2017 Loire – flowering starting

Vines in AC Touraine above the village 

of Francueil, Indre et Loire 

Not yet flowering but probably not far off

Speaking today to Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut, Brissac-Quincé, Anjou) and Philippe Boucard (Lamé Delisle Boucard, Bourgueil) both confirmed that flowering is now underway in their vineyards. Although not as early as in 2011, the fact that flowering has started before the end of May indicates that the 2017 vintage will be quite early. Philippe estimated that they will be picking their Cabernet Franc around 20th September.
 

The good news is that the weather for the moment is warm and settled. There will still be the problem of a marked difference in maturity for those badly frosted and who are relying on second generation bunches, which won't flower for some time yet.  

Fingers crossed that the good weather holds!  

Mid-June in the vines of Chinon and Bourgueil

Typically stormy weather of mid-June 2016:

 looking east towards L'Île Boucard 

Some photos taken on Friday in Chinon and Bourgueil:

Chinon:

Chinon: frost damage on the fruiting cane 

(above and below) on the gravel vineyards close to the Vienne

Chinon: flowering underway but conditions not ideal 

– cool and wet with only occasional sunshine

Rare to see a vine on gravel with plenty of potential grapes 

Near Panzoult

As if the frost wasn't enough some shoots have 

been broken off both in Chinon and Bourgueil. 

Caused I assume by heavy rain and high winds.

Sodden vineyards  – following heavy rain over the past few weeks

Some potential bunches but sparse

Just one shoot with no fruit recovering from frost damage

Bourgueil:

 First series of photos taken on coteaux 

above Ingrandes de Touraine 

unaffected by the April frost with flowering just starting

 Very different tale on the flatter gravel vineyards – here in Restigné

 Green shoots but little sign of any fruit

 Wind/storm damage now appears to be 

compounding frost losses in places

2015 Loire: photos of flowering in Ingrandes (AC Bourgueil) + a snail's pace

Cabernet Franc in flower at Lamé Delisle Boucard (AC Bourgueil) today

Getting towards the end of the flowering process with the nascent grapes already visible 

Until today the 2015 flowering in the Loire had been blessed with very good conditions – warm sunny days. Towards the end of last week the forecast for this week was for the fine, sunny weather to continue to at least this coming weekend. By Monday this had changed with some unsettled weather forecast for today. Unfortunately today was decidedly wet with afternoon temperatures falling by the best part of ten degrees on previous days. The weather is due to improve tomorrow with temperatures in the high 20s forecast.

The flowering in Bourgueil is well on so today's poor weather should have little effect. Whether it will have affected areas east of Tours where the flowering is less advanced remains to be seen, although one day's poor weather shouldn't matter too much, especially as it has been very dry and the earth could do with some rain.    

 
 

A snail's progress 

Although wet cold weather doesn't suit the vines, especially during flowering, it can make snails very happy as this one demonstrates busy climbing up a vertical step in the rain. 

Loire about to set unwanted weather records + Bordeaux view

Cabernet Franc vines at Nau Frères, Bourgueil 6th May 2011 (above and below) –

already the first signs of flowering were apparent

The weather in the Loire continues to be unseasonably cold with little sunshine and well above average rain in May. Unfortunately at the Bourges weather station May 2013 has already set a record for the lowest amount of sunshine and has broken the record set in May 1996. Although the stats for today are not yet available, only 141 hours of sunshine have been recorded to 30th May and this comfortably below the 156 recorded in May 1996. The average sunshine (1991-2010) for May here is 210 hours and the record for most hours of sunshine is 311 hours in May 2011 – well over twice the number of hours!*

Except for brief glimpses of sun today has been overcast. At the Tours weather station things are more finely balanced. To date 142 hours of sunshine have been recorded just short of the record low of 144 hours established in May 2007. Did Tours have two hours of sunshine today – I doubt it.  

Château Soucherie: debudding Chenin Blanc on 27th May 2013

Admittedly the area is different as is variety but the growth on the vines at Bourgueil 

on 6th May 2011 is significantly further advanced than here over 20 days later in 2013

Flowering is not expected to start here for another two weeks

27th May was easily the sunniest day since we arrived 

on 23rd May but it did then rain all night   

 Quarts de Chaume 2013: young buds and a potential grape 

well off flowering: 27th May 2013 

     

The vines are well behind a normal year and far behind 2011, which was a particularly early year. Flowering is unlikely to start until mid-June and the vines also have a lot of growth to make. 

