It all began with a warm and wet winter that allowed the vines to emerge from hibernation relatively early on. Budburst took place during the second half of March.

As the whole of France went into lockdown, winegrowers were leaving their beds in the middle of the night to protect their vines from spring frosts. Luckily, ambient humidity limited the effects. The advance in growth seen in March was maintained. Flowering lasted for two weeks.

Then came the summer, hot and dry. The lack of rain sometimes acted as a brake on ripening, and it also limited the size of the individual grapes and thus the overall yield at harvest. In August, the vines enjoyed the occasional shower of rain, but this was patchy across the region.

The growth cycle of the vines maintained its advance of 15-20 days compared to averages for the past 20 years, with ripening complete in August. 2020 was therefore not, strictly speaking, a hot vintage; it was, above all, an early vintage. On the eve of the harvest, the vines were in excellent health. Harvesting began on 24 August.

This early vintage is one of quality, and a classic one for Chablis wines.

2020 vintage in Chablis