Bordeaux Harvest 2011 in the vats; a good year for good vignerons but no hat-trick

2011 is going to be a good year for producers who have been diligent through the year and reactive during harvest. It will not be another 2009 and 2010 but closer to 2006 in quality. Some producers express relief saying that the market could not withstand another “exceptional” year with “exceptional” prices.

The grapes have been picked in most of Bordeaux’s vineyards and are busy fermenting in the vats. It has not been an easy year and will clearly highlight the good producers in the region.

Climate during 2011; 2011 started very early for the vine with a warm May and very sunny June. The vine’s cycle started two weeks early, with early flowering (relatively uniform) and despite a relatively cool summer (particularly July) most producers harvested at least 10 days before usual. The spring and summer were unusually dry which meant that the “arret de croissance” took place early and effectively, that is the water stress signal for the vine to switch feeding its foilage to feeding the grapes. This is necessary for quality, to concentrate the sugar in the grapes.

 2011; a year of extremes - The  two short but intense heatwaves at the end of June and mid August scorched grapes within the bunches providing the first challenge for this year. This had the effect of blocking the ripening process of those grapes next to them and caused uneven ripening within the bunch. The key this year is severe sorting of the grapes, to remove the very many green and pink berries. These can increase acidity levels in the vat and give a greeness to the wine.

Harvest at Château Beard La Chapelle, St Emilion Grand Cru (St Laurent des Combes). Producer Franck Moureau is pleased with the results ”With a good “éclaircissage” (green harvest) earlier in the summer and a team of ten to sort the grapes on a conveyor table of over 6 metres (originally meant for Bernard Magrez at Pape Clement) we hope to make a good aromatic wine this year with supple tannins”.

The Grey Ghost; The other factor to deal with was the risk of Botrytis (Grey Rot; the same rot that in the unique climatic conditions of Sauternes is the advantageous sugar concentrating “noble rot”). As the summer was not that sunny, producers strived to leave the grapes to ripen as much as possible before harvesting. The humid autumnal conditions encouraged rot. Those that had not sprayed anti-botrytis and had not controlled the weeds adequately in the vineyards bringing further humidity, had a severe choice; pick unripe grapes or bunches affected by botrytis (once in the vat, kills the fruity aromas of unffected grapes). This grey rot feeds on the juice in the grapes, leaving a dusty grey dried out hollow husk and spreads through the bunch very quickly in such conditions and the bunch touching it. Vineyards of dark coloured plump bunches of grapes are transformed into a something more resembling a grey cemetary.

Producers who had earlier in the summer correctly  removed bunches of grapes that were not correctly spaced out (“eclaircissage”/green harvest) were able to wait until the grapes were ripe. Pruning also in the winter is primordial in the correct spacing out of bunches of grapes. The correct work during the year made the difference this year giving producers the choice to harvest ripe grapes or not.

2011 Yields Hail in the Medoc and Entre deux Mers effected yields substantially. In St Emilion fortunately the minimal hail damage did not seem to bring on botrytis earlier.

Yields are yet to be defined but are less than first thought. Hopefully up slightly on 2010 the right bank, the left bank predict lower yields than 2010. We will have to wait for the “écoulage”, the draining of the wine off the skins at the end of the fermentation and post-maceration to truly tell.

2011 in the vats so far what can we tell? So far for grapes picked when ripe, the wine is of average alcohol (around 13° in st Emilion), very deep colour, relatively fruity with blackcurrant aromas, correct acidity (from the cool nights), tannins seem to be supple (will also depend on the maceration).

What is happening at the moment? The yeasts are busy at work transforming the sugar in the juice into alcohol (giving off heat – kept at about 28°C by temperature control and CO2- extremely dangerous!). The colour and aromas and tannins are being extracted with the help of 4 remontage/pumping overs a day of two volumes of the vat (without oxygen to start). The sweet juice is being transformed into wine!

