It’s that time of year. the harvest is just around the corner. We’ll be starting next Monday at Jeff Coutelou’s domaine. I’ll be here for some but not all of the vendanges as I have a lot of travelling coming up and a much busier time here on the blog lies ahead. I shall be updating about the harvest whilst I’m here and with reports passed on to me when I return to the UK.

It’s been an ‘interesting’ year here weather-wise in the Languedoc. When I was here in April it was grey, damp and colder than average. Since then though the region has a long period of hot weather, it was still 38c when I arrived a week ago and that was cooler than the previous fortnight. I toured the vines and talked with Jeff who was rather downbeat about the vintage.

Mildew, the powdery version, has been prevalent from Spring onwards, the humidity and warmth setting it off. There is downy mildew, oidium, too. The vines look parched, the grapes struggling to swell because of the dry summer. A couple of storms last week offered a brief respite, sadly no more rain is forecast. It reaches a point where you just have to harvest as the vines are struggling and their long term health needs to be protected.

There was also a lot of evidence of the difficult Spring with coulure. This is caused by strong winds damaging the flowers and buds at that time, which was exactly what conditions were like when I was there in April. The result is bunches with a lot of gaps.

Jeff was clear that not all vineyards were equally effected. Peilhan, to the West, has suffered most whilst Segrairals, to the Eastern side of Puimisson, has done much better. There will be good grapes and good wines from 2024.

There were also a couple of other observations I thought to pass on. One vineyard area which was in good condition in Peilhan was the new plantation of Spanish grapes such as Parellada, Malvesia de Sitges and Macabeu. I assumed that they must have been irrigated as they are in their first year, they were a lush green in colour and looked strong, holding their branches out wide. Jeff corrected me though, they were watered on planting and then once in their early weeks but not since then. In vineyards such as La Garrigue and Sainte Suzanne it was also noteworthy that Grenache, (Spanish origins) was also doing well compared to most. Similarly, the Xarel-lo, now 2 years old, was looking strong with good, full bunches. Perhaps the deliberate policy of Jeff in moving towards grape varieties more adapted to hot and dry conditions is already proving a wise one?

Visiting the cellars on the 20th Jeff had emptied all the main concrete tanks and they were being cleaned thoroughly. The harvesting machinery is also being prepared, checked and cleaned. Lots of hard work to get things ready. there will be plenty of triage for me to do next week but fingers crossed for a successful harvest despite the worst nature can throw at it.

One last oddity. In the midst of the good looking Grenache vines of La Garrigue, one vine has mutated to offer Grenache Gris instead.