2019 grape harvest: an atypical and instructive vintage for Hennessy

After two weeks of grape picking under a beaming Charente sun, Hennessy has announced an initial assessment of this year’s harvest. Almost summery weather has resulted in healthy, mature grapes.

Beginning September 13th, teams at Hennessy vineyards began harvesting the grapes, choosing the best possible moment for each plot. The very dry summer, combined with high temperatures, led to very rapid maturation and exceptional sugar concentration in the grapes compared with previous years. This resulted in a particularly brief harvest campaign.

Following periods of spring frost in May, flowering under rainy conditions in June and a dry summer, the harvest was smaller than in 2018 and the grapes reveal a balanced maturity that is rare for the Cognac region. Overall, the wines are fruity, retaining an attractive freshness. Their marked acidity will ensure their stability during conservation ahead of distillation, after which the quality of the eaux-de-vie will be evaluated.