The 2011 harvest in Champagne was a true one-off, according to growers in the French region.

A season of extremes was experienced in Champagne throughout the growing season - and most of them appeared to be at the wrong time of the year.

Spring produced exceptionally hot weather in April and May, prompting flowering to take place almost a month earlier than normal.

"Right at the beginning we were lucky to have some sun, then the rain set in, which reduced the potential alcohol content and slowed down - and even stopped - the harvest," Jean Remy Rapeneau of Charles de Cazanove told Wine Spectator.

A return to high temperatures after a period of cool weather resulted in a harvesting date of around August 19th - the earliest ever seen in Champagne.

Regis Camus, chef de caves for houses Charles and Piper-Heidsieck, said that he thought he had seen it all until the 2011 harvest.

"This was an atypical year, the likes of which we have never seen in Champagne," he said.

These extremes of weather have translated into variable grape quality, especially in the dark grapes. Alice Paillard of Bruno Paillard added: "I saw beautiful Chardonnay everywhere, [but the] Pinots were more contrasting. Even in the same village, a lot of differences."

It was much the same over in Burgundy, with a warm start followed by double the average amount of rainfall in June, July and August.

This left early-ripening grapes susceptible to botrytis, which left many domains 20 to 30 per cent down on typical yields.

Beaune proprietor and negociant Alex Gambal summed up the mood perfectly, telling Wine Spectator: "I hate to give generalities because this year there really are no rules. The only consistency was that nothing was consistent."

In Bordeaux, some growers are relieved that 2011 is less spectacular than the 2009 and 2010 vintages, as this may allow the market to correct itself after two years of high prices.