The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch

The Bordeaux 2024 growing season was extremely challenging right from the start, due to excessive rainfall from winter through spring of 2023/2024. These tricky conditions continued throughout the spring and summer, right up to harvest. Our Bordeaux editor, Georgie Hindle, explores the growing season through its various stages and lays out the details of what happened and when. To follow all of Decanter's comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription [subscriber-content] A rainy prelude: December 2023 to March 2024 The vintage began with exceptional winter rainfall setting a foreboding tone. Between December and March, Bordeaux saw 478mm of rain – well above the 323mm average. Add in another 436mm from October–November 2023, and it was the wettest start to a growing season in recent memory. This soggy backdrop made vineyard work difficult and delayed preparations for pruning and trellising. Temperatures were generally mild, however, continuing the trend from 2022 and 2023. Spring woes: Budbreak, mildew and frost Budbreak occurred around 6 April, right on the 10-year average, but two days later than 2023. A brief warm spell accelerated growth – 30.5°C was recorded in Bordeaux on 13 April – but was followed by a sudden drop in temperatures. Frost then struck in several areas on 19, 22, and 23 April, with the worst-hit zones experiencing significant damage to the new shoots. Adding to the pressure, downy mildew arrived exceptionally early and persisted. From late April, growers battled repeated infection periods through May and June. Persistent wet conditions in May – 126mm of rain, 80% above average – resulted in a difficult flowering period. This disrupted pollination, leading to coulure and millerandage , which lowered yield potential; especially for Merlot. May also recorded nine days with less than three hours of sunshine, and four days with no sun at all – a gloom that capped off what became the third wettest spring since 1959. [caption id="attachment_554619" align="alignnone" width="975"] Bunches of grapes in 2024 showing the effects of poor fruit set as well as signs of rot[/caption] June and July: Slow recovery and storms Flowering was late and uneven, with mid-flowering arriving around 10 June, nearly a week behind average. Rainfall continued with 93mm instead of 70mm the norm, causing root asphyxia and poor mineral uptake in many soils. Leaf reddening was observed, and mildew remained aggressive, even attacking bunches. Persistent wet conditions triggered coulure and millerandage, particularly in Merlot, reducing berry set. Storms hit Fronsac and Pomerol (18 June), exacerbating mildew, which scarred bunches. Sunshine remained elusive, and temperatures dipped below norms. Vines hit ‘pea size’ by June’s end, but uneven development persisted. July finally brought respite. After a cool start, dry, warm weather set in during the last 10 days. The excessive water reserves in the soil prevented early water stress but delayed véraison (colour change). On average, this process didn’t begin until early August – three weeks later than in 2023. August and early September: Hope and setbacks August was calmer, with near normal temperatures, including a short heatwave from 10 to 12 August (28.4°C max vs 27.6°C in the same period in 2023) and low rainfall from scattered storms (46mm vs 57mm). Véraison was slow and spread out: Merlot reached mid-véraison on 14 August, and Cabernet Sauvignon on 18 August. High berry weights and sluggish sugar accumulation hinted at dilution concerns. Mildew pressure remained until mid-August, and brown rot lingered in some areas. Yields by this point stayed low with sorting critical to exclude rot-affected grapes. By 25 August, technological ripening had begun, with Merlot sugar levels at 178 g/L and Cabernet Sauvignon at 164 g/L – both lower than previous vintages. Yet, acidity remained relatively high, and the grapes preserved fresh aromatics. A challenging harvest: September to October Then came the September rains. The region recorded 13 rainy days, three more than average, and 58mm of rain in the first 10 days – triple the monthly norm. Daytime temperatures were 2°C below average, (22.0°C max vs. 24.2°C), a stark contrast to the warm Septembers of 2022 and 2023. This disrupted the Merlot harvest, forcing early picking from 18 September in some places. Cool conditions and rain stalled ripening and triggered grey rot, particularly in Merlot. Berry weight was among the highest of the last five years, suggesting possible dilution. But acidity remained high. Cabernet Sauvignon fared better, benefiting from a dry window from late September to mid-October. Patience paid off for those who waited, with better structure, colour and aromatics developing in the final weeks. Dry whites, harvested from 20 August (Sauvignon Blanc) to 28 August (Sémillon), showed low pH (3.1) and high acidity (5.4 g/L). Sauternes, fuelled by 100mm late August rain, saw Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) flourish, with three passes (pre-25 September, early October, mid-October) yielding pure, acidic musts. [/subscriber-content] Related articles Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle Price cut talk as Bordeaux 2024 en primeur tastings start Five Bordeaux vintages to drink now

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The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

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