6th October 2020 | Cork Talk | 3 minute read
Harvest is all about picking the grapes at just the right moment, when the flavours are at their best for wine. Usually this is just as we enter Autumn, however, thanks to a spell of glorious sunshine throughout the Spring months, it was looking like harvest would come early this year for the vintners of the Côtes du Rhône.
After weeks spent monitoring the vineyards and studying weather forecasts, the Côtes du Rhône vineyards picked the first of their 2020 white grapes at the end of August, followed by reds in early September.
Across the Côtes du Rhône vineyards, winegrowers and winemakers agree that it’s more important than ever to be flexible, changing tactics where necessary to accommodate fruit development and the new climate norms. After an exceptionally wet autumn, with major rainfall in October and November 2019 topping up soil moisture reserves nicely, the winter was dry and mild. It was one of the mildest winters on record, second only to 2015/2016, inducing early vine growth; the Spring 2020, also one of the mildest ever seen in France, further accentuated the vines’ speedy development.
Summer weather served to maintain the pace of development without exacerbating it further – relatively hot days were balanced by cooler temperatures at night, while a few rainy days provided enough moisture to promote good ripening. Veraison progressed at varying rates, depending on the position and exposure of individual parcels and vines, but bunches were healthy across the board, with good-sized berries. Growth was still some two weeks ahead of 2019 levels, depending on the area.
Whilst the winegrowers cannot change the weather, they can, and need to be, constantly monitoring and protecting their crops throughout the growing season and right up to the point of harvest. For example, the growers who chose to leave a denser canopy of leaves on each vine than usual, provide the grapes with a natural sunshade; this then ensures a softer, higher quality extract in the winery with no overly-harsh tannins. Similarly, if the crop looks too large they may choose to green harvest and remove bunches to allow the vine to concentrate on ripening a smaller number of grapes, giving a more homogenous ripening and ultimately more balance and complexity.
Overall, the balance of sufficient water reserves in the soil; plentiful, but not oppressive, heat and sunshine; refreshing rain and cooler night time temperatures bode well for an exceptional result in the 2020 vintage for the Côtes du Rhône vineyards.
While we await the wines of 2020 with eager anticipation, click here to explore our range of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages wines.
