Hail destroys 300 hectares in Champagne

The hailstorms that ripped through France last weekend destroyed 300 hectares of vines in the Champagne region, it has been confirmed.

Champagne G.H. Mumm lost 15 hectares in Cramant to the storms

According to the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC), the storms passed over 3,000 hectares of Champagne’s 34,207-hectare planted surface area.

“We can confirm that 300 hectares of this planted surface were severely damaged in the storms,” the report said.

The villages around Epernay and the Côte des Blancs were worst hit by the storms, with around 30% of the vineyards in Mancy and Hautvillers damaged.

The Wine Spectator reports that Louis Roederer has lost up to 20% of its crop in Cramant, Chouilly and part of Avize due to the storms, and a further 10% in Cumières and Hautvillers.

Decanter.com meanwhile, states that Champagne G.H. Mumm saw 15 hectares in its Cramant vineyard completely destroyed by the storms.

As reported earlier this week on db.com, the storms also affected Bordeaux and Cognac, with winds in the Bordeaux commune of Pauillac reaching up to 102 miles per hour.

Pauillac-based first growth Château Lafite and St Julien second growth Gruaud Larose lost grapes to the storm, while the roof of Pichon Comtesse suffered considerable damage.