Bock Villányi Franc Essencia

The year began with a relatively mild and dry winter from January to February. Nights were typically between -1 and -5°C, with pleasant daytime temperatures.
March started out warm, followed by a few weeks of cooling in the middle of the month. However, by the end of the month, there were several periods of 20°C. The warming trend continued into April, and the grapes began to wilt during the first week of the month. Then, a two-week cold snap in mid-April brought nature to a standstill, slowing shoot development. From the beginning of September 2018 to April 2019, there was virtually no significant rainfall (100-120 mm), with the first major showers occurring in April.
May was colder than in previous years, so even the early varieties did not start flowering until June. However, it became unexpectedly hot during the flowering period in June, with temperatures around 30°C. This caused some varieties to not set perfectly.
Planting took place in mid-July, suggesting that this year’s harvest will not begin in August.

Summer heat arrived at the end of July, with temperatures ranging from 30 to 35°C. This was followed by slight cooling during the first ten days of August. The rest of August was extremely hot, with highs reaching 40°C. The usual cooling that occurs after August 20 did not happen this year. Temperatures remained in the range of 25-30°C until mid-September. From mid-September onward, temperatures were typically around 20-25°C, with occasional showers lasting several days interspersed with warm, dry days. October, the temperature was around 20°C, which continued until the end of the month when cold weather and heavy rain arrived unexpectedly. We started harvesting the earliest variety, Irsai Olivér, on 22 September, and then continued with the early white varieties (Chardonnay and Rizlingszilváni) and the blue grapes needed for sparkling wine production (Pinot Noir), which we started harvesting in early September due to several days of intense rain. We then moved on to Kékoportó and were able to complete the harvest almost without interruption, finishing successfully on 28 October, before the cold, rainy weather set in. We were able to harvest high-quality, healthy grapes in 2019, and we are expecting a good vintage..