The 2021 vintage: is it so average?

The 2021 Vintage in France: the year of excesses! 

The 2021 vintage in France was influenced by varied weather conditions according to the regions, which led to contrasting results in the vineyards. Overall, it can be said that the year was marked by extreme weather phenomena, particularly late frost episodes in spring, periods of intense heat in summer and variable precipitation during the grape growing season.

In spring, many wine regions were affected by late frosts, particularly devastating in certain areas such as Burgundy, the Loire Valley, and Bordeaux. These frosts damaged the buds and young shoots, thus reducing the potential yield of the upcoming harvest.

In summer, some regions experienced prolonged heat waves, which led to water stress in the vineyards and risks of sunburn for the grapes. However, other regions benefited from milder weather conditions, favorable for progressive and balanced grape ripening.

Precipitation during the summer season also played a crucial role, as excess water can dilute the concentration of aromas in the grapes and promote the development of fungal diseases, while lack of water can lead to a halt in grape ripening.

Overall, the 2021 vintage in France is characterized by great heterogeneity in terms of quality and quantity of the harvest, depending on the climatic specificities of each wine region and the agricultural practices implemented to mitigate the effects of adverse weather conditions. Winegrowers had to demonstrate vigilance and adaptability to manage weather challenges and produce quality wines in a changing climatic context.

The 2021 vintage in Bordeaux 

The 2021 vintage in Bordeaux was marked by varied weather conditions, with frost episodes in spring and abundant rainfall in summer. However, the end of summer offered ideal conditions for harvesting, allowing the grapes to ripen fully. Harvests took place at more classic dates compared to previous years, with a slight delay compared to 2020.

Despite a drop in harvest volume, due to frost episodes and downy mildew attacks, Bordeaux winegrowers were able to preserve the quality of the wines by carefully selecting the spared grape bunches. The sweet white wines particularly shone thanks to weather conditions conducive to noble rot, while the dry white wines also benefited from beautiful quality.

The red grape harvests took place later, offering fruity, colorful and aromatic grape varieties, promising a promising vintage for red wines from Bordeaux.

The quality of the vintage in Bordeaux is quite disparate, some managed to achieve beautiful results with low yields despite weather challenges, others had very little harvest and still others failed to take advantage of the few rays of sunshine at the end of the growing cycle… 

2021 in Burgundy 

The 2021 vintage in Burgundy was a trying vintage until the last day!

This vintage left an indelible mark in the memories and vineyards of Burgundy producers, confronted with capricious weather conditions throughout the year. After a cool start to the season until March, April brought unexpected temperatures and devastating frosts, reducing yields and affecting berry size. The vine, affected by these climatic events, then struggled to resume its normal cycle, despite a persistent period of coolness in April and May. A respite came in June with milder weather, favoring successful flowering, but weather conditions deteriorated again in July and August, leading to additional losses due to fungal diseases.

Harvests began in September, with crémants in the Mâconnais and still wines in the rest of the region. Unlike previous years, it was the Pinot Noirs that were harvested first. Despite the challenges, the winegrowers managed to produce quality juices by performing meticulous sorting.

The white wines from this vintage are successful, offering beautiful fruit deliciousness and classic balances, with pronounced minerality in the Chablis region and more marked opulence in Côte d'Or and Côte Chalonnaise. The red wines, although less concentrated than previous years, are enticing and seductive, with precise fruity notes and a balance between power and finesse. In summary, despite weather challenges, the 2021 Vintage gave birth to quality wines that reflect the unique character of Burgundy.

2021 in the Rhône 

In the Northern Rhône, the 2021 vintage was marked by a return to more classic weather conditions, less hot and dry than previous years. Despite severe weather events such as spring frost and heavy rains, the red wines stand out for their elegance and finesse. The syrahs present more moderate alcohol levels and balanced acidity, offering spice aromas with a voluptuous texture and silky tannins. The white wines also benefited from these conditions, with satisfactory maturity levels and more digestible balances, offering freshness and straightness.

