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The Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) has published its 2021 vintage report, according to which the 2021 harvest is 20 percent below the ten-year average. Late frosts were mainly responsible for the small volume, which, at 3.77 million hectolitres, was 14 percent less than in 2020. This means that only 503 million bottles from the 2021 vintage will be available to producers, which is significantly below average.
The sweet white wines of the region, including Sauternes, recorded the strongest declines compared to the previous year with a minus of 51 percent. However, according to the CIVB, the climatic conditions are excellent to promote the growth of Botrytis cinerea, so producers are satisfied with the quality. The red wine harvest began at the end of September, much later than in previous years. In Bordeaux, the sunniest October since 1991 prevailed. According to the CIVB, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc could be harvested under the best conditions.
In the Médoc, which accounted for 565,000 hectolitres or about 15 percent of total production, the harvest was only six percent down on the previous year. In the appellations on the right bank, such as St. Emilion, Pomerol and Fronsac, the wineries had to cope with losses of 21 percent compared to 2020. Producers in Graves recorded a 25 per cent drop in production. Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur production fell by 15 per cent to 1.65 million hectolitres, while Côtes de Bordeaux volumes fell by 14 per cent to 480,000 hectolitres. Harvest volumes of dry white wines declined by 15 per cent, but those of rosé wines by only three per cent and those of Crémant de Bordeaux by only one per cent compared to 2020.
(ru / Source: Decanter; Photo: 123rf.com)