After the August harvest of the 2020 vintage, 320 mm of rain fell, just under half the annual total. Temperatures fell steadily until the end of November. We remain within the seasonal temperature range. At the beginning of January, it is cold and it feels good. A few passages of snow did not last more than a day or two. February brings a bit of water at the beginning of the month and frosts of about -5/-7°C around the 15th. The last week of March is marked by a ‘summer/fatal’ passage with temperatures up to 25°C. But the period from the 6th to the 9th of April mainly ‘black’ frosts (cold air masses with no altitude gradient, so no way to warm up by mixing) down to -3°C with snow on the 7th! The average stage was at bud burst. This is the major event of the vintage; losses are estimated at around 40-50% on average on the estate. In Côte de Beaune on Chardonnay it was catastrophic, 80% losses, the temperatures were lower and the average stage was between 1 and 2 leaves.

Once the knife fell, the season could begin. 2021 will then mark its difference from the last vintages: mildness and humidity! During the summer, rainfall followed regularly (every 3 to 4 days) without being very intense. The mildness and the permanently humid climate favoured the appearance of mildew on the bunches of grapes, and botrytis also made its appearance before veraison with the intense rainfall (60mm) around 15 July. The good weather returned at the beginning of August and temperatures above 30°C were rare, but the contrast effect led to a little scald. The anticyclonic period continued until the harvest, in these conditions oidium played the opportunist. But everything happens, so on September 18th, we harvested: long and meticulous harvests because of the sorting… The yields were low. The lowest ever recorded.

In the winery, it’s quite quiet, the ‘rebellious’ vintage in the vineyard is more docile in the vinification, even if there are concerns about its great difference compared to 2020. But every vintage is different. In the end, wines with a modest concentration and a ‘consensual’ structure are made. It is at this point that we say to ourselves that it is going to take some magic in the maturing and the 75% of whole grapes on average to reveal character in this nice 2021. 15 months later these 2021s are very pure aromatically, the ‘terroir’ imprint is there, there is a smoothness in the texture and the structures are fine and harmonious, the wines hold together, they taste well. The smile returns…