected.
In Bordeaux, Pauline Vauthier said that fires had kept her family's vineyards unscathed at Château Ausone this week. But she reported fears of significant damage at the Fonbel and Simard estates.
In Pessac-Léognan, closer to the city, the damage was worst in cool places, close to forests, although it was too early to give a proper assessment. In the Entre-deux-Mers, Nicolas Lesaint, of Château Reignac, in St-Loubes, said that he had never seen frost so severe.
Champagne and Burgundy have also been hit by plummeting temperatures.
“All areas of the Champagne are hit to very varying degrees,” said Thibaut Le Mailloux from the Champagne Committee (CIVC) industry group. “It’s too early to estimate the extent of the damage, but the frost impact is worse than last year’s”.
In the Bugey region near Lyon, winemakers said the damage was extensive, with some vineyards totally destroyed.
“The vineyard was three weeks ahead in its growth, shoots were already well developed. Frost destroyed everything - shoots are dead,” Julien Hubail, expert at the Bugey wine union, said.