First Melon de Bourgogne grapes will be harvested this weekend of September 11 in Muscadet. The 2021 harvest will probably be done in 3 or 3 stages. Small beginning informations in 3 questions with Romain Mayet of the Fédération des Vins de Nantes.
When the 2021 harvest will start in Muscadet?
"We should see some very early plots picked up this weekend but the real start will be next week from September 13."
What about the health of the vineyard after a complicated year?
"In fact, the weather is very good since August 15, which allow a really good ripening process. The sanitary condition is very good because the diseases have rather attacked the leaves and not the grapes. Due to the low number of bunches due to the frost, the leaf / fruit ratio is more than sufficient to bring the grapes to maturity. "
What will be the particularities of these 2021 harvest?
"Like every year of frost, there is a very significant maturity difference between the vines more or less affected by frost and those which were spared. The second generation buds start took place almost 3 weeks later and we will find this difference in the end with 2 to 3 weeks delay and more beetween early and late maturities.
The acidities have dropped well with the temperature. There are not many grapes but the quality is there. The showy rains expected for the next few days will be perfectly in time to make the berries more juicy. Winemakers, even more than usual, will have to watch each plot very closely to pick up at the best time. "
"We should have a first round of harvest next week (3-4 days) followed by a break before leaving for the rest and the end of the harvest."