Burgundy 2018 vintage ahead of schedule and on a par with 2015
The 2018 Burgundy vintage has got off to a flying start and is currently on a par with 2015, when everything was ahead of schedule and harvest took place at the end of August.
However, it is still too soon in the season to confirm whether 2018 will also be an early vintage, according to the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB). “The next few weeks will decide the matter one way or another,” said the Board, pointing out that the development of the vines is closely linked to the temperature. "The hotter it is, the faster the vines grow. And similarly, as soon as the mercury dips, the vegetation slows down.”
While the growth cycle got off to a slightly slow start, warm temperatures until 24 April meant the vines grew quickly, making up for a lag seen during the mid-budburst stage, by which time half the vines’ buds have lost their scaly cases.
This means that 2018 is developing on a par with 2015, a vintage when everything was ahead of the average growing cycle, with flowering occuring in mid-June, and harvesting at the end of August.
A slight cooling of the temperature in the final days of April and a return to more seasonal temperatures during the first two weeks of May slightly slowed things down, bringing the pace back to a more normal level.
However, Bourgogne winegrowers are happy so far, as they have been spared spring frosts and the growing flowers appear generous. In the vineyards, teams are currently busy tying up the vines and debudding, though there’s still a long way to go until the harvest.