Loire 2017: Summer
While the frost in April was undoubtedly depressing, and for some devastating, during the months that followed the weather was all that could be wished for. This is in marked contrast to the conditions during 2016, when mildew and oidium dogged the vineyards during wet summer weather. Than, many vignerons ascribed their reduction in yields as much to this summer affliction as to the frost. This is certainly not true of 2017, which saw a belter of a summer.
May was warmer than average (and the average, based on thirty years from 1981 until 2010, is in itself quite high compared to the generally cooler 20th-century temperatures), with either average or above-average hours of sunshine along the entire length of the river. The only exception was perhaps the Upper Loire, where there were still some frosty flirtations as late as May 10th. June was decidedly warmer than average, with above average hours of sunshine and also a little more rain than is usual, at least for the main Loire Valley regions from Muscadet up to the Central Vineyards, while in the Upper Loire it was both warmer and drier than is usual. The flowering and fruit set seems to have gone well, as out of all the vignerons I spoke to only one commented on a disappointing floraison. Most, including Jérôme Billard of Domaine de la Noblaie, found they were soon looking at healthy bunches of newborn grapes (pictured). The only disappointment in most parts was that there weren’t more of these bunches.
I remember the warm weather of June very well; I spent two weeks of this month in the region, and in-between visits to various domaines I spent a day gardening when temperatures were well over 30ºC. By the end of the day I am sure I had heat stroke (I certainly felt quite ill anyway – probably the result of doing some real work for a change). My neighbour, an agriculteur who grows asparagus and sunflowers for a living (among other jobs, everything from fridge repairs to pest control) recorded just 7 mm of rain during the entire two weeks.
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