(Decanter) - A fierce hailstorm has torn through thousands of hectares of vineyards around Bordeaux, creating uncertainty in some areas for the prospects of the young 2018 vintage. .

One of the worst hailstorms in recent memory struck Bordeaux vineyards on the night of Saturday 26 May.

Headlines so far:

7,000 hectares affected after hailstorms on 21 and 26 May;

Côtes de Bourg and Blaye worst hit, with southern Médoc and Pessac also reporting partial damage;

Wine union calls for urgent financial reforms in agriculture sector to help winemakers adapt to extreme weather caused by climate change.

Early damage reports found that hailsones fell on 7,100 hectares of vines, said Bordeaux’s federation of ‘grand vins’ (FGVB).

Of this area, 3,400 hectares of vineyard saw more than 80% of vines hit, ‘compromising the 2018 harvest and, for some, also the 2019 vintage’, said the FGVB.

Vines in Pessac-Léognan were among the first hit, although damage assessments were still being conducted on Tuesday (29 May) and the region looked to have escaped more lightly than some other areas.