Provence Rosé Harvest Report 2018

Amazingly summer of 2018 is already over and the vineyards of Provence are alive with people bringing in this year’s harvest.  This is a period of intense activity, compressed into roughly four weeks, trying to get a year’s work safely into the cellar and to harvest at optimal maturity.

Provence rosé grape harvest 2018 in Cotignac

It’s a complex business, with lots of logistical challenges around grape varieties that mature at different times, in fields that may be far from each other, shared material and managing a natural and volatile product, not to speak of the weather.

Provence rosé grape harvest 2018

Most of Provence now harvests at night, and in the cooler morning hours, to optimise the freshness of the grapes and conserve a very pale colour, so growers also deal with the effects of a lengthy period where their biological clock is turned almost upside down.

Provence rosé grape harvest 2018

We already know that this year has been tricky weather-wise for the vineyards of Provence, with an unusually wet spring, which has impacted the amount of grapes that made it to full maturity. Hot on the heels of a couple of years of extreme drought this has caused different problems with a similar outcome, i.e. another small harvest.

Provence rosé grape harvest 2018

As we have grown in size and our network of the best growers has expanded, we are in the great position of being able to work more locally to Cotignac, as some of our neighbouring producers have really upped their game.  These pictures were all taken with a dynamic grower, Christophe Sebon, who is a neighbour, and part of the local Cave we are hoping to partner with increasingly from this year.

Provence rosé grape harvest 2018

It will be one of those years where careful selection will be all the more important, as we have seen a wide spectrum of quality, and our skill at hunting down the best will really come to the fore. We are determined to produce another gorgeous Mirabeau range and are looking forward to the blending period in a few weeks time, where we can ensure that nature’s best wines will be put together in a way that makes them really shine.

Provence rosé grape harvest 2018

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