I posted a few days ago that vines here in the Loire are flowering. There seems to be a lot of fruit and conditions are perfect at the moment – sunny and breezy.
Here are a few stats regarding the date of flowering in Cabernet Franc vines over the past 20 years.
2002 – 17th June
2003 – 12th June
2004 – 16th June
2005 – 8th June
2006 – 11th June
2007 – 29 May
2009 16th June
2010 – 15th June
2011 – 24th May
2012 – 12th June
2013 – 2nd July
2014 – 10th June
2015 – 9th June
2016 – 22nd June
2017 – 2nd June
2018 – 3rd June
2019 – 18th June
2020 – 25th May
2021 – 11th June
2022 – 24th May
Generally, harvest takes place around 100 days after flowering so this means we’re looking at early September again (similar to 2020).
It’s interesting to look at these dates. You’ll see that in 2007, flowering was very early too. An sunny vintage with an early harvest you ask? Well actually no! We had an extraordinary April with temperatures rising up into the early 30’s and then not much of a summer at all. 2007 produced amazing whites and sweet wines and light but fruity reds suited to early drinking.
And in 2013, flowering was recorded as the latest in the past 20 years with July 2nd being the recorded date. That was a tricky vintage that produced super light reds, the lightest since we moved here in 2006.
Flowering this year is as early as 2011. There are aspects of this season that remind me of 2011. The dry conditions and the threat of rain that never seems to come to fruition.
Stats provided by the Chambre d’Agriculture 37
