The summer of 2022 was marked by drought. The result can be felt even in the vines. In Monbazillac (Dordogne), where we harvest necessarily by hand the grape which gives the eponymous wine of the commune, the harvest begins now, mid-September, two weeks earlier than expected.
Guillaume Barou, winegrower responsible for a 40-hectare estate since 2006, has been close to his vines for two weeks. “We do maturity checks, where we take the grains, or even bunches: we press them to see the sugar intensityadvances the one who is also the president of the Monbazillac cooperative cellar. With a refractometer, we see the potential degree that the wine could obtain and we know from the beginning of September what the evolution is, which allows us to anticipate.”
– Lisa Guinic
The drought in question
Several factors then explain the early harvest of Sauvignon Gris, continues Guillaume Barou: “Of course the hot summer, Drought. [Elle] made the grapes ripen much faster.” The winegrower is lucky: all his pickers, about fifteenresponded to the call for an early harvest.
Warren, a 36-year-old globetrotter, is starting his second harvest season. “Last year, the grapes were less good”, launches the young man. Michel, 37, is he carrier, not cutter, and he has ten years of experience in the vineyards to his credit. After already two days of round trip between the vines and the tractor, seals in hand, he is sure of himself: “The harvest is beautiful. You can see it when [le raisin] is weighed, compared to other years when it rained a lot.” The boss of the vineyard Guillaume Barrou confirms:
The berries are healthy, ripe and juicy.
– Lisa Guinic
Another meager harvest, low morale
The quality is there, but he is worried about the quantity of grapes to be harvested. “The bunches are still smaller than usual, enlightens Guillaume Barrou. We expect yield drops, around 20 to 30% less than a typical year.” The winegrower continues, in a serious tone: “He will miss it.” After already four years of leaner harvests, this new reduced cuvée to come is alarming: the president of the Monbazillac cooperative cellar is evaluating the deficiencies at 20% over this five-year period.
– Lisa Guinic