Bourgogne Prepares for an Early 2026 Vintage
As canopy work intensifies and winegrowers struggle to keep pace with the rapid growth of the vines, Bourgogne is once again preparing for an August harvest.
This year, the growing season is once again moving at an accelerated pace. Unseasonably warm, rainy weather in February triggered an early restart of the vine growth cycle by mid-March.
However, the progression of budbreak was interrupted by several cold spells, accompanied by morning frosts between mid-March and early April. Some damage was reported, particularly in Chablis, the Grand Auxerrois, and the Châtillonnais.
The average date for mid-budbreak (50% green tips) was March 28, close to that of 2020, another notably early vintage. However, frost damage and bud-eating pests created significant variability across the affected vineyard parcels.
Warmer-than-normal temperatures throughout April encouraged extremely rapid vine growth, with one to two additional leaves appearing each week. Cooler conditions in early May slowed the pace slightly, but debudding and trellising operations are already underway.
There is still a long road ahead before harvest begins.
At the time of writing (late May), the vines are in full bloom. In a few days, we will know to what extent the flowers have turned into fruit.