In early June will post final stats for May for a number of Loire weather stations.   

* Source: Meteo France

Plus a view on 2013 from Bordeaux:
'With the dust now settling on the 2012 campaign, thoughts are gradually turning to the 2013 vintage. Liv-ex has opened up the blog to Bordeaux grower, local winemaker and writer Gavin Quinney (@GavinQuinney). His insider’s view on the growing conditions - and prospects - for this year's vintage are below. All photos in this article are copyright Gavin Quinney. 

There hasn't been a poor vintage in Bordeaux for twenty years but the cold, damp weather, as we approach the critical month of June, is a gentle reminder that anything can happen.

The 2013 harvest will be my fifteenth (a rookie still) and the development of the vines across Bordeaux this year is the most backward I've seen. Our vineyard manager, Daniel, will tell you the same thing, and he's been here since the 80s.'

Read the rest here:  

Flowering vines in Epeigné's 'grand cru': 28th May

A quick visit early evening on Saturday after Vitloire to Epeigné's sole 'classified' vineyard: Clos Chossay. As elsewhere in the commune the vines are in full flower with some tiny nascent grapes beginning to form. Grape flowers are certainly not dramatic as other fruit subjects like cherries and almonds are. Just a white stamen but as with other fruits flowering is crucial as it will determine the size of the crop and whether all the grapes will ripen at about the same time. 

Les Cèpes in June – not a good sign for the vines

From having been very dry in April and May, June is now looking increasing wet. Rain very early this morning and a pretty miserable forecast for the rest of the week. Made a quick visit to see one of my favourite Cher Valley producers yesterday. "I've never seen so many cèpes in the woods at this time of year," they told us. You can be sure that if the conditions are right for mushrooms, then they are right for black rot and mildew in the vineyards. Also it is the middle of the flowering – not good!

Here is my weekly posting on Les 5 du Vin.

The dangers of blogging and the weather

Thursday 10th June: torrential rain

No sooner had I blogged that it had so far been very dry for much of this year than the heavens opened and we had a torrential rain storm with thunder and lightening. The road was rapidly transformed into a stream and water poured from the drain pipes. It subsequently rained steadily for much of Friday night /early Saturday morning.

Stats for Tours from Météo France shows that the average rainfall (46.7mm – period 1971-2000) for the whole of June had already fallen by 11th June (42mm). Most of it falling in the last three days – 9th-11th. In comparison there was only 16mm in April against an average of 55.5mm and 30mm in May against an average of 64.4mm.

Although we undoubtedly need some rain to make up for the shortage in April and May the timing is far from ideal as the vines have started flowering here. Damp, wet conditions are not what you want for a successful flowering. However, it may not be too bad as there has been a big sortie of potential bunches this year, so some reduction of the crop could be helpful. Perhaps then I won't be sued by the local producers for having unleashed the rain gods!

Touraine: poor weather for the flowering

Cabernet Franc starting to flower

After a sunny first week out in Touraine, the weather changed over the weekend with rain overnight Friday/Saturday and further showers over the rest of the weekend, although with some bright intervals and cooler than it has been. This morning it's raining steadily. Although it has been very dry and we need the rain, now is not tghe best time as the vines are starting to flower.

Dry warm days with a lot of wind are best conditions for a successful flowering, which can be all over in around three to five days. Cool and damp is not good as the flowering with be less successful provoking coulure (failure to set) and millerandage (called hen and chicken as only some of the grapes in a bunch develop properly). It may not be all bad news as 2009 is potentially a generous harvest, so some coulure etc. will naturally reduce the yields and save producers from having to cut of excess bunches. A difficult flowering is also likely to mean various in grape maturity as the flowering will tend to be long and drawn out.

At the moment Méteo France is forecasting a better day tomorrow in Indre et Loire. Rain again on Wednesday, some sun on Thursday, rain Friday and then clearing up from Saturday and looking promising into the early part of next week. All that, of course, may change...........

•••

Noon update: still pouring with rain. Looking like a case of bad timing. Furthermore anyone who hasn't treated against mildew may well have problems as with this much rain it won't be possible to use tractors in the vineyards for a few days.

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12.40: The noon update appears to have done the trick – it's stopping raining ..... at least for the moment.

22.30: .... at least for the moment was the operative word. Some very heavy showers during the afternoon and now a thunderstorm with heavy rain and perhaps a touch of hail.