Winegrowers in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux are reviewing an extremely uneven and early harvest for 2011.

Most estates started picking in early September and were finished by the 28th following the swift onset of botrytis, Decanter reports.

Chateau Climens manager Frederic Nivelle told the publication: "To give you an idea of how early the harvest was, last year we only started to pick on September 28th."

The botrytis issue has also led to a grape harvest that is of mixed quality, with Mr Nivelle explaining: "It is the first time I have ever seen grape bunches that were so different."

Volumes are still expected to be above average across the region, with grapes that survived the botrytis said to be of high quality.

Christian Seely, the managing director of Axa Millesimes, said that Sauternes vintages of recent years have been of consistently high quality, making them one the "undiscovered pleasures" of the wine world.