Harvesting gets off to a great start in the Sancerre region

arvesting in Sancerre began in mid-September. “We thought we would be starting a little later, but the ten days we experienced at over 36°C caused the vines to suffer”, recounts Fabrice Doucet, the director of Sicavac, the technical support organisation for the vineyards of Centre-Loire.

The red grape varieties withered more than Sauvignon, with alcohol content rising through concentration. Pinot noir and Gamay had to be harvested because their alcohol content was already coming in at 14% or even 14.5%. Doucet, however, is reassured by what he is tasting: “At the end of cold pre-fermentation soaking, the juice is very interesting with fresh, minty aromas of red fruits with no jammy notes”. The consultant winemaker is also satisfied by the stable acidity levels. “Malic acid deteriorated in August and September but tartaric acid was not used as a source of energy”, he explains.

“We are very happy about quantities and qualities. For now, the grapes are holding up really well. The white grapes that were scorched won’t go through the press, and the scorched red grapes were discarded before entering the tanks. We have absolutely no concerns about the flavour of the wines to come”, adds Hélène Mardon, co-chair of the Quincy appellation who also produces some Reuilly.