Champagne Cattier, the 2020 harvest

Predictably, our normal procedures and our organisation itself were shaken up by the crisis. We had to adapt and implement the state-mandated sanitary protocol, to which we added some additional measures that went one or two steps further. All of our teams were tested for Covid before the harvest, as a precaution. They responded admirably to the challenge, allowing us to bring in the 2020 harvest under the best possible conditions. We’d like to thank them for their unstinting efforts.

The harvest was the earliest we’ve ever seen in Champagne, and one of the fastest too. It began on Thursday the 20th August and ended on Monday the 31st, before the end of the summer holidays! There was no picking at all in September, which would have been unimaginable only a few years ago.

In general, the harvest was a good one. We had some worries about the drought and heatwave at the beginning of August. While the heat did burn a small number of bunches, it had the unexpected benefit of drying out the vineyard ecosystem and putting a stop to a number of potential vine diseases.

In terms of quality, the harvest is very promising. The three iconic champagne varieties reacted a little differently. Meunier, seeing low yields this year, is a little thinner and less generous than in previous years. Chardonnay, on the other hand, is magnificent: the bunches are big and fleshy, a real pleasure to observe. Lastly, Pinot Noir had a beautiful year and now releases promising aromas and a structure that we only see in the best years.

We’ll bring you the definitive verdict once the wines are fully fermented.