2016 Vintage at the GARNIER & sons Wine Estate

As you probably know, the 2016 harvest was catastrophic! It will remain forever in our memories of winemakers.

Nothing spared us during this « annus horibilis ».

First freezing on the night of April 25 (4 ha destroyed at 80%), then the terrible hail storm Friday, May 13 (11 ha destroyed 100%). As if it was not enough accumulated rains more than 450 mm between April and July, have triggered the mildew* of vigor rarely seen. He grappled directly with the clusters early in the bloom, reducing the few grapes that had survived. A little bit of warmth at the end of August will burn a few more grains for Mother Nature to remind us of who commands our destiny.

Fortunately our « short » harvest took place from Saturday, September 24 to Saturday, October 1st in very good conditions: the quality of the juices was at the rendezvous, fleshy and pulpy they keep in them the energy of the grapes and the reflection of the soils. In the end, we made 70% less production. An average yield of just 15hl / ha, which will greatly complicate and weaken the economic situation of the field next year. We are a family farm, but young: Xavier and I are the first generation. We have created everything, and therefore no stocks and necessarily a lot of investments.

All these explanations to announce that we have applied a significant tariff increase from January 1st, 2017 on the 2015 remaining cellar and which will also be valid for the 2016 and 2017 vintages.

We have tried to remain consistent and smooth this increase over 3 vintages to avoid it being too important and brutal. Without your loyalty we could not continue our job.

We thank you in advance for the support you are honoring us.

Jérôme et Xavier Garnier

The big news

Without predicting what we would harvest in 2016 we had « hunting » vineyards to resume. 2016 is also the year of change with the arrival of a new vineyard.

It is between Clamecy and Vézelay, at the green borders of Puisaye and Morvan, the country of the writer Colette, that some lines of vines were replanted in lyre in the middle of the 90s after the abandonment of the vineyard of the slopes of Tannay at the beginning of the century. Three grape varieties spread over an excellent clay-limestone soil: Bourgogne Melon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They form the three chapters of a book whose ink is wine and which you will soon be readers. 2016 is the first book of our family saga.

 
* Mildew: Parasitic fungus of the vine