Demarville: top quality harvest still possible

Veuve Clicquot’s cellar master, Dominique Demarville, has said that 2016 can still be a good harvest despite the extreme weather the vineyards have endured.

Speaking last week at the launch of the 2008 vintage, Demarville went through the litany of appalling weather Champagne, like much of the rest of France, has suffered so far this year.

The serious April frosts caused a lot of damage in the southern appellation of the Côte de Bar where the destruction was total in places.

Then heavy rains have contributed to an outbreak of mildew and there was a hailstorm in the south earlier this month which further reduced the potential crop.

“We’re crossing our fingers it’s all finished,” said Demarville, “but [the crop] will be 30%-35% below average. It’s very low but it’s not a disaster as we have reserves.”

He admitted though that while difficult the problems have still not been as tough as those experienced in parts of Chablis, Beaujolais and the Loire.

Continuing he said that if the weather now held throughout August and September – the harvest would be at the end of September most likely – “we can still do a top quality harvest.”