 A labour intensive year for those that could afford it, for those with a chance to produce a good wine.

Hail hits Bordeaux vineyards two weeks before 2011 harvest is to begin

On 1st September a violent hailstorm struck both St Estephe in the Medoc and 30km around Branne/Grezeillac in Entre Deux Mers (including southern St Emilion). The storm lasted 20 minutes but caused devastation at its epi-centre with hailstorms the size of eggs stripping leaves and slashing grapes on the bunches. Here up to half of the harvest has been lost in some cases and some producers have been forced to harvest immediately.

 In the St Emilion communes of St Laurent des Combes, St Sulpice and Vignonnet the damage was less but grapes on many bunches were slashed open. Here the hail stones were between the size of a walnut and a marble. The foilage helped to protect the grapes in many cases (if not too many leaves were removed during “effeuillage” leaf-pulling). The photo shows the slight hail damage on Merlot in a vineyard in St Laurent de Combes (the Cabernet grapes suffered more as the leaves are smaller and do not offer the same protection).

The fear for everyone now is rot, botrytis which feeds on the sugar in the open grapes, its grey fur quickly spreading through the bunch. If this begins to happen, vigerons have no choice but to harvest quickly and carry out extensive sorting in the cellar.

Fortunately with the very hot June experienced this year, which started the ripening period extra early, harvest is predicted to be 10 to 15 days early around mid-september. So this is good news. Despite an inclement July sugar levels are already high enough to give a potential alcohol of around 12° but acidity levels are still high (5 g/litre total acidity) for grapes in the communes of St Emilion affected. This needs to come down before picking starts ideally. So still good potential. For the next two weeks producers will be walking their vines and studying their grapes to see the effect of the hail. They have to be ready to react quickly. It may be a duel between rot and ripeness…….that depends on the weather. Need the sunshine to finish off  the ripening but not too much heat which favours the botrytis!

Resumé of Primeur Week 2010 (1st week April 2011, Bordeaux)

My most complete tasting ever of the Primeurs and loved it. It is a great year full of rich fruit and smooth tannins – ripe grapes but with the freshness that is the signature of fine Bordeaux. Here are my favorites;

PESSAC LEOGNAN (at Ch Malartic Lagraviere)

Bouscaut Blanc:

 

ST EMILION (at Ch Couspaude)

POMEROL (at Ch La Pointe)

MARGAUX (at Ch Lascombes)

ST JULIEN (at Ch Branaire Ducru)

