2013 Chablis: Living on the Edge

The 2013s in Chablis have turned out better than could have reasonably been expected given an extraordinarily difficult, capricious growing season full of ups and downs.

The 2013 Growing Season and Wines

Once again growers in Chablis were forced to deal with very challenging weather in 2013. Mother Nature was merciless. Disease pressure was rampant pretty much throughout the year. The spring was cold and damp. In a normal vintage, flowering takes as little as a week, but in 2013 poor conditions persisted, resulting a long, drawn-out flowering that didn’t get started until the end of June and then took the better part of a month to complete. Because of the bad weather, potential yields were cut by around 30%, give or take. Both coulure (shatter) and millerandage (shot berries) were rampant.

August was pretty normal, but rain returned in September, renewing disease pressure, especially botrytis. Whereas growers had pretty wide picking windows in 2012, in 2013 decisions had to be made quickly. If picked early, the fruit could be under ripe, but waiting a day too long meant the serious risk of rot. Most estates began picking around September 26, although a few growers waited until early October. Rain returned on the 4th, adding a further twist. Not surprisingly, many estates reported compressed harvest dates.

Steep hillside vineyards, Bougros Côte Bouguerots, William Fèvre

Overall, sugar levels were on the lower side of normal, so chaptalization was quite common. Acidities are also a bit subdued. Many growers reported various strategies for reducing lees contact, including allowing more settling in tanks and shorter aging regimes. A number of 2013s were bottled early to preserve freshness, something I expect to see more of.