Vintage 2023

Will take your breath away...

Climatology

Autumn - Winter 2022-2023, Another Record Breaking Year:

In the continuity of 2022, the warmest year that France has known since the beginning of the 20th century, the year 2023 was classified as the second warmest year in France. The summer, ranked as the 4th hottest, continued until the middle of Autumn with remarkably high temperatures until the middle of October. For the majority of the year, the temperatures were above average. Autumn of 2023 was the warmest that France has experienced since 1900 with an average temperature of 15.9°C, a noticeable2.5°C above the average. For the entire country, the temperatures were averaging 1 to 2 °C above the average. The average annual temperature for France thus reached 14.4°C, exactly 1.4°C more than normal, thus ranking as the second warmest since the first records, right behind 2022.

Spring - Summer 2023

Spring in the Côte d'Or was characterized by moderate temperatures and a lack of major climatic events, allowing a good development of the vines. However, summer was more difficult with capricious weather conditions. The summer season began with humid and cooler temperatures, causing some worry about the maturity of the grapes. In July, a few incidents of hail affected certain regions, specifically the Maconnais and in the Côte de Beaune, partially damaging the vineyards. In spite of this challenge, heat waves in August saved the day, allowing a nice ripening of the grapes before the harvest.

The Flowering

The month of April ended with a certain mildness, that continued until the month of May. Starting on the 10th, a distinctive cool spell lasted until the 19th of May. The temperatures rose rapidly during the second half of May and remained above the seasons averages. The first flowers appeared during the Pentecoste weekend (27th - 29th of May) and the flowers globally bloomed rapidly throughout the vineyards. The mid-flowering phase was in a similar timing to that of 2015.

Stormy Weather

Throughout the year 2023, France experienced violent storms often bringing hail, and downpours of rain with strong winds of 90 to 130 km/h as well as several tornados. During these storms, large hail fell, sometimes reaching 3 to 9 cm in diameter, sometimes even bigger, and caused a lot of damage. Several lightening records were beaten: March of 2023 was the month of March with the most lightening strikes during the period of 1997-2023 with 18,392 strikes in metropolitan France. In the East of France, incredible storms occurred from the 24th to the 28th of August.

2023 Harvest

The 2023 harvest in the Côte de Nuit began at the end of August and lasted until the end of September, with relatively mild weather.Following the relatively cool and humid start to the year, the heat finally arrived in August, allowing an optimal maturation of the grapes. This combination resulted in high quality grapes, with well-balanced levels of sugar and acidity. The winegrowers of the Côte de Nuits reported healthy and homogenous grapes, promising complex wines with an exceptional aromatic richness. In particular, the Pinot Noir grapes of this region should distinguish themselves by their depth and finesse. The harvest took place without any major incidents, giving forth an abundant yield, allowing the stocks to be replenished after the preceding years of difficult climatic conditions.

This vintage is one of the most promising of the last few years, reinforcing the reputation of the Côte de Nuits pour its prestigious red wines. The exceptional harvest of this year marks a return of security to the producers, with generous yields, that the winegrowers hadn't seen in the last ten years.