PAUILLAC “

ST ESTEPHE “

Portes Ouvertes 2011 Bordeaux

Calendrier des Portes ouvertes et autres événements dans le vignoble Bordelais en 2011
Date  Nom Lieu Organisateur Tél.
28 au 31 Mars Semaine des Primeurs Lalande de Pomerol Café de l'Opéra  05 57 25 21 60
2 et 3 Avril Portes Ouvertes Sainte Croix du Mont Sainte Croix du Mont Sainte Croix du Mont 05 56 62 01 20
2 et 3 Avril Portes Ouvertes Médoc Médoc Conseil des Vins du Médoc 05 56 48 18 62
4 au 7 Avril  SEMAINE DES PRIMEURS Gironde
16 et 17 Avril Printemps des Liquoreux à Cadillac Loupiac Cadillac 06 89 99 76 18
30 Avril  Portes Ouvertes Saint Emilion Saint-Emilion, Lussac et Puisseguin Conseil des vins de Saint Emilion 05 57 55 50 50
1er Mai  Portes Ouvertes Saint Emilion Saint-Emilion Conseil des vins de Saint-Emilion 05 57 55 50 50
7 et 8 Mai  Portes Ouvertes en Côtes de Bourg Bourg ODG des Côtes de Bourg 05 57 94 80 20
7 et 8 Mai  Week-end des Grands Crus Hangar 14 Conseil des Vins du Médoc 05 56 48 18 62
18 et 19 Mai Congrès CNAOC Bordeaux FGVB 05 56 00 22 99
28 et 29 Mai Festival de Philosophie Saint-Emilion Conseil des vins de Saint-Emilion 05 57 55 50 50
3 et 4 Juin  Rallye national du Saint Emilion
Vignobles de Saint Emilion, Lussac Saint
Emilion et Puisseguin Saint Emilion
Conseil des vins de Saint-Emilion 05 57 55 50 50
Manifestations dans le Bordelais en 2011
Mars
Avril
Mai
JuinCalendrier des Portes ouvertes et autres événements dans le vignoble Bordelais en 2011
4 Juin Marathon du Sauternais Sauternes et Barsac ODG de Sauternes & Barsac 05 56 76 60 37
11 et 12 Juin
Portes ouvertes AOC Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux,
Premières Côtes de Bx, Cadillac
Cadillac Section Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 05 57 98 19 20
18 Juin Fête de Printemps de la Jurade de Saint-Emilion
Saint-Emilion, Grand Cru, Lussac et
Puisseguin
Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion 05 57 55 50 50
19 au 23 Juin Vinexpo Hall des Expositions Vinexpo 05 56 56 00 22
2 Juillet Saint-Emilion cyclo-tour Vignoble du Saint-Emilion Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion 05 57 55 50 50
19, 20 et 21 Août
Balades en Cadillac ds le Vignoble Cadillac Côtes de
Bordeaux, 1ères Côtes de Bx et Cadillac
Cadillac Section Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 05 57 98 02 10
10 Septembre Marathon du Médoc Médoc Conseil des Vins du Médoc 05 56 48 18 62
16, 17 et 18 Septembre Ban des vendanges de la jurade de Saint Emilion Saint Emilion Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion 05 57 55 50 50
17 et 18 Septembre
balades en patrimoine dans le vignoble des Cadillac
Côtes de Bordeaux, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux et
Cadillac
Cadillac Section Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 05 57 98 19 20
24, 25 et 30
Septembre
Balades vendanges dans le vignoble des Cadillac
Côtes de Bordeaux, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux et
Cadillac
Cadillac Section Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 05 57 98 19 20
Septembre
Octobre
Juillet
AoûtCalendrier des Portes ouvertes et autres événements dans le vignoble Bordelais en 2011
1, 8 et 9 Octobre
Balades vendanges dans le vignoble des Cadillac
Côtes de Bordeaux, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux et
Cadillac
Cadillac Section Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 05 57 98 19 20
9 Octobre Portes Ouvertes Graves De Vayres Vayres ODG Graves De Vayres 05 57 74 86 92
15 et 16 Octobre Portes Ouvertes Graves et Graves Supérieures Graves ODG Graves 05 56 27 09 25
22 et 23 Octobre Portes Ouvertes Fronsac Fronsac Conseil des Vins de Fronsac 05 57 51 80 51
11, 12 et 13
Novembre
Portes Ouvertes Sauternes et Barsac Sauternes et Barsac ODG de Sauternes & Barsac 05 56 76 60 37
26 et 27 Novembre Portes Ouvertes Loupiac Loupiac ODG Loupiac 05 56 62 99 88
3 et 4 Décembre Portes Ouvertes de Pessac Léognann Pessac Léognan ODG Pessac Léognan 05 56 00 21 90
Dates non fixées Samedis gourmands à Planète Bordeaux Planète Bordeaux, à Beychac Maison des Bx et Bx Supérieur 05 57 97 19 38
Novembre
Décembre

Tuscan Food & Wine Tasting at the Ateliers on the Quais in Bordeaux

Tuscan Food & Wine Tasting

Wednesday 11th May

Atelier de Dégustation, 22 Quai de Chartrons, Bordeaux (Cité Mondiale)

Presented by Viviana Vechionne (www.maisondelatoscane.com)

Wine 1 (white); IGT Malvasia di Toscana 2009

with « une cuillère gourmande with fennel and orange with breadsticks (rosemary, oregano, nuts)

Pale golden colour, thick in the glass. At first a minerality on the nose and hazlenuts, not aromatic as such. As the wine warmed it gave out aromas of orange peel and white fleshed peach. In the mouth it was “gras”, thick and almost oily (particularly accentuated when warmed up). Nice fresh attack, good acidity to balance the roundness in the mouth. A powerful interesting wine. Serve well-chilled. 