In the Southern Rhône, frost and hail episodes marked the 2021 vintage, with varying impacts depending on the areas. Despite a mild summer period, grape maturation was slower than in 2020. The red wines, notably the syrahs, stand out with their intense color and round tannins, offering fresher profiles with crisp fruit flavors. The white wines are characterized by interesting balances, with refreshing acidity and bright fruity aromas, offering highly appreciated wines.

2021 in the Loire 

The Loire wines from the 2021 vintage stand out for their fresh aromas while remaining faithful to their regional identity. Despite this, this year was not all smooth sailing for the Loire vineyards, affected by strong frost episodes in April, from Centre-Loire to the Nantes region. Weather conditions, with abundant rainfall from May and especially in June, favored the spread of downy mildew and powdery mildew, requiring weeks of control efforts. Cooler temperatures led to slow grape ripening, thus preserving good acidity levels. Harvests began in September and extended until late October, under the constant threat of weather conditions. The red wines are characterized by their precise aromatic profile and appetizing red fruit notes, offering more classic balances than previous years. The white wines, particularly muscadet and sauvignon, present beautiful aromatic amplitude and assertive freshness. The sweet wines stand out for their aromatic complexity and lively acidity that guarantees their aging capacity.

2021 in Champagne 

First of all, it is necessary to recall that the vast majority of Champagne bottles are not vintage: they are most often a blend of several vintages according to their taste qualities, to maintain a house style or to achieve specific taste profiles. Moreover, Champagne being a transformed wine, one would need to taste a bottle of vintage Champagne at the end of its production cycle (which takes several years) or taste the still wine of the year in question before it is transformed into Champagne (which does not give complete information) to have a truly precise idea of the quality of the Champagne vintage.

It is nevertheless important to recall that the Champenois did not have any respite either! Early budburst thanks to a warm March, numerous frost episodes in April (until May 3!) very harmful to the first inflorescences, then hail and rain, except for the month of June when the flowers were able to form. Drenched summer, killer downy mildew, particularly victimizing the pinots, few yields… Rather complicated therefore! Some winegrowers will release vintage cuvées, but others will not take the risk! 

The Great Champagne Houses nevertheless manage to maintain their house style thanks to their reserve wines. For Grower Champagne, it is sometimes more complicated...

2021 in other regions

The vintage, like everywhere else, was complicated in the other French wine regions…

In Alsace, it was marked by complex weather conditions, with a warm early spring followed by frosts and downy mildew attacks in July. Despite a drastic drop in yields, the late harvests were saved by sunny weather in September and October, allowing the production of quality wines, notably the riesling which stood out. The muscats and sylvaners also offered beautiful aromatic opulence, while the pinots appeared slightly below par in terms of quality.

In Beaujolais, the vintage was also marked by difficult weather conditions with frost episodes and rainfall records until August. The harvests were late but benefited from an Indian summer, allowing classic balances to be obtained with easy-drinking and enticing gamays. Despite limited quantities, the best winegrowers managed to produce elegant wines, particularly in the crus, with great aging potential.

In the Languedoc, difficult weather as well, resulting in lower than average yields. Despite frost episodes in April and a period of coolness and humidity until July, the red wines stand out with supple tannins and great freshness, while the whites offer interesting aromatic profiles with beautiful acidity.

In the Jura and Savoie, the 2021 vintage was difficult due to unfavorable weather conditions, particularly frost and hail episodes. The wines nevertheless present beautiful aromatic typicity and freshness, although yields were reduced.

In Provence and Corsica, despite frost and rain episodes in spring, the wines reveal good quality. The rosés from Provence are bright and fresh, the whites are round and seductive, while the red wines offer freshness and precise red fruit aromas. In Corsica, despite the drought, the wines present beautiful freshness and interesting concentration, with whites marked by lively acidity and elegant reds.

So… 

Not so bad 2021! 

Slight preference for certain Burgundy wines, or the Northern Rhône where the syrahs will be quite light but well-made and where the whites are of great quality, or the sweet wines from Loire if that's what you're looking for…

To taste wines from this vintage, it is therefore necessary to look carefully at the specific appellation, as well as the color! 

2021, excesses of all kinds: too much frost, too much rain and too much heat - BUT, a lot of work for many winegrowers who were able to produce beautiful things. 

Excesses to minimize in 2022 to make good resolutions!