Over the last two nights, with danger still present, the Bordeaux vineyard has been hit hard by a very destructive frost. Temperatures descending as low as -5C have done massive damage to the nascent buds and some vineyards have lost the entire 2017 crop.<\/p>\n
Reports suggest that the worst affected areas are low-lying or just flat vineyards on the right bank. Top crus that have been affected include Cheval Blanc, Conseillante, Lafleur<\/strong>, but it is worse yet in the ‘satellite’ appellations of Saint Emilion, such as Montagne, Puisseguin, Castillon and Lalande de Pomerol,<\/strong> where our long-term favourite Ch\u00e2teau Perron<\/strong> reports 100% loss. The lower vineyards of Fronsac are also in the disaster zone.<\/p>\n Some Ch\u00e2teaux with huge resources have deployed them – P\u00e9trus<\/strong> had 1500 ‘candles’ (probably more like tins full of paraffin) and seems to have been saved, Cheval Blanc was using helicopters to move the freezing air.<\/p>\n In Pessac-L\u00e9ognan the vineyard that are in town like Haut Brion, and Carmes seem to be fine, but Fieuzal<\/strong> is said to have lost 70%. One fears for the likes of Haut Bailly and Domaine de Chevalier.<\/p>\n In the M\u00e9doc the damage seems to be less comprehensive, and to have affected vines further from the river, so Palmer and Brane<\/strong> report damage, but not on their best vines on the plateau. Angludet<\/strong> would appear to have been hit. In Saint Julien Branaire<\/strong> seems to have been hit this morning, and Lagrange<\/strong> was saying that it would make only 30% of a normal crop of its second wine ‘Fiefs<\/strong>‘. The white wines in the M\u00e9doc seem to have been particularly hard-hit – it seems unlikely that either Arums de Lagrange <\/strong>or Blanc de Lynch Bages<\/strong> will be made in 2017.<\/p>\n Our main concern is for the producers we know on the right bank – Mathieu Ternault, just taking on Ch\u00e2teau Montaiguillon<\/strong> in Montagne Saint Emilion from his mother Chantal who tragically died earlier this year, Pierre Ta\u00efx<\/strong> who has been hit in all three sites where he has vines, is facing between 50% and 80% loss. To the other side of the Dordogne from Saint Emilion, Jo\u00ebl Duffau who makes Ch\u00e2teau La Mothe du Barry<\/strong> was interviewed by Franceinfo ‘Nouvelle Acquitaine’ and said “On Thursday 3 hectares were frosted, on Friday 11 hectares and I think that today is going to be not the end, but not far…. I was passionate, but now I am … not depressed … but not far.”<\/em> See the video interview with Joel here:<\/p>\n