Wine 2 (red); DOCG Morellino di Scansano 2009

with sesaonal grilled vegetable bruchetta

100 % Sangiovese. Ruby red, intense soft rich ripe black cherry and plum aromas on the nose and on the palate. Sweet and smooth. Modern approachable style. 

Wine 3 (red); Palistorti, Tenuta di Valgiano, DOC Colline Lucchesi 1998

with saucisson (truffle ou cherry “griotte” ou wild boar) and ham

 Garnet colour breaking up on the rim but still ruby in the centre. Sweet ripe nose of black cherry jam and fresh mint. Slight smokiness too. Rich and sweet on the palate with some notes of undergrowth. Long finish on this complex wine.

Wine 4 (red);  Chianti Classico 2006, Castello di Bibbione of Marchesi Rangoni Machiavelli

with sweet red wine biscuits

Restrained nose of some black fruits and toast. Tight structure, black fruit behind but this young wine is firm as a clenched muscle. Good tannic structure and good not over use of oak.  Elements are there and together. The long finish shows the potential  there is to come but for the moment this wine does not want to speak to us.

Nicolle Croft 06 89 86 01 46

Viviana Vechione, Maison de la Toscane 06 83 71 08 20

François Martin, Atelier de Dégustation 06 85 06 42 06

A Wake-up Call for the Petits Châteaux of Bordeaux

You will certainly not have heard of Château Béard La Chapelle, Grand Cru St Emilion despite the fact that it has been in the same family for nine generations passing from father to son over the years and that is located just outside of the world renowned medieval village of St Emilion.

Part of the reason is that many small châteaux such as Béard La Chapelle have been in the past cocooned, selling soley via Bordeaux’s wine merchants, the “négociants”, which isolated them from the market.

Things are changing in the wine estates of Bordeaux. The region of 10,000 chateaux, still many small family-owned particularly the smaller ones, have woken up to the reality of today’s competitive world wine markets.

A new generation is taking over and are having to improve their wine and radically change the way their family wine is sold. Today they have no choice but to try to sell, at least a part of their production, ‘direct’. For some properties it is too late. Securing foreign markets is long term, takes time and requires new skills to vine growing and winemaking; an ease with languages, communication face-to-face and on the net, commercial and marketing expertise.

A big shift is underway but there is a lot of ground to recover. In the case of Béard La Chapelle there are 30 years to catch up on.

Thirty-three year old Franck Moureau is the winemaker and manager at Béard la Chapelle, an 18 hectare property in the small village of St Laurent des Combes. Neighbours include well-known names such as Château Bellefont Belcier, Larcisse Ducasse, Tertre Roteboeuf. Franck joined his father five years ago. It did not take him long to recognize the potential but also the ground he had to recover. The aim was to make a wine worthy of its prestigious “terroir”. “It has been a slow process” he says, “you have to be patient before seeing the results and as it is a family property you have to take time to introduce changes”. Vineyards were in need of replanting, the winery was in need of modernising, new barrels to be bought, additional work in the vineyards such as leaf pulling and green harvesting to put in place.

He is now aided by his sister Laurence, also in her thirties. She started with reworking the basics; a website, brochures and revamped the packaging with a new smart black and silver label and capsule. Her main remit however is to develop the customer base. With little collateral and an empty contact file, the challenge has been a big one for both brother and sister.

In terms of finding customers, they decided to start with emerging markets attending wine fairs organised by Ubifrance and Sopexa in Asia (Shanghai,Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul) and also in Mexico and Russia. Today they are making steps into the more traditional markets in Europe and abroad.

