Beaujolais : a solar and meager harvest in 2026

As every year, hail caused casualties in Beaujolais This time, the winemakers of the crus Brouilly and Côte-de- Brouilly are among the unluckiest. "We were hit twice, in June and July, we won't exceed 20 hl/hectare (ha)," estimates Boris Gruy, director of the Château from La Chaize, in Odenas. Unsurprisingly in this heatwave year, the alcohol levels are very high, "flirting with 14%", and while the acidity is acceptable, "the malic acid level is very low". The vinification will therefore be "delicate, technical, especially for our cuvées made with indigenous yeasts." On the plots of chardonnay of domaine Located in the heart of the Pierres Dorées (Jarnioux), the harvest is magnificent in both quality and volume. The reasons? "It rained 30 to 40 mm more in the South and the clay-limestone terroir acts like a sponge, and then we decided not to prune in order to protect the grapes," explains the winemaker.

More water in the South of Beaujolais

In Lantignié, Frédéric Berne is nearing the end of the 2026 harvest. His hail nets (covering 4.5 hectares) have limited the damage, and the vibrating sorting table and destemming will do the rest. But ultimately, the harvest here will also be small, around 20 hl/ha. It's primarily the successive heatwaves that have reduced the yield. "We've been lacking water since the bunches closed. The vines have remained green, but there's little juice in the berries, especially since I have many young vines. We'll have to be careful with extraction and take the time to age the wines properly." chardonnay It presents a satisfactory balance, "but you had to be precise about the harvest date, ready to pull the trigger. More than the sugar, it was the ripeness of the seeds that guided my choices." The winemaker, based in Château des Vergers has made its first harvest of souvignier gris (resistant variety): "beautiful bunches that withstood the drought well".

Further north (Chénas), Anita Neveu expects to produce just over 25 hl/ha. "For me, this drought isn't new; I have sandy soils that are often susceptible to dry weather." She began the harvest on August 23rd, later than some others. "Everyone makes their own choices. Alcohol levels are one thing, but the phenolic ripeness of the skins, seeds, and aromas is another. We'll have to learn to live with low-yield vintages and therefore make the most of our bottles and build up stocks for difficult years." With alcohol levels above 14% and low acidity, Anita is preparing to vinify with care and attention.

Beautiful whites

In the far north (Saint-Amour), Julien Frappa focuses on the positive: "The health of the grapes is perfect, we don't have to sort anything." But there's no miracle for the volumes, "I won't reach my targets. We've had 10 mm of rain and we're expecting rain this evening (Editor's note: Thursday, August 27), that might cool the wines down a bit," he hopes.

His first vintages of rouge They also exceed 14°. "I will be minimally interventionist in the winery; I am also counting on the stems to bring freshness." He is optimistic about the white wines, "which will be rich and sunny but balanced."

At the other end of the vineyard, in Châtillon d'Azergues, Jean-Gilles Chasselay, his nose practically in the crates of chardonnay "We're all smiles. We expect to get between 35 and 40 hl/ha, which is very good for us in organic farming. There isn't a single spot of mildew. The white grapes are magnificent, they look like they've been 'photoshopped,'" he jokes with his legendary wit. "We've been working the soil for years, so the little rain that falls soaks in better. In gardening, they say that weeding is as good as watering, and it works with vines too."

On the winemaking side, with total acidity (TA) at 3.80, pH at 3.40 or 3.50, and alcohol levels between 13 and 14%, the situation It's not ideal but not insurmountable. "We like to make easy-drinking wines, Claire (Editor's note: his daughter) will have to put her own stamp on it."

David BESSENAY

Journalist & Author