(Decanter) - Vintners in the celebrated sweet wine growing regions of Sauternes and Barsac are amazed at how early the 2011 harvest has been. ‘It is the earliest I have ever seen, with a very sudden spread of botrytis,’ consultant Denis Dubourdieu of Chateau Doisy Daëne in Barsac said. ‘I cannot recall a harvest that ended before October.’ At the neighbouring Château Climens harvest began on 8 September – earlier than the heatwave year of 2003, which started on 12 September. Botrytis developed rapidly, and pickings lasted until 28 September. ‘To give you an idea of how early the harvest was, last year we only started to pick on 28 September,’ manager Frederic Nivelle said.