A look back at Primeurs 2024

The 2024 vintage has turned out to be a wonderful surprise, thanks to the determination and resilience of the teams who were able to magnify each plot in the vineyard, despite the turbulent weather. This cool year produced a light, beautifully coloured wine with a lower alcohol content.

Although climatic conditions were not always easy, the 2024 vintage will be remembered for the high rainfall between October 2023 and May 2024 (1095 mm accumulated from October to May compared with 750 mm on average) and milder temperatures than the 1991-2020 norms, except in May and June. The hot, dry summer enabled the grapes to reach balanced ripeness.

With reduced production and an average yield of 35hl/ha, our AOC wines are beautifully ripe, but not over-ripe, naturally low in alcohol, fresh, aromatic, very colourful and well-structured. They have a smooth, supple texture.

In this vintage, there is never any bitterness, harshness or astringency.

After all the effort and chaotic weather conditions, the reward is salient. The wines all share a profile that largely corresponds to consumer expectations: intense fruit, smooth body, drinkability and pleasure.

A few technical benchmarks: :

• Overall, there is no significant difference between the average annual temperature between September 2023 and August 2024 and the thirty-year average. However, rainfall is higher than the thirty-year average (+208mm) over this period. Rainfall from April to August 2024 was in line with normal, but very variable from month to month. Budburst was early (mid-budburst took place between 30 March and 5 April), one of the earliest since 2012 (2020).
• Spring was disrupted by rain and cool temperatures. Flowering was late (mid-flowering to 5 June). From flowering onwards, the vintage was phenologically close to 2019.
• The slow veraison began at the end of July and lasted until 22 August. The summer was very dry, with normal temperatures and sunshine.
• The exceptionally warmer temperatures in August and early September were very beneficial and enabled the grapes to reach good ripeness. The hot, dry summer preserved the acidity and aromas of the grapes while limiting the accumulation of sugar. Depending on the technical methods used and the terroir, harvesting began around 15 September and intensified towards the end of the month, a late vintage compared with the last decade.