All over the northern hemisphere, wine regions are wrapping up the harvest season. The grapes have come in from the vineyard and the winemaking team is at work in the cellar. Critics and consumers stir speculation: will it be a good vintage? Time will tell, but meanwhile, enthusiasts can check in with winemakers and growers for a harvest update.
Chablis is a particularly fascinating corner of the winegrowing world, the northernmost slice of Bourgogne, (Burgundy) situated between Paris and Beaune. This is Chardonnay country, grown on a characteristic Kimmeridgian subsoil, primarily marl with bands of fossil-rich limestone. Chablis is prone to hot summers and harsh winters, with spring frost and hail storms counted among common threats.
This year was kind to Chablis in terms of these events, a reprieve in in a year of nearly constant tension. “2020 promises quality, but this vintage will definitely not be remembered as an easy one,” writes Cécile Mathiaud, head of public relations for the Bourgogne Wine Board.
Louis Moreau, president of the Chablis Commission, says that the biggest challenge of the 2020 harvest is one similar to other wine growers around the world: climate concerns, which he refers to as “global warming.” Bourgogne experienced an historically early harvest in 2020, as did other nearby growing regions.
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Bordet calls 2020 a “grand millésime,” a great vintage. He says Chablis wines of this year will offer “perfect balance, nice acidity and freshness. I think we are going to have an exceptional vintage.”
