Vintage Report 2024 "En Primeurs": A Year of Challenges and Unexpected Gems
Every bottle of wine holds a story, and for the 2024 vintage, the tale is one of resilience, unpredictability, and triumph in the face of nature’s quirks. Guided by the expertise of Pr. Axel Marchal, Professor at the Institut de Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, this year's Vintage Report uncovers the highs and lows of the growing season—and why 2024 will be remembered as a unique year for winemakers and wine lovers alike.
Whether you're a budding enthusiast or a seasoned connoisseur, discovering how weather, expertise, and terroir combined to create memorable wines is part of the joy of wine appreciation. Pour yourself a glass, and let's explore the 10 key highlights from the 2024 "En Primeurs" vintage.
10 Key Highlights of the 2024 Vintage
1. A Rain-Soaked Start:
The season opened with a mild yet unusually rainy and cloudy winter. This delayed budburst and made accessing the vineyards a challenge from the very beginning.
2. Stop-and-Start Growth:
While early phenological stages developed quickly, progress slowed significantly due to the persistent cold and wet conditions from mid-April onwards. Mother Nature kept growers on their toes.
3. May’s Mixed Blessings:
May brought wet, cool, and sunless days, further hampering vine growth and contributing to irregular development. For winemakers, every decision mattered as they prepared for the months ahead.
4. A Challenging Flowering:
June's rainfall created the perfect storm for mildew pressure and made flowering particularly difficult. Attention to detail and rigorous vineyard management became critical to protecting the year’s potential.
5. A Dry Summer to the Rescue:
The arrival of a relatively dry summer provided some reprieve. However, the challenges were far from over—a delayed and uneven veraison reflected the varied soil moisture levels across the vineyards.
6. A Long-Awaited Maturation:
By late August, maturation had started, only to be swiftly interrupted by the arrival of autumn’s cooler days and long shadows. September’s unpredictable weather added further complexity to harvesting plans.
7. Sudden September Rains:
Rainfall from September 20th onwards disrupted carefully laid picking schedules. Winemakers faced very specific choices on when and how to harvest the fruit under optimal conditions.
8. Sauternes’ Surprise:
For sweet wine lovers, the 2024 vintage promises something special. The alternating dry and wet phases in the Sauternais region encouraged Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) development, producing perfectly concentrated grapes.
9. Standout Wines Across Styles:
Reds are fresh, fruity, and show remarkable finesse on the best terroirs.
Dry whites are precise and expressive, a reflection of viticultural and winemaking expertise.
Sweet botrytised wines are superbly pure, balanced, and full of character—a true delight for those seeking indulgence.
10. A Vintage Unlike the Past:
Thanks to advancements in viticulture and winemaking techniques, this challenging year bears no resemblance to the rainy vintages of yesteryear. While white and sweet wines shine brightly, the red wines also hold hidden gems worth exploring on select plots.
Why 2024 Matters
The 2024 "En Primeurs" Report is more than a summary of weather patterns; it’s a testament to the perseverance and skill of vintners who—like artists—worked with the elements to craft wines of exceptional quality. It reminds us of the intimate connection between wine and the land, and the tireless dedication required to bring a bottle from vine to table.
For lovers of dry whites, botrytised sweet wines, and expressive reds, this vintage offers something extraordinary. It invites you to explore the artistry behind each sip, to taste the decisions winemakers made in the face of a daunting climate, and to discover the beauty of triumph in adversity.
Discover the 2024 Vintage for Yourself
At Dis & Dis, we believe every wine has a story, and 2024 is bursting with chapters waiting to be discovered. Explore our exclusive range of 2024 "En Primeurs" selections and bring home wines that encapsulate the heart and craft of this remarkable vintage.
Raise a glass to vintage discoveries,
Your Dis&Dis Family
Trusted wine-lover friends for life’s little moments.
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