French vintners are smiling this year as pundits say the conditions for the grapes are “near perfect, even idyllic”.
The recent hot, dry weather has been playing its part in keeping down grape rot and powdery mildew as well as bringing the grapes to maturity. Never likely to miss a moan, French farmers had been complaining about the very dry summer over much of the country’s vineyards, but that weather seems to be working towards their benefit.
A little rain now, as indeed has been forecast, will let the grapes swell further, soften their skins and improve their quality.
Hopes are being pinned on an exceptional harvest. If so, 2015 will fall into the ‘rule of fives’ which sees years ending in zero and five produce a winning vintage. This has been the case since 1985.
Not all areas have enjoyed the same conditions. Burgundy and Alsace may experience lower yields because grapes there are smaller. This could impact on quantity, but growers of the most desired wines could be able to charge higher prices.
The harvest for red wines will only finish in late September, and anything could happen until then, but producers at the moment are optimistic.