There has been help at hand with substantial grants for travelling costs of selling trips and recently they heard that they were accepted for a 30% EU grant for rebuilding the winery. Things are moving in the right direction although the figures do not yet stack up.

They remain optimistic. It is the start of a new era at the property.  “Every day I walk my vineyards” Franck says” We have 18 hectares and each plot is different. We have very good “terroir” for making a very good wine. The past two vintages 2009 and 2010 of Béard La Chapelle, the wine is beginning to be what it should be, full of the rich purity of fruit of the Merlot grape.” A Grand Cru.

Robert Parker Article Bordeaux 2009

L’Amateur de Bordeaux
Fall, 2010

Bordeaux 2009

You firmly undertook on the greatness of the vintage 2009. Yet in 2000, 2003 and 2005 had already been judged as vintages of the century. How is 2009 compared to those vintages?

2009 is the greatest vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever tasted in Bordeaux. It is a historic vintage for the Médoc, but 2005 and 2000 certainly are great vintages as well, with 2003 very irregular, especially in Pomerol, St. Emilion, and Graves. Moreover, as you are probably aware, the alchohols were slightly higher in 2009 than they were in either 2005 or 2003.

Is there still a market for Bordeaux futures in the U.S.? And even in Europe?

There remains an excellent market for Bordeaux futures in the United States. It is impossible for me to comment on the market in Europe, but even with the high prices of 2009, there has been an adequate market for Bordeaux futures in the United States. It is not as strong as it was in 2005 or in previous vintages such as 2000. Let’s not forget, the USA is still going through our worst recession since the Great Depression of 1929.

What do you think of rising prices of first growths and “super-seconds”. Is there still a market for that price?

I think we only have to look at the last 25 years of history to see that people thought 1985, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, and 2000 Bordeaux prices were too high, yet looking back now, those prices look very realistic in 2010. There is a larger and larger marketplace for great Bordeaux that will probably support these high prices. The one caveat is that if there were to be a worldwide economic collapse or a catastrophic terrorist attack, either would have a significant impact on all wine sales, including the high-end Bordeaux.

For very great wines, is there a credible alternative to great Bordeaux?

There are many alternatives to Bordeaux, such as California (in particular, Napa Valley) Cabernet Sauvignon and Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon, some of the better Cabernet Sauvignons made in Australia, as well as the finer Merlot- and Cabernet-based wines from the Tuscan coastline. Moreover, the Malbecs of Argentina and Cabernets from Chile are noteworthy competitors. If you are talking about Cabernet, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc-based wines, the great virtue of Bordeaux is that they tend to be lower in alcohol than most New World versions of the same wine, and are more digestible and easier to pair with an assortment of cuisines.

Faced with the folly of prices of some 2009, what are the 2008 or 2007 that you recommend?

In either vintage, I found Bellevue-Mondotte, L’Eglise Clinet, Pavie, Croix de Labrie, and Pavie-Decesse to be excellent wines that were priced more reasonably than some of the most elite producers. I would also recommend the 2007 Troplong Mondot, the 2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou, the 2008 La Violette, the 2008 Branon, the 2008 Cos d’Estournel, the 2008 Leoville Las Cases, and the 2008 Montrose. (See attached list of recommended 2008 Bordeaux.)
Bordeaux in the future

It has been about thirty years since you visit every year or more Bordeaux. What are the major changes that you observed?

There have been major changes in Bordeaux.over the past 32 years. Certainly, there has been more investment in the cellars in terms of high-tech equipment, refrigeration, and better sanitation. In addition, the vineyards are clearly better cultivated. Throughout the course of the year, from viticulture to winemaking, there is far more meticulous handling of the vineyards and the harvested grapes. And certainly the crop yields since the early 1980s have dropped significantly for the top properties as a result of crop thinning. There have also been investments in Bordeaux, coming from large insurance companies and other very wealthy firms who recognize that the great Bordeaux wines have become a luxury brand, much like haute couture, fine art, luxury cars, and high-end watches.

