Harvest 2026: A Promising New Chapter for French Bloom

August Changed the Pace

Then the weather had other plans. Rainfall at the beginning of August gave the vines exactly the pause they needed. The berries regained volume, and ripening continued more gradually, preserving freshness while allowing for greater aromatic development.

In our vines, the first Pinot Noir was picked on 25 August, followed by Chardonnay from 29 August. The result was a short but highly precise harvest, with each parcel picked individually at its optimum point of maturity.

A Vintage Defined by Freshness and Balance

The first juices are particularly promising. Chardonnay yields were lower this year, but the fruit shows remarkable balance, with freshness, tension and precision.

The diversity of ripeness across our parcels is also proving to be a strength. Earlier-picked fruit brings energy and freshness, while later parcels contribute greater maturity, texture and aromatic expression. Together, they give us a broad palette for blending, and point toward particularly exciting future cuvées for French Bloom.

Harvest concluded on 4 September at our oldest parcel, Le Clos, where the final fruit showed exceptional maturity. A selection of these grapes will also be reserved for future R&D trials.

In the Cellar

Vinification is now underway in our brand-new cellar, without added preservatives or sulfites, using naturally propagated yeast through a pied de cuve. Fermentations are progressing steadily and evenly. It is still early, but the first wines already show a profile that is complete, fresh, precise and beautifully balanced.

The coming months will be about patience: stabilising the wines, ageing selected lots in foudres and barrels, and beginning the first trials on our in-house mini dealcoholisation unit.

What's next? Stabilizing the wines, then aging in foudre and barrel, still without sulfur, before the first passes through our in-house mini-dealcoholizer where the French Bloom magic truly takes shape.

2026 is shaping up to be a vintage of light, freshness and patience, built plot by plot, at the peak of each ripeness.