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A ‘challenging yet surprising’ vintage for Centre-Loire in 2024

22 November 2024 By Sophie Arundel

The impressive quality of the region’s whites stands out in one of the most testing years for winemakers in the Centre-Loire Valley.

This year has proven to be one of the most tumultuous years in recent memory for winemakers in the Centre-Loire valley. In 2022, the vintage was considered to be the best in 30 years, and while this year the narrative isn’t quite as celebratory, the 2024 vintage has emerged with some promising surprises, particularly for white wines.

Marked by “erratic weather conditions, including late frosts, hailstorms, and record-breaking rainfall”, growers faced significant challenges, said François Dal from SICAVAC, the Centre-Loire’s technical advisory body.

The season began on a turbulent note with late spring frosts and hail damaging parts of the vineyards. Rainfall that was nearly twice the average furthered the difficulties, triggering relentless outbreaks of downy mildew, a disease of the foliage.

In stark contrast to the drought-ridden vintages of recent years, these conditions pushed growers to their limits, requiring a lot of vigilance and perseverance.

Dal described 2024 as “one of the most challenging years in decades.”

“Menetou-Salon vineyards were particularly affected, while Pouilly-Fumé also suffered significant loses due to mildew, resulting in historically low yields,” explains Dal.

Late harvest, lower yields

Cooler temperatures and heavy rains delayed grape maturation, leading to a late-ripening vintage. Harvest began cautiously around mid-September, with the main activity occurring in early October, around the same time as the company’s new director and co-president Francois Bouteille stepped in.

However, uneven ripening across plots, and even within rows, added to the complexities, forcing growers to stagger their harvesting schedules to ensure optimal maturity for each lot.

As a result, “yields were significantly lower than average,” Dal noted, varying greatly depending on location, vineyard practices, and grape varieties. Dal noted that while some regions experienced severe losses, the overall situation was marginally better than the catastrophic 2021 vintage.

A bright side for whites

Despite the challenges this year, the silver lining of the 2024 vintage lies in its whites. While the alcohol levels may be lower compared to other vintages, the overall quality has proved very promising.

The cooler conditions, though taxing at times, contributed to certain elements of the wine, as Dal commented, “a pleasant surprise in this incredibly tough year is that the whites have developed balanced and aromatic profiles with freshness and good acidity.”

For winemakers in the Centre-Loire region, the outcome is particularly noteworthy given the difficulties they faced. For consumers, while quantities may be limited, this years vintage will offer a true reflection of the growers perseverance in overcoming extreme conditions.

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