While the world scrambles for the top Bordeaux wines, the “petits Bordeaux” are in great difficulties. Is it a matter of taste or a problem of communication? What advice would you give them? The “petits Bordeaux”, do they still have a future?

I spend a lot of time trying to find good values in petits Bordeaux, and I think many of them should just forget about aging the wine in oak — pick the grapes when are very ripe, age the wine in stainless steel, and bottle it very early. It tastes like Bordeaux, it has lots of fruit, and since these wines are meant to be drunk in their exuberant youth, they have no investment in wood and make a fruitier, better wine that would be widely accepted throughout the world. I do believe the petits Bordeaux have a future.

The global wine market

Will the increase in importance of Asia change the face of wine?

Asia is already having a dramatic impact on the world of fine wine. Having spent the past 12 years conducting educational tastings in Asia, there is an extraordinary market in countries such as South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and to a lesser extent, Thailand. It is a growing market, where the consumers have a tremendous thirst for wine information. How much wine they will buy, and whether they will get past the so-called “luxury image” of fine French wine remains to be seen.

Is there a universal taste for fine wines?

This is like asking if there is a universal taste in art, music, or fashion. I do believe there is a consensus as to what constitutes high quality. If that were not the case, the first growths of Bordeaux would not fetch the prices they do, a Picasso work of art would not sell at astronomical prices, nor would the music of great composers such as Beethoven or Brahms be universally regarded. Of course, there is a certain degree of subjectivity, but there has never been any disagreement regarding  the greatest wines or the greatest vintages.

Internet

You have decided to restrict access to your forum to your subscribers. What are the reasons?

The internet is a wonderful place that I have adopted vigorously. At the same time, it is a place of anarchy, chaos, and anonymity. Many unsavory troublemakers inhabit the internet blogs with the sole purpose of creating chaos and negativity through misrepresentation, the dissemination of false information, and character assassination. We are confronted with a sort of digital Mao-ism that I began to notice when I was hired as the first wine blogger for a service called Prodigy. It started off civilized, but then disintegrated into a polarized community driven by a minority of malicious posters. The same thing began to happen on my public forum atwww.erobertparker.com. We decided several years ago that if it did not stop, we would change it to subscription only. We have done that and we are thrilled with the results. The commentary is at a far higher level of intelligence, and far more civilized. People still disagree, but they do it in a much more polite manner.

Through forums and the blogs, consumers talk to consumers. Is there always a place for impartial critics such as Robert Parker? How “Parker System” suits he face this new situation?

It is my experience that the more “white noise” that comes from free wine forums and blogs, the higher the amount of irrelevant, badly written, grossly incompetent, and negligent wine information is posted. If anything, the proliferation of free wine forums and blogs has actually pushed more and more people to seek out experts who do the work, who have no agenda, who study and appraise the situation fully. There is no substitute for full-time professionals immersed in their field, and intelligent people recognize this. This has only benefited people such as me and other experts in the field.

Will Internet change the world of wine?

The internet may change the world of wine due to the fact that the dissemination of information about wine is immediate. However, that also the depends on the dissemination of fair and balanced information about wine and its producers. If that becomes corrupted, then it will only lead people to more credible authorities on the subject, which I believe is already happening.

Thank you very much.

