Bordeaux 2008 is, quite frankly, a vintage that has taken most of us by surprise. Who would have thought that after months of continuous bad weather and set-backs in the vineyards, and weeks of speculation about the quality of the wines, that we would actually come away with anything better than mediocre praise for these specimens? But there’s no denying that many of the wines surpassed our expectations (though it must be said that many didn’t). Either way, it is certainly a unique vintage, and I caught up with Jancis Robinson MW for our annual En Primeur review (this time on video!) to discuss the highs and the lows. Jancis tells me that she was surprised and delighted from the outset and talks about how many of these refreshing wines will be ‘an agreeable shock’ to those who had doubted the vintage.
Watch the video here to see our views on what Jancis describes as ‘a vintage like no other’.
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A week on from tasting almost 400 wines and having many heated discussions with négociants and châteaux owners I feel fairly upbeat about Bordeaux 2008 as the prices start to come out.
From a qualitative level 2008 is a mixed bag. It’s not a Right Bank or a Left Bank year, nor a Cabernet or Merlot vintage. It all has come down to which châteaux had the nerve and skill to let their grapes sit on the vine longer and absorb all that wonderful Indian summer sun. This, combined with huge attention to detail and their rigorous selection at all stages. Some of the wines I tasted have the cool precision of 2002 but with the puppy fat of 2004 and mineral excitement of 2006. At the cheaper end of the market, where the money wasn't spent in the vineyard, or there was reluctance to make that selection, the wines are really mean and will make selection of Petits Châteaux even harder than usual in a few years’ time. However, for certain Grand Châteaux there are some beauties and I shall definitely be adding a few to my cellar this year.
Out of the 385 wines tasted, we have narrowed the shopping list down to 42 wines, which will be offered subject to prices. The shortlist fall into three categories – Top 10 BB&R Favourites (which should offer good value); Top 10 Buys ISF (If Sanity Prevails) and The Best (but unlikely to be a bargain).
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Always variable in years like these, Margaux is probably the most difficult of the left bank appellations to taste. Margaux itself delicate and fresh, Palmer all correct and easier to gauge at this stage than in most years. Brane-Cantenac soft and supple. Giscours both structured and supple and du Tertre, our base for the past few days, is soft, textured, fruit-driven and quite delicious. Indeed we have enjoyed 2002, 2001 and 1982 du Tertre over the past 24 hours. Excellent wines from a most generous and amiable host, Alexander van Beek. Thank you. (JF)
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A busy day. Not quite the consistency of St Julien, though pleasing all in all. First mention must go to Cos for both a brilliantly made 2008 and the astonishing cuverie (see the picture, left). Jean-Guillaume Prats is a man with vision and this is the future. Simply astonishing, and it clearly works. In Pauillac, Latour and Mouton were the wines of the day for me: Mouton seduces with its flashy fruit whilst Latour inspires with its class. Lafite is frequently subdued at this stage but has its inimitable Lafite character shining through. Lynch-Bages as excellent as one would expect and Grand-Puy-Lacoste likewise. And, of course, Batailley: exactly as it should be. (JF)
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Another interesting and variable day. The late sunshine of 2008 clearly did much good for the Cabernet of the Medoc, but what about the Merlot of the Right Bank and Graves? There is more variation here but still some lovely wines. In Graves the sheer class and breeding of Haut-Brion pips La Mission for me (see the picture of us tasting at Haut-Brion), and the brilliantly pure Haut-Bailly a nap for all the team. I always find the Right Bank harder to call but Larcis Ducasse and Pavie Macquin are impeccably made wines and the quality at the Ausone stable as breathtakingly good as expected. The vintage on this side of the Gironde is to me a little like a more powerful version of 2004. Pauillac tomorrow: bring it on. (JF)
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After checking in at the beautiful Ch. du Tertre and a quick lunch in Margaux we headed north to taste in St Julien, invariably the most consistent appellation of Bordeaux. Not knowing quite what to expect, I think it fair to say that we have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the '08s so far. We all know that these wines have to be released at pre-2005 prices but, prices and politics to one side, Beychevelle are clearly following their upward trajectory in terms of quality, Branaire cool and pure, the two Bartons impeccably made as ever, Ducru highly impressive and Poyferre as stylish as ever. I haven't quite pinned the vintage down yet ('01? '02 with more flesh?) but hope that tomorrow's tastings in Graves and St Emilion will be as pleasing as today's. A few wines released in our absence look to be pricey, though we have heard some sensible words today, notably at Leoville-Barton. We shall see...
So the week is over, and what a week it has been. Sitting now at Merignac airport, all the talk is of the 2008 wines and how they have completely astonished us.
We came to Bordeaux with open minds but, nonetheless, couldn't help but expect to be faced with dilute, green, tannic wines. This has not been the case. There has been no sense of green, unripe fruit in anything we have tasted all week and, on the contrary, it must be said that in many instances we have been seriously impressed with the quality we have found in the wines. Pessac-Leognan this morning was an eye-opener. To be fair, we only tasted wines from four chateaux today but these were all uniformly excellent.
Haut-Brion had amazing concentration and complex aromas and flavours of dark fruits and spice. La Mission had elements of red fruit and was elegant, very rich and very pure, but for us the complexity of Haut-Brion won the day. However, given their affordability, the wines from both Domaine de Chevalier and Haut-Bailly really shone with Haut-Bailly for us being definitely one of the wines of the whole week that will end up in our own cellars.
Bordeaux 2008 is certainly an unusual vintage. There may have been bad weather in the summer but the fine autumn appears to have transformed the wines and really rewarded those producers who put in the hard work in the vineyards all year round. We have only tasted the chateaux in which we already had faith but nonetheless feel we now have a snapshot overview of the vintage based on how the best of the best did in 2008. Here is Nick Pegna's (Managing Director of Berrys' in Hong Kong) view, filmed at the end of yesterday's tastings:
2008 appears to be a vintage which is defined by its ripeness, purity of fruit and precision; not one for long haul perhaps, except in the case of a few big guns such as Ausone and Latour, but certainly superior to 2007. Neither we, or any producer we have visited, feels able to really compare this to any other Bordeaux vintage. Some say it is a cross between 2002 and 2004. Others have compared it to 1988 which is the only previous harvest which went on nearly so late. For now we would conclude that it is certainly a curiosity - but a curiosity of such fine quality that it should not be missed. Prices of course will be key, as will the ability to buy in challenging economic times, however if, as we are hoping, the wines are more affordable in 2008, this vintage could provide some absolute bargains not to miss. Now it is over to the chateaux and the negociants to make the right decisions regarding pricing and distribution this year. We will keep you informed.
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