At the Clos de Somméré vineyard in southern Burgundy, the harvest season presented an unusual challenge. The grapes appeared green and unripe, yet analysis showed they had been ripe for a month. This discrepancy made it difficult to determine the best time to harvest, creating a dilemma for the team. Despite this, the estate is approaching the 2026 vintage with optimism, as the fermentation process has begun smoothly. Clos de Somméré, located between Cluny and Mâcon, is managed by Louis Santé, the sixth generation of his family to work the vineyard. The estate spans nearly 11 hectares and is primarily planted with chardonnay and pinot noir, along with a small amount of alligoté. As a member of the GJPV, a group of young wine producers, Louis is part of a new wave of winemakers who have helped elevate the quality of wines from the Mâconnais region. This philosophy is reflected in the estate's viticulture, which uses minimal inputs in both the vineyard and the cellar. The 2026 vintage has tested the estate's approach. The first pruning began on August 17, earlier than usual, due to a prolonged drought interrupted only by a single thunderstorm in mid-July. This caused grape sugar levels to rise faster than normal, making it hard to determine the right time to harvest. Some chardonnay plots still looked unripe, yet analysis showed sugar levels as high as 14.2% and high pH levels, indicating the grapes were ripe for a month. "It was necessary to find a compromise between acidity, alcohol level, and grape taste, without a real point of comparison with previous years," Louis explains. The estate uses only indigenous yeasts, without inoculation, making the timing of the harvest even more critical. The right balance between sugar, acidity, and nitrogen must be achieved to ensure the fermentations proceed properly. Sampling and laboratory testing have increased, as maturity levels varied significantly between neighboring plots. Once the harvest date was chosen, the team focused on organizing the process. As in previous years, marked by heat, the teams harvested from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. to keep the grapes as fresh as possible before the sun became too strong. Louis is already considering future harvests, including the possibility of harvesting at night if needed. "Some neighbors started a week before Clos de Somméré, others ten days later. No one really knew how to approach the vintage," he says. After the grapes are pressed and placed in tanks, vigilance is required. Each morning, the mustimeter is used to measure the density of the juice in each tank and barrel. The higher the sugar content, the denser the liquid, measured in relation to water, fixed at 1,000 points. Fresh juice typically measures around 1,090, but this year, due to the heat, it has reached as high as 1,110 in some tanks, a first for the estate. As the fermentation progresses, the density decreases, approaching 990, below that of water, signaling the end of the process. So far, there have been no unexpected issues: "We are touching wood, the fermentations are going very well," Louis Santé says. Despite the unusual conditions, the fermentations have started quickly and are progressing well. The acidity, slightly low for a warm year, will need monitoring until bottling. For now, the team at Clos de Somméré is satisfied with the vintage after a long and challenging meteorological season.