The 2000 vintage, earliness

Beginning of grape harvest : from September 13th, that means the earliest date since half a century. The first rains falling during daytime : Thursday, October 10th, that means 20 days of harvesting under the sun without a drop of water.
First syrupy grape gathering on September 27th with a Tokay-Pinot Gris Altenbourg « Sélection de Grains Nobles ».
Harvest of Hengst on September 29th,

•  of Steingrubler on October 9th.
• of Furstentum on October 2nd and 18th.
• of Schlossberg on October 9 and 10th.
  

End of harvest on October 25th with the Riesling Altenbourg « Vendanges Tardives ».

now, we note :

• strong, very fruity Pinot,
• very colored Pinot Noir with very beautiful and well balanced tanins.
• aromatic and structured Riesling, 
• delicate and fine Muscat, 
• very delicate Tokay-Pinot Gris,
• rich Gewurztraminer with great potential.
  

The last year of the millennium was the hottest year of the century. The vintage 2000 will be characterized by the earliness, the richness of sugar as well as a good acid structure and it will foresure give great wines that allow us to view the next millennium with equanimity.

April benefited by mild temperatures which were favorable for the development of the buds. May was very sunny and allowed a very rapid development of the vegetation. On May 29th, the first vines were in bloom. June was very hot and dry : 33 mm of water for the whole month. On June 6th, the vines were completely flowering, that means two weeks earlier than in a normal year which was a sign for an early grape harvesting. In July, the weather deteriorated itself ; on the 7th, summer storm with hail over Kientzheim. At the end of the month, beginning of maturity. August was very hot, but well supplied with water, because we had a lot of summer storms, with 87 mm of water for the whole month. That was particularly beneficial to the Riesling, variety which is sensitive to the dryness of that period. The beautiful flowering for the family of Pinot required thinning, especially the Pinot Noir which does not tolerate the excess of yield.
We got little problems with diseases, but a strong pression of worms on first generation, enabling a natural thinning. September was very hot with 30,5°C, on the 15th of the month.