The wine growing regions of Burgundy and Champagne are heading for an “exceptional” year in terms of quantity and quality boosted by the summer heatwave in eastern France, experts say.

Such is the quality that champagne producers say they are heading for the first “vintage year” for bubbly in a decade. Bordeaux and southern French regions, meanwhile, had a tougher time, blighted by mildew.

Maxime Toubart, president of the champagne vintners union, SGV, called the year “exceptional in quantity and quality” as grapes benefited from a wet winter that recharged water tables which the vines would tap throughout the hot, dry summer.

“I didn’t have a single grape go rotten this year. Lots of producers told me they’d never seen a year like this,” said Mr Toubart. “We have high hopes this year will be a vintage year in champagne,” he told AFP.

Non-vintage wines make up the vast majority of production in the region and are a blend of the latest vintage plus several older reserve wines.

Non-vintage wines require a minimum of 18 months ageing before release.