Post | CF20230922

Reims, 24 September 2019

Head Wine-Maker Isabelle Tellier assesses the harvest after receiving the last of the musts — which for the House of Chanoine Frères come from all over the Champagne: Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Les Riceys, and Montagne de Reims.

“— In spite of a rather difficult viticultural year — we had frost, hail, powdery mildew and a certain degree of sunburn of the grapes as a result of the heat wave — the 2019 harvest in Champagne is of very high quality, above our expectations. It’s a very pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect such quality.

During the final days before the start of the harvest, between the end of August and early September, a rare and rapid maturation of the grapes took hold. Nature really did something magical! And of course people played their part — the winegrowers had the wisdom and patience to wait for the optimum time to start the harvest.

So the quality is there, and the flavors are in evidence. I detect a fine aromatic concentration in the musts, along with a good balance between sugar and acidity. The winemaking processes are proceeding perfectly, creating very fine, promising flavors.

2019 has a good qualitative potential, it’s a vintage year in the making. That’s my opinion, and it’s shared by others in the region. We talked about it this morning at a breakfast of the Champagne Cellarmasters’ Association. Of course we need to wait for the tasting of the vins clairs to confirm that.”