2020 vintage: trends and prospects at the gérard bertrand estates and châteaux

The 2020 harvest has got off to a good start on our estates, the most advanced being without doubt the Domaine de l'Aigle in Limoux where harvesting began at the end of August (27/8) with the picking of the first early Pinots and was completed last Saturday. The main point of vigilance for this vintage was first focused on the whites, where we carried out precise monitoring of ripeness levels to preserve the acidity and the good balance of these wines.

For the whites, the abundant spring rainfall as well as the summer showers resulted in juicy berries and very clear, aromatic juices. The first reds show deep colours and very concentrated musts. The point of vigilance is the very high tannin extractability this year. As a result, macerations are shorter and extractions very gentle (light pumping over, no over-extraction).

Harvesting at just the right ripeness allows for elegant wines without seeking over-extraction, particularly of drying tannins. The weather is on our side for the moment, with the absence of rain allowing us to draw up a harvest schedule without rushing. The first Syrahs have just been harvested on La Clape with already very pronounced garrigue notes; the great majority of the Syrahs should be harvested from the end of this week or even next week on our other Mediterranean terroirs (Boutenac, La Livinière, Terrasse du Larzac and Cabrières).

The rosé harvest is under way; and as a novelty this year, all the estates have been equipped with refrigerated containers as well as crates allowing us to press fresh grapes to preserve all the aromatic character of the grapes and obtain our pale rosés, which are the trend for these wines. The first juices are being barrelled (notably at Clos du Temple, where the last plots will be harvested tomorrow) and look very promising.

At Cigalus, the Chardonnay and Sauvignon whites are quietly completing their co-fermentation in barrel and are gently finishing the fermentation of sugars. The colours are brilliant, the lively and clean wines show excellent ageing potential and are already very enjoyable to drink. The next 6 months in barrels will allow the full expression of the aromatic potential of these very great wines. The Mediterranean whites (Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne/Marsanne…) are currently being harvested. Despite the current health situation, all the harvesting teams are at full strength and are delighted to be part of the completion of this new vintage, the fruit of a whole year of careful work in the vineyard.

A fine harvest in prospect  

Harvest volumes will be close to those of the previous year, in line with our quality objectives.

The health status of the vineyard is very good. However, vigilance will be required depending on the upcoming weather conditions.

The quality indicators (early ripening; leaf surface area/crop load ratio; chemical composition and tasting of the berries; health status) point to an exceptional vintage.