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The wine harvest in France is particularly low this year. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne have drawn preliminary balances.
In Burgundy, 2024 is considered one of the most difficult vintages in decades, according to Florent Latour from Maison Louis Latour, even in the last 50 years. According to estimates from the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), the harvest yields across Burgundy and Beaujolais are up to 25 percent lower than the previous year.
For the Bordeaux appellation, the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) expects a "historically low" harvest. It will be below the already low 3.8 million hectoliters of the previous year. This is due to difficult weather conditions and the reduction of vineyard areas due to clearances. Due to the rain at the end of September, many winemakers had to start harvesting before the grapes reached full ripeness. The CIVB expects fruit-driven wines with low alcohol content, designed for quick consumption.
In Champagne, some areas are heavily affected by downy mildew. After the Botrytis-affected and particularly large harvest of 2023, this year's fruit set was already significantly lower. Initial estimates suggest an average yield of 6,000 kilograms per hectare – well below the permissible maximum yield of 10,000 kilograms. This is already 13 percent lower than that of 2023. Many wineries, especially in the Aube, will use large parts of their reserve wines. The system of Réserve interprofessionnelle (formerly Réserve individuelle) allows producers to withhold a certain amount of wine from previous harvests if yields are low as they are this year. According to decanter.com, many have placed their inferior wines from 2023 into reserve, hoping to exchange them for better wines this year. They now face the difficult decision of either using them now or selling them at a financial loss.
(al / Source: vitisphere; decanter)