(Wine-Searcher) - Optimism is the dominant mood as picking begins around France.

After a hot and dry summer, vintners across France are embarking on a harvest that many are hoping will equal some of the best of the century – and all have their fingers firmly crossed.

In Champagne in particular there is huge optimism. The growing season, from flowering to harvest, was ideal – very hot and dry but with rain in August to hasten maturation.

“It is far too early to say, but we have the green light for high expectations,” Thibault le Mailloux, communications director for trade organisation Comité Champagne told Wine-Searcher.

“Of course we won’t know anything until we taste the wines, but the key characteristics point to an absolutely outstanding vintage. Thanks to the rain the grapes are gaining weight so we are confident of volume as well as quality.”

Le Mailloux also played down reports that Champagne grapes were suffering from low acidity this year. “The level of acidity is quite satisfactory for Champagne.”

Some villages picked before the official start date of 2 September set by the Comité, making 2015 one of the six earliest vintages (in 2003, 2007 and 11 picking was widespread before the end of August).

In Burgundy feelings also run high. Erwan Faiveley of Domaine Faiveley, which began harvest on the last day of August, said the weather conditions had been “perfect… fast and precise flowering which brought homogeneity of ripeness of the grapes. Spring was warm and dry… and we got three days of rain in the second week of August that not only helped to ripen the grapes, but will also bring a much better yield.”

The hail that swept across Chablis on the last night of August was very localized and – as giant negociant- producer Albert Bichot reported – damage to most Grands and Premiers Crus was limited. But, Bichot said, “selection is likely to be needed as the rain [after the warmth] will have resulted in some rot damage.”

Rot is also a preoccupation for the white harvest in Bordeaux. At Chateau Brown in Pessac-Leognan, owner Jean-Christophe Mau said the health of the reds is “perfect”, and while he’s happy with the quality of his whites, he is “wary of the rot potentially lying in wait for the Semillons” after nearly 100mm of rain in August.

The size of the French vintage – an important issue in Burgundy, which has suffered a run of very low yields – has been much discussed this year. According to France’s agriculture ministry, national wine production will be slightly smaller than 2014 but higher than the average of the past five years. In Burgundy and Bordeaux the vintage is expected to be around 11 per cent smaller than 2014.