2015 Vintage at the GARNIER & sons Wine Estate

The 2014 harvest ended, we went from autumn to spring without knowing the chills of winter. From April, weather conditions allow the vine to get ahead. Flowering takes place in the first days of June, suggesting an early harvest.

The summer will be hot and even very hot but especially without rain. At the end of July, following the combined effect of heatwave and drought, the vegetative development of the vine is at a standstill. There is reason to fear a further blockage of ripening, but the rainy rains of late August revitalize the vegetation. While we prepare the grape harvests in the night of August 31st to September 1st, a storm of hail crosses the vineyard ...

The band of hail is narrow, it leaves from Irancy, through Chitry, Courgis, the valley of the Montmains and to the hillside of the grands crus, particularly on the side of Les Clos and Blanchots. In the end, only 300 hectares will be affected on the whole vineyard.

Our vines have not been impacted, but some of our grape suppliers, mainly on Les Clos, Montmains and Côte de Jouan, have been hit more or less by this hailstorm. In fact, the harvest begins with the hailed areas and very quickly. That is to say, on September 2, 3 and 4 on the first Côte de Jouan and Montmains, then stop 2 days and take over the vineyards of the domain on 7. The last grapes returning 18.

In the end, we made a very good harvest both quantitative and qualitative (a bit like the 2009) on the plots of the estate. A little more delicate on the 1er cru in purchases of grapes affected by the storm. The final result offers wines with a fruity taste that can already be appreciated from 2018 while being able to keep the cellar on five to ten years according to the cuvées.