Languedoc winegrowers celebrate plentiful harvest

By James Lawrence

Published: 09 December, 2022

Winemakers in the Languedoc have described the 2022 vintage as “very exciting,” despite the challenging conditions of this year.

Ruth Simpson, co-founder of Domaine de Sainte Rose, reported in the summer that “temperatures have been in the 35-40C range for most of June and July, with no rain at all.” As a result, many regions in the Languedoc began harvesting in July, including Fitou.

However, according to the promotional body Vignobles du Languedoc, the overall picture is a positive one.

“The wines are bright, vibrant and exhilarating. The reason for this is that the levels of ripeness promoted quick, easy extractions for the reds, culminating in an explosion of fruits and silky tannins on the palate,” said Marie Corbel, head of the CIVL’s technical department.

She added: “Aromatics dominate in the whites, with great density. The rosés follow the same tendency, reaching unusually high levels of expressiveness”.

Yet Corbel admitted that the season had been “demanding and exhausting,” albeit the vintage had delivered excellent potential in the winery.

According to Corbel, the Languedoc fell prey to the extreme weather events that are occurring with greater frequency, including frost at the beginning of April and hail in June. But it was also noted that “generous winter and spring rainfall provided felicitous conditions for the vines to kick off the growing season. But more importantly, the consequence of the rain was decisive over the long term because it reduced the extent of water stress when hot weather ensued.”

In addition, although certain regions began picking in July, other appellations did not complete the harvest until October.

“69 days of harvesting is unheard of,” said Richard Planas, director of Gérard Bertrand estates.

“This year, we picked grapes from August 11 to October 19. The early-ripening whites were ahead of schedule as were the reds, but this slowed and then disappeared completely for the reds. It rained in mid-August and at the beginning of September, which polished the tannins and the polyphenols.”

Laurent Calmel, co-founder of Maison Calmel & Joseph, added: “We are expecting a great vintage with very promising reds and whites with hallmark Mediterranean aromatics. For the IGPs, volumes have returned. Some wineries will probably be favouring rosés over reds, not only so that they take into account the characteristics of the crush, but also so that they can align with major market trends”.

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