Chablis Vineyards Severely Damaged by Devastating Hailstorm

A devastating thunderstorm recently affected some of the most flourished Chardonnay vineyards in the Burgundy region, causing notable damages.

On the evening of May 1st, 2024, the fate of Chablis vintage was remodelled within minutes. The northern Burgundy appellation, acclaimed for its unique white wines made from Chardonnay, was hit by a ferocious storm hurling hail across the vineyards. Although the recovery of the vines is still speculative and will take several weeks, the initial damage assessments are gloomy.

The storm, categorized as a supercell, prominently affected the villages of Chablis, La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne, Fontenay-près-Chablis, Villy, and Maligny. It is still early to conclude the extent of the damage, and vineyard-by-vineyard evaluation by vintners is required. However, initial estimates of the affected vineyards put the damage between 30 percent to 100 percent harvest loss.

Former winemaker at Domaine Laroche, Grégory Viennois, who now works as a consulting enologist, expressed that the hailstorm has drastically impacted around 20 to 25 percent of the 15,000 acres of the appellation. “However, considering the wave of frost experienced in the preceding week and several hail episodes since the beginning of the growing season, the ultimate loss is expected to be greater,” he added.

Christian Moreau, the owner of Domaine Christian Moreau Père & Fils, has reported varying degrees of destruction in dissimilar parcels. He estimates about 20 to 30 percent impairment in their premier cru Vaillon, while the grand cru Les Clos seems unscathed. There is some damage in Valmur too, but the extent of it will be clear only in a few days. The recent cold climate is stressing the vines and they could benefit from warmer weather.

William Fèvre, which owns plots in numerous premiers and grands crus sites, has seen serious losses as advised by winemaker Didier Séguier. The left side of the Serein River appears more affected than the right, especially the areas of Montmains, Vaillons and Lys. The right side site Montée de Tonnerre seems to be spared in contrast with the grands crus and premier cru Vaulorent which have suffered more. It is too soon to evaluate the extent, but the losses seem considerable, varying from 20 to 80 percent based on the area.

Patrick Piuze reported some minor harm to vineyards in La Chapelle, Fontenay and Vaillons that he works with. He is confident of mitigating these with the good yields expected in 2022 and 2023, humbly acknowledging the power of nature.

The weather in the upcoming weeks will contribute to the reaction of the vines. The damaged shoots exhibit necrosis or the death of tissues around the affected cells. In addition, the moist soil coupled with the fragility of the vine makes it more susceptible to mildew.

“It’s indeed too early to see what the effects on the flowering and the final crop will be,” said Viennois. “These stresses—[the frost, hail, rain and cold temperatures]—will have for sure a large impact on the natural physiological development of the vines. We will lose a lot of [flowering buds] that will never become grapes.”

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