Chandon winemaker Pauline Lhote.
‘The first pick of 2024 for us at Chandon came from our home vineyard in Yountville, which is our warmest estate vineyard and we believe Napa’s northern limit for growing exceptional sparkling wine grapes,’ said winemaker Pauline Lhote.
‘We picked about 57 tons (52 metric tonnes) of Chardonnay on Wednesday from two different blocks in Yountville, 23 tons (21 metric tonnes) of Pinot Noir, and 17 tons (15 metric tonnes) of Meunier on Thursday. I would say that, in a way, this puts us “back on schedule” in 2024, with the first pick almost exactly three weeks earlier than 2023, when we began harvest on August 25th,’ she said.
Like many California wineries, Chandon harvests at night to preserve the grape’s acidity levels. In this case, picking commenced just after midnight, in the early hours of Wednesday, 7 August 2024.
Harvesting at night in the Chandon Yountville vineyards. Credit: Courtesy Chandon
A wet winter and a July heatwave
The 2024 growing season has been hot, and in some ways, it is a return to Napa’s new normal after the cool and slow vintage that produced the 2023 wines.
While the temperatures have been warm after the 4 July holiday – Napa broke records – with nearly two weeks of temperatures in excess of 90°F (32°C). Temperatures soared to 105°F (41°C) in the region on 2 July.
The warm temperatures were mitigated to a degree using canopy management. Yet California’s wet winter, which saw it end a more than three-year drought cycle, really allowed the vines to weather the extreme heat without over-stressing the fruit.
Reservoirs and groundwater in Napa Valley have been full after another wet winter, which saw record rainfall through January 2024. An entire year’s worth of rain fell in just the months of January and February.
The nearby city of Napa recorded 7.6 inches (19cm) of rain in January alone. These reserves meant ample moisture was available as vines entered the growing season and faced a hot month of July.
‘While there had been some early talk of high yields and excess fruit in California, we are currently seeing lower yields than predicted, with small, clean clusters,’ said Lhote.
‘For now the maturity is steady and beautifully paced, so we are feeling no time rush at the moment, which is my dream scenario – though obviously, this is California, so things can always change. My biggest fear during harvest is always heat, so I am relieved that the current Napa weather forecast is also showing no notable heat wave for the next 10 days.
‘All in all, the flavours are there, and so is the acidity, due to the fact that night temperatures the last few weeks have been pretty cool, in the low 50s (10-15°C), which will allow us to bring in grapes at the optimal temperature when we harvest at night. Low temperatures at night are really what dictates the pace of harvest.’
Veraison progresses in Sonoma at the Sonoma Stage Vineyard on 7 August 2024. Credit: Jason Moulton
Meanwhile, in nearby Sonoma County
Katie Leonardini, owner of Whitehall Lane Winery and maker of sparkling wine from Sonoma, reported that things were moving right on track in Sonoma. Overall, things are a bit slower in the cooler region, closer to the Pacific coast.
‘Speaking with Jason Moulton (Whitehall Lane’s director of winemaking and viticulture), who walked our Sonoma Stage Vineyard in Petaluma Gap yesterday. He is seeing a moderate crop load this harvest in our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with super lush canopies,’ she said.
‘We anticipate a slightly larger harvest than last year. We are getting closer to harvest and are seeing around 75% veraison today. We’ll perform some strategic leafing this week to provide a little more sun exposure to keep things moving along. We anticipate harvesting the Clone 115 Pinot Noir in about two weeks.’
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