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Bad weather decimates vintage.

A hail storm has destroyed large sections of vines at Château Montus, the top-tier producer of Madiran wine in south-western France, according to owner Alain Brumont. Chunks of ice measuring more than half-an-inch in diameter (1.5 cm) pounded the communes of Castelnau-Rivière-Basse and Madiran, irreversibly damaging this year's crop.

"When the shoots are young, the impact of just one hail stone is enough to knock them to the ground," Brumont told AFP. Spring shoots had just barely begun to grow, with most having reached between two and six inches (5–15 cm) by the end of April. The worst-hit section of Brumont’s vineyards was almost completely destroyed; other areas escaped with only 50–75 percent damage.

On average, Château Montus produces 1.6 million bottles annually. Brumont, the pre-eminent producer of Madiran wine (made predominantly from tannat grapes) predicts that his 2012 vintage will be reduced by two-thirds, causing prices to spike by about 30 percent.

As a result, a flood of calls began the morning after the storm, with customers placing orders for the 2011 vintage (en primeur), as well as for 2009 and 2010, in anticipation of the impending shortage. Callers were also inquiring about allocations for the future harvest.

"People know very well that when there is hail, even if only 10 percent survives, it is of the highest quality," said Brumont.