All the best in wine and life,

—Robert Parker

 

Bordeaux’s Primeur Week April 2010

Programme officiel UGC: la semaine primeurs à Bordeaux qui se déroulera du 30 mars au 1er avril 2010 de 9h30 à 18h00 dans les crus suivants :

• Graves et Pessac-Léognan : Château Smith Haut Lafitte
• Saint-Emilion : Château Beau Séjour Bécot
• Pomerol : Château Gazin
• Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Moulis et Listrac : Château Cantemerle
• Margaux : Château Desmirail
• Pauillac, Saint-Julien et Saint-Estèphe : Château Batailley
• Sauternes, Barsac : Château Dauzac

Programme complémentaire à l’UGC:

§Mercredi 17 Mars 2010 : Avant Première réservée au négoce Hangar 14

§Jeudi 18 Mars 2010 16h à 21h: pré-primeurs Grands Crus de Saint-Emilion

Cours Mably Salle Capitulaire Bordeaux

Inscription avant le 22 Mars: http://www.studiopomelo.com/invitation-agccse-mably/

§Lundi 29 Mars au Jeudi 1^er Avril 2010 : présentation Grands Crus classés Saint Emilion

Château Grand Pontet

Inscription avant le 22 Mars : http://www.studiopomelo.com/invitation-agccse-grand-pontet/

§Lundi 29 Mars au Jeudi 1^er Avril 2010 9h30à 18h00 : Cercle Rive Droite

Hotel Grand Barrail Saint Emilion

Inscription avant le 20 Mars : http://www.cerclerivedroite.com/

§Lundi 29 mars 2010 9h30à 18h00 : présentation des Pessac Leognan

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Inscription avant 19 Mars

§Mardi 30 et Mercredi 31 Mars 2010 : Alliance Crus Bourgeois Médoc

Château de Malleret-Le Pian Médoc

Inscription avant le 26 Mars : http://www.euxtrois.com/pomelo/

§Lundi 29 Mars au Vendredi 2 Avril 2010 : dégustation privée Château Angelus sur RDV

Déjà en dégustation à l’UGC

Right bank first to present the new vintage of 2009

Alcohol and sugar the main problems for 2009

The “Cercle de Rive Droite” (40 properties from St Emilion Grand cru to Bordeaux Superieur) presented their wines to the trade and press at the beginning of March in the French Ambassador’s residence in Kensington, London. The wines were well received with attractive perfume, good concentrated fruit and silky tannins. Good levels of acidity from cool nights provided the “lift”  to compensate the alcohol levels of 14 degrees.

Alain Raynaud (consultant to many of the members and owner of Pomerol Croix de Gay and Fleur de Gay),  said that alcohol and sugar were the big challenges of the vintage.

‘The difficulty was to pick late enough to have ripe tannins, but not so late that you are left with residual sugars in the wines.’

CIVB Recap of Weather conditions for 2009 Bordeaux vintage

As the Bordeaux  “Primeurs” approach (first week of April) here is a recap of the weather conditions experienced to produce what is already being called the vintage of the century> Need to wait for the world’s trade and press including Parker’s verdicts of what they find in the glass……

Yields for sure are small again this year particularly for those affected by the hail. For prices we will have to wait until May/June and who knows…

“Weather conditions this year have been particularly favourable for the vine’s growth cycle and the grapes’ ripening process.”

The months of July and August saw high temperatures and a generous amount of sunshine. This fine weather continued into September, with an alternation between cool nights and warm daytime temperatures, which encouraged a concentration of aromas and an increase in anthocyanins.
The grapes ripened ideally and harvests dates are now being staggered. Crops being gathered are perfectly healthy.

We should keep in mind that hailstorms during the month of March caused significant damage to 19,000 hectares of vines (15% of the total Bordeaux winegrowing region). The extent of this damage varied considerably from one plot to another in vineyards, but the result is a decrease in production.

See blog “Hail hits vineyards in Bordeaux”

Dry white wines
Harvests of white Sauvignon grapes began on 27th August in the earliest-ripening areas. In September harvesting of this variety became widespread and continued afterwards with the Sémillon variety. Harvests for dry whites are now finished.

Red wines
The berries are intensely aromatic, full of flavour, showing excellent concentration in sugar; the pips are crunchy and the skins appear to have marvellous colour potential (anthocyanan levels are high). Acidity levels are low; this is an indication of excellent ripeness.

