In view of the extreme heat, our cosmopolitan teams of pickers began early in the morning, starting at 7.00am and finishing at 2.00pm, with a break at 11.00am, to avoid the afternoon temperatures that often hit 40°. A few cloudier days led us to hope for some longed-for rain but it did not materialise, with only a brief shower on 24th August helping to humidify the atmosphere.

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Indeed, the Côte d’Or endured five successive heatwaves between June and August without a drop of rain!

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The first berry samples on 10th August came as quite a shock to our oenologists Camille and Lucas – it was all ripe at the same time! So then it was all systems go, with everyone immediately coming back off holiday. As the organisation had been well anticipated, it only remained for the pickers to arrive, four days later.

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Since the whites were slightly more advanced, we began in the Côte de Beaune, drier than the Côte de Nuits, with the parcels of our premium whites: Beaune Montagne Saint-Désiré, Puligny-Montrachet, Charlemagne, Chevalier-Montrachet and Volnay. On the second day it was the turn of Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenue Bâtard Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain, and we also made a start at Savigny-Lès-Beaune Les Marconnets.

Jean-Michel Catinot, our vineyard manager, in the Musigny plots

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The fourth day saw us already at work in the Côte de Nuits with the Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Damodes – unheard of for an 18th August! But as a result of the drought and excessive heat another unimaginable climatic phenomenon hit on 8th July, with the outbreak of a wildfire that ravaged 40 hectares on the heights of Nuits-Saint-Georges, making us fear for our vineyards of Damodes, Clos de Thorey and Bourgogne sur Chaux. Fortunately, to our great relief, we have not been affected by smoke taint.

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Because of the small quantities in certain parcels we have had recourse to micro-cuvées, as we did in 2024, such as from our smallest parcel Vosne-Romanée Aux Champs Perdrix, or our Beaune Premier Cru Les Grèves from which we made a single barrel instead of four, and also blending, for example Pommard Les Lamblots with Les Petits Noizons. As a result we will have only one Pommard with no mention of any climat.

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Very little sorting was required as the bunches were loose and perfectly healthy, as without humidity diseases such as powdery or downy mildew cannot develop. There were just a few dried grapes that were quickly eliminated on the sorting tables.

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Vinification was also rapid, even though the grapes were cooled overnight to avoid fermentation kicking off too quickly. The very ripe Pinots, with ripe pips, gave intense colour, generous polyphenols, anthocyanins and tannins, in spite of their rather delicate skins. Degrees were generally high, around 14.5°, for both reds and whites, which we are not used to seeing in our wines. But this provides good structure which is a promise of wines that will age well.

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Vatting lasted on average 20 days, which is shorter than usual. Fermentation of the whites was completed speedily, in between 4 to 6 days, with a week in vat before going into barrel. The two fermentations - alcoholic and malolactic – took place in rapid succession in the first wines and were finished by the 21st September - a record!

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For the reds, the first pressing took place on 1^st September, and the final one on the 16th on very dark musts.

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The amount of juice from the whites was truly disheartening. Whereas it usually needs 230kg of fruit to produce 228 litres of juice (equal to one barrel), this year it took 360kg of fruit for the same volume! Such tiny grapes, such a disappointment!