As I mention in the introduction to the vintage, Dominique Lafon justified harvesting earlier than the traditional 100 days from flowering on the basis that the flowering now takes place earlier than when the rule was established, and as a result the grapes have more exposure to the long days of summer. The results back his reasoning.
Harvesting for the whites began on 28 August and finished at the beginning of September; for the reds, harvesting began at the end of August. Yields for red are less than in 2017 (when the vines reacted vigorously after the frosts of 2016). For reds, they are 35-40 hl/ha, a bit more for Monthélie; for the whites, yields go up to 60 hl/ha for the village wine.
Malo-lactic fermentations were finished long before I tasted in late October, and the wines are going to receive a longer élévage than the 2017s.
For the reds, all grapes were destemmed. Alcohols are in the range of 13.0 - 13.4º.
Starting, as always here, with the reds: (Continue reading here.)