Friday, 21 August, 2026
The Drinks Business, Arabella Mileham
This early start beats the incredibly long-standing record for Burgundy, which was set in 1556 – when historic records show picking began on 15 August. It also represents a marked shift from the region’s traditional early-to-mid September start.
Domaine Leflaive’s estate manager Brice de La Morandière announced the harvest on Instagram, noting that clearly this was “extremely early”, but that the repeated heatwaves of the 2026 season had prompted the decision.
He added that the grapes were very healthy, and although the sugars are high “the acidity is still very good so that will give us good balance.”
“Aromatically, it’s what we’re after so it should give us some very nice Montrachet,” he wrote.
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