A warm winter, early spring and hot summer meant that prospects for an above average vintage were very good. But just as harvesting was about to commence, the heavens opened and it continued to rain incessantly throughout September and most of October. The Côte de Blancs fared the worst with the Chardonnay crop being severely diluted. Some Champagne houses have managed to produce good quality wine - Louis Roederer produced a vintage Champagne of superb quality after rejecting 50% of its crop.