The 2026 Harvest: Highly Promising Must
after a Record Early Start
The 2026 vintage will be remembered for its exceptionally early timing in Bourgogne. Harvesting began as early as 8 August in the Mâconnais for Crémant de Bourgogne, before progressively spreading across the winegrowing region. For still wines, picking really got under way the day after 15 August. Surprisingly, the final bunches arrived at the winery just before mid-September.
This historic early start was the result of a particularly hot and dry season. After a mild, wet winter that replenished water reserves in the soils, the growing cycle began early. Spring frosts, rapid growth, lightning-fast flowering, poor fruit set and successive heatwaves shaped the season.
Despite around 60 days above 30°C and a significant rainfall deficit, the vines generally held up well. These conditions also prevented disease development, resulting in grapes in particularly healthy condition.
The first indications in terms of quality are very encouraging: the musts show impressive richness while retaining balance and freshness, with great aromatic purity, deep colours and particularly expressive profiles.
The Bourgogne Wine Board will publish its official harvest estimate in mid-November, providing a clearer picture of 2026 vintage volumes. The harvest is expected to be smaller than the ten-year average (1.45 million hectolitres).
Never in living memory – among winegrowers or historians – has Bourgogne begun harvesting as early as in 2026: from 8 August for Crémant de Bourgogne, followed a few days later by still wines. It was an exceptional situation at the end of a very dry, very hot growing season, requiring everyone to show remarkable adaptability. Bourgogne was not alone, with other French wine regions facing similar conditions.
It is still too early to draw definitive conclusions about the 2026 vintage in Bourgogne. What is already clear, however, is that volumes will be down. Quality, meanwhile, looks remarkable, with exceptionally rich yet beautifully balanced musts, showing great purity, explosive aromatics and deep colour.
The vines endured several heatwaves, with around 60 days above 30°C, but water reserves built up over the winter generally enabled them to withstand the conditions well. The weather sharply limited disease pressure, leaving the grapes in impeccable health at harvest. It also affected the pace of the growing cycle and yields, bringing ripening forward to well below the 90 to 100 days usually observed after flowering.
A look back at an unprecedented year, when agility became the watchword for Bourgogne winegrowers.
