(Decanter) - Château Haut-Brion and several dry white wine producers down in Sauternes have started harvesting their 2016 grapes, but it's still a waiting game for some following this year's late flowering - and that will affect the reds, too.

How the Bordeaux 2016 white harvest is shaping up

Château Haut-Brion in Pessac Léognan brought in Sauvignon Blanc grapes at 7am on 1 September, from a plot called Pinson Sapinette.

The estate reported potential alcohols on this first plot of 13.5%abv, with pHs of 3.25, and expect to bring in the first Merlots on 15 September.

‘The grapes are looking magnificent,’ Haut-Brion’s Alain Puginier told Decanter.com.

The white grapes for Bordeaux crémant sparkling wine saw their first pickings on Monday 29 August for the Vignerons de Saint-Pey Genissac on Bordeaux’s Right Bank.

The dry whites for several Sauternes properties, including Château Rayne Vigneau, are also now underway.

Late flowering causes delays versus 2015

Most white winemakers in the region expect to wait until either 5 September or perhaps up to 12 September to begin picking.

Eric Perrin at Château Carbonnieux reported that they are in the final stages of analysing the grapes before harvest, which they should start early next week. This will be around 10 days later than in 2015.

‘The delay is due to a late flowering from the difficult early season,’ Perrin said.

‘Even the hot summer has not meant that the vines have caught up. The vines are now looking very healthy, and although the berries are reducing in size due to the drought, there are lots of them, so we expect the yield to be around the same as last year’.