Although it is still too early to gauge the quality of the 2015 harvest in Alsace, it is interesting to get a status report from a prominent estate, in our case the Famille Hugel in Riquewihr. Jean Frédéric Hugel, who represents the 13th generation of this wine estate founded in 1639, answers our questions:
Can you give us an indication of how the vines are doing thus far?
Jean Frédéric Hugel: “So far, the vines are in great shape. The very small incidence of oidium at the start of the season is under control thanks to the dry weather and our staff’s meticulous work in the vineyards. But this very dry weather is starting to last rather a long time and we need to be extremely vigilant. I’m a keen fisherman and I promise you I haven’t seen our rivers as low as this since 2003—and they might even be worse! Not only are we confronted with a lack of rain, but the extremely hot weather (37 degrees today) is also putting young vines and the light, dry soils under considerable stress.”
So for the moment are there any similarities with 2003?
Jean Frédéric Hugel: “2003 is, of course, the benchmark when talking about heatwaves and drought. So quite naturally we can compare it, right now, with what we’re seeing in 2015. Even though I don’t think we’re quite at the same level in terms of early maturities (in 2003, picking began on 8th September), 2015 is promising to be a hot vintage already. But in viticulture it’s always risky to venture an opinion with certitude until the grapes are in the cellar.”
If everything goes well, when might the harvest start?
Jean Frédéric Hugel: “If all goes well, we’re looking at harvesting in the third week of September, and if this weather continues, it will probably be more like the second week. Whatever happens, we’re expecting an early harvest. And to think that thirty years ago mid-October was the normal time to begin harvesting here in Alsace!”