Sweet white wines
Gathered by successive stages of manual sorting on the vine, harvests of grapes for sweet white wines have barely begun. Weather conditions were ideal for these grapes that undergo the influence of an extremely specific micro-climate. Humidity, in the form of early-morning
mists, encourages the work of the botrytis cinerea fungus (noble rot), a vital factor for producing these wines. Very warm daytime temperatures dry out the grapes and concentrate all their flavours. The grapes express remarkable aromatic potential.

Weather Conditions (source Meteo France)
March : a generous amount of sunshine, temperatures slightly above average and rainfall levels less than half the average of the past 30 years. In the vineyards: budburst (when the buds open and small leaves appear) began at the end of the month. Sunshine 220.35 hours, rainfall 31mm, temperature 12.4C.

April: a mild month, particularly rainy, with a lack of sunshine. Sunshine 235 hours, rainfall 78.4mm, temperature 10.1C.

May: fine weather, with summery temperatures and an excellent amount of sunshine; there was, however, a slight lack of rainfall. Violent hailstorms occurred on 11th, 13th and 25th May. No winegrowing
area of the Bordeaux region was spared (Médoc, Graves, Entre-deux-Mers,Saint-Emilion, Blaye, Bourg, Premières Côtes). In the vineyards: at the end of May, flowering begins. Early and swift, it
becomes widespread at the beginning of the month of June. Sunshine 159.35 hours, rainfall 115.8mm, temperature 17.3C.

June: a dry, warm month, with a remarkable amount of sunshine and temperatures 2 degrees higher than the average of the past 30 years. In the vineyards: on 15th June flowering had finished in the earliest areas. This is the period of berry setting (fertilised flowers turn into tiny grape berries). Sunshine 293 hours, rainfall 75mm, temperature 20.3C.

July: a warm month (temperatures slightly above average) and a generous amount of sunshine.In the vineyards: beginning of the véraison period. The berries swell and grape skins begin to change
colour. Sunshine 262.31 hours, rainfall 46.6mm, temperature 21.5C.

August: extremely good weather, warm and sunny (+ 27 hours of sunshine). There was a slight lack of
rainfall compared with the average of the past 30 years. In the vineyards: ripening is encouraged by excellent weather conditions. Sunshine 270.34 hours (30 year average 242.55 hours). Rainfall 23mm (30 year average 59.5mm). Temperature 22.3 degrees C (30 year average 20.9)

September: a second month of August! Temperatures are slightly above the average of the past 30 years. There is a lack of rainfall, but an extraordinary amount of sunshine (+ 50 hours). In the vineyards: it’s time for the first harvests to begin. Sunshine 233.49 hours (30 year average 182.49 hours). rainfall 48.6mm (30 year average 90.3mm). temp average 19.2 degrees C (30 year average 18.1).

According to statistics from Meteo France in Merignac, Bordeaux, the 2009 vintage has been above average so far in both sunshine and temperature.

Sunshine
May 253 hours of sunshine, against 30 year average of 220 hours
June 300 hours of sun against 30 year average of 225 hours
July, 263 hours of sunshine against a 30-year average of 243 hours
In August, up to 28th of the month already at 220 hours, with average for whole 31 days usually 240 hours, so at very least will be average, probably slightly above average.

Temperature
May 17.3°C against a 30-year average of 15.4°C
June 20.3°C against a 30-year average of 18.3°C
July 21.5°C against a 30-year average of 20.8°C.
With four days still remaining in August, the average temperature has been 22.6°C, against a 30 year average of 20.9°C.

Rainfall
May 78mm, against 30 year average of 84mm
June 75mm against 30 year average of 64mm (but this fell in storms, so affected isolated areas in short bursts).
July 46mm, against 30 year average of 54mm.
Rainfall in August has so far (up to Aug 28) been just 20mm, against a 30 year average of 60mm.

Source: www.newbordeaux.com