Two violent storms collided this week in Burgundy, resulting in massive damage to vineyards in the Cote de Beaune, according to theBurgundy Wine Board (BIVB).
Hail broke open grapes leaving pips lying on vineyards, strong winds tore off leaves while the heavy rains and severe flooding risk midew and oidium, said Thiébault Huber of Domaine Huber Verdereau in Volnay.
Damage spread from the Corton hill to Meursault, said BIVB spokeswoman Cécile Mathiaud, who said she was startled by the amount of “mud and water along the 20-kilometre Cote de Beaune bike route”.
The storms damaged between 50 to 90 per cent of vines in Beaune, Volnay and Pommard, including premier cru vineyards like Epenots and Clos des Mouches, according to the BIVB. Outer points of the Cote were less affected, but 50 per cent of Aloxe vineyards and 40 per cent of Meursault vineyards suffered damage.
Huber said 58mm of rain fell in one hour in Volnay, adding that the heavy rains combined with heat run the risk of rot and disease. “The vines will now use energy to heal wounds rather than develop grapes,” he explained.
Caroline Parent-gros, a winemaker in the Cote de Beaune said: “It’s a really hard blow for the winemakers, especially after 2012, which was already half the usual harvest due to hail.
“We had 17 minutes of hail, which is really rare in the history of agricultural disasters. In Pommard, Volnay, Beaune and Savigny les Beaune, 60 to 100 per cent of the harvest is lost.
“The flooding in the vineyards won’t have serious consequences for the future as it is just soil erosion. Equally, the wood of the plants were not damaged as the wind was not too strong, so there shouldn’t be any consequences for next year’s harvest.
“However, the wines from the appellations touched by the hail will be extremely rare. There will definitely be economic consequences for the domains in Pommard and Volnay, with certainly an increase in the prices of wines from 2013. Moreover, such a shortage will be a serious problem to supply our existing markets.”
The recent storms have compounded fears in the region of a troublesome 2013 vintage due to heavy rainfall earlier in the year jeopardising vine growth and flowering and pushing back harvest dates up to four weeks late.
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