(Decanter) - Sauternes will not be a great vintage, one producer has said, as vignerons hope last week’s rains will finally kick start development of botrytis, or noble rot. Château d'Yquem picked its first grapes on Monday 1 October, the latest start for almost 20 years. Francis Mayeur, technical director at Yquem, told Decanter.com, ‘The last few vintages have been particularly early, so this is not especially dramatic. We have started the first pass through the vines, with both Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, but not even one third of the crop is ready yet.’