By Bibendumtimes
Haut Brion harvest
If you listen to the Bordelais every vintage is good one. Despite their tendency towards hyperbole it seems that 2009 might just live up to the hype. But it is always safer to hear a local voice. First here are Jane Anson’s general thoughts on the vintage. Jane is a wine and travel writer based in Bordeaux. She is also Bordeaux correspondent for Decanter so if something happens in Bordeaux she’ll be the first to know! Check her website for regular updates.
“With everyone already talking about this being the new 2005 (and that’s just the low-key ones, the rest are bandying about 1982, 1945, 1947…), the count-down to the en primeurs has very definitely begun. Speaking as someone who lives here, has followed the vintage and tasted a number of vats across both banks, I think they are right to be feeling confident over the quality. Whether they are right to be as confident over the prices remains to be seen… “
If you’re passionate about details then Bill Blatch’s report will make you happy. Bill runs Bordeaux negociant Vintex. His analyses of the vintages in Bordeaux are renowned for being detailed, to put it mildly. We handpicked a few quotes from his report; check Jancisrobinson.com for the full story.
The Reds
“The high alcohol levels are of course the main defining feature of the vintage. These are strong powerful wines, stronger than any Châteauneuf-du-Pape and as strong as any Oz Shiraz. Generally, this is the absolute limit of what Bordeaux red wines can or should achieve in terms of concentration – but then we said that in 2000, in 2003, and again in 2005.”
“Of course there will be the annual contest between left and right bank. The wines of the right bank, are clearly more powerful in all aspects, especially in alcohol, whilst those of the left bank balance the equation through the most concentrated Cabernets they have ever experienced.”
“Comparisons with other vintages are proverbially difficult to make, but maybe we can say that 2009 is what 1982 or 1985 would have been if the vineyard and the yields had been managed as today, or what the 1947 would have been if the vinification had been controlled as today. Better? We’ll see.”
The Dry whites
“These are totally different wines from last year. The 2008s had been steely and citrus flavoured, whereas these 2009s are fat and rich with a roundness of peachy fruit, as one would expect after such a summer.”
The Sweets
“The general conclusion is that this is indeed a great vintage: the extreme richness is nicely balanced by acidity, with final blends typically at 14° alcohol, 7-9° of residual sugar and a refreshing 3.8 g/l or so total acidity.”
“The aromas are already very interesting, with beautiful complex flavours of all sorts. Many châteaux – and not the least – managed to balance out their sweetness by doing a bigger early pick, so obviating the need to pick non-botrytis grapes later. Maybe these will turn out to be more true-blue Sauternes than the rest. We will see.”
Conclusion
“Is the concentration of the 2009s the result of global warming? The answer is quite clearly yes: the average temperature in South West France has risen by more than 1 °C over the past 50 years, and, as we have seen, the changes in the transatlantic air currents are provoking wetter springs and drier summers. However, there seem to be other cycles at work too: the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s were cooler in Bordeaux, and the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s warmer. So it’s quite possible that for the next 30 years, there could be a battle between global warming on the one hand and a return to a natural cool period on the other. “
Finally for those of you who need some official authority. Check Jane’s website for the official press release from the CIVB (Conseil INterprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux). And yes you guessed correctly it is yet another vintage of the century.
Tags: Bordeaux, bordeaux 2009, France, Harvest report