The Bordeaux rumour mill 2009 “The Vintage”

The Bordeaux rumour mill has been working overtime since the autumn of last year when tales of a sensational vintage first began to circulate. These were not unfounded and the hyperbole has since gone into overdrive.

For the most part, the weather behaved itself in 2009 delivering plentiful water in the early months followed by a very warm, dry summer. With the cool nights and these warm days through September, helped by a touch of rain in mid-month, the grapes developed great depth of colour and extended the ripening process through to the middle of October, the harvest being one of the latest in recent years. This extended ‘hang time’ has created powerful but ripe tannins and levels of concentration not seen before. This is the reason why we have a great vintage on our hands – and it is also the source of its problems. Alarmed by high sugar levels in their grapes and fearing excessive alcohol levels some growers picked too early, some waited too long and others having harvested a perfect crop then proceeded to ‘work’ it as they usually do, producing wines that are over-extracted.

In fact, ‘over-extracted’ was a term frequently heard across Bordeaux during our visit – a term mostly associated with the vinification of Merlot. By pumping the wine over the ‘cap’, and plunging this cap of skins down into the fermenting mass, winemakers endeavour to extract as much colour and tannin as the wine can support, in order to tick the charm, balance and longevity boxes. In poor vintages, they have to work harder at it, but in great vintages (like 09), they needed to be a little less enthusiastic. We spotted a lot of over-enthusiasm in our tasting travels.

Across Bordeaux, we constantly heard the initials IPT mentioned, followed by a digit in the late 70s or mid 80s. Aware that this was some kind of ripeness index, it took but a few minutes to explode these initials into Indice des Polyphénols Totaux which, simply put, gives a measurement of the total tannins. The way these figures were bandied about, however, led us to believe that this was the ultimate panacea to understanding the relevance of a good summer, combined with a perfect harvest and total ripeness. When we asked of Cheval Blanc what was their IPT in 09 – so glibly did this flow from our tannin soaked lips, we were marginally taken aback by their total disregard for our new toy – dismissing this ‘index’ as just that, and in no way indicative of quality. Considering their wines were some of the best of the vintage, we decided not to continue elsewhere with this line of enquiry, in case we met similar, withering responses from others!

There is no doubt that 2009 is a great vintage, but it is one that surprised us by its variations. It is a vintage that needs very careful selection, because it is the it that one tries to put one’s finger on to define the essence of the vintage, that eludes us. Is it a Right Bank (Merlot) year or a Left Bank (Cabernet Sauvignon) year? This is the standard question to which, again, there is no clear answer for the 2009 vintage. We will however favour the left bank because fully ripened Cabernets returned alcohol levels of 13° to 13.5° degrees whereas the Merlots were frequently coming in at 14° or 14.5°. We did find that whenever we particularly liked a wine, it invariably contained at least 5% of Petit Verdot in the mix, and this tended to be on the Left Bank.

We found many wines with impressive concentration, mouth-feel, structure and texture, but it was when these component parts were allied to what we referred to as ‘freshness’- which is natural fruit acidity, that we found wines to truly excite.

The Market

There is a week in May when the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux organises all the Châteaux from one commune to show their wines under a marquee, winery roof or combination of the two, enabling us to tour and taste nearly all the grander estates within a few days. Normally, one would expect there to be around four thousand of the world’s wine buying elite, but to taste the 2009 vintage, the hotels in and around Bordeaux were heaving with a reported 6000 buyers, and we found ourselves rubbing shoulders with buyers from Bejing, Moscow, Fiji, Australia, US, Europe…and more. Indeed, the world and his wife were there. (Mr Chase, who several months ago in a light hearted moment, had signed himself in as coming from Ouzbékistan rather than the UK, cast nervous glances over his shoulder expecting to be warmly addressed in a language that could prove somewhat challenging.) The interest from established buyers and new markets is high, and this means that there will be a scramble for the very top wines. These Châteaux will undoubtedly play the ‘long game’ as far as releasing their prices is concerned, and we may be well into June before this happens. We will be joining the fray to secure what we can for Adnams’ customers. When it happens it will be fast and furious, so it would be best for all who would like a slice of the action, to let us know your needs well in advance. Send us your shopping lists, and preference will be given to regular customers. Do not expect any bargains at the top end, and prepare yourselves for a sharp intake of breath when you see how much they are going to charge !

If you would like to be on the receiving end of Rob Chase’s ‘Latest Releases’ emails, please let him know via rob.chase@adnams.co.uk – ASAP.

The Tastings

All the glamour and glitz lies at the top end of the market and there are some absolute showstoppers here. We particularly liked Lafite, Margaux and Haut Brion but Cheval Blanc was jaw droppingly supreme. Château Palmer stood out as did Ducru Beaucaillou,  Pichon-Lalande and the several Léovilles – namely Barton, Langoa and Las Cases. Their junior estates and second wines were equally impressive. We failed to get in to Latour and Ausone this year, but reports are of superlative wines.

A few days after our return from the week’s tasting (at least 48 hours of rest is needed before the taste buds can work effectively again) Alastair went down to his cellar and re-emerge with a bottle of 2000 Château Le Doyenné – a simple Premières Côtes de Bordeaux that he had originally bought ‘en primeur’, with only one thing in mind – pleasure. Ten years on, and it was a delight which served only to reinforce the Adnams belief that the real fun of a great year is in its ‘little’ wines, which can deliver what we all want – quality and value for money. A day or two prior to departure, Mr Chase indulged in a couple of wines from his cellar – in order, he insisted, to hone his palate prior to the annual Bordelais onslaught. The first bottle was the very junior 2005 Pézat from Château Teyssier in St Emilion. It cost a snip when purchased en primeur, and was outstanding value, as indeed was the 2000 Château Mazeris from Canon-Fronsac. Remarkable fruit and structurally perfect.

The Offer

The first part of the Adnams offer will consist of a selection of ‘Petits Châteaux’ which we urge you to indulge in without reservation. These wines will, in the next five to ten years, be the bottles you turn to when you want something special, without going over the top. This is where the value is. This is where the fun is. (Watch also this space for Monte Bello, Geyserville and Cornerstone (NZ) en primeurs).

The second part will consist of better known names such as Château d’Angludet or Château Chasse Spleen, which we anticipate selling in May.

The third and final part will consist of the top Châteaux and you need to let us know your interest here, as demand will exceed supply.

Other Things To Do In Bordeaux

During our recent visit we stayed in various locations…

The Hôtel de France in Libourne. Well appointed capacious rooms in a hotel that we picked not only for its comfort but its proximity to the train station, since we travelled by TGV. Libourne is centrally placed for visiting the region with St Emilion only 15 minutes away and the picturesque Bourg and Blaye regions not far to the north.

Before you get to Bourg you would pass through the Fronsac region and in the village of La Rivière lies (not unsurprisingly) the Château La Rivière. This is a very picturesque estate which now caters for wine tourists, and is the source of the Adnams Claret. Best suited to groups of friends, the rooms are very well appointed and you have sensational views over the Dordogne river. A tour of their vast cellars is a must (8.5 hectares of cellars!)

If you want to move from the right bank to the Médoc, then the preferred Adnams method is to avoid the Rocade or ring road around Bordeaux city, as it is frequently prone to long delays – and instead drive up to the town of Blaye on the right bank and catch the ferry across the mighty Gironde estuary to Lamarque which is only 15 minutes to the south of Pauillac. In Pauillac there is a modest hotel called the France & Angleterre. We always ask for rooms in the cheaper and less well appointed main building as they have views over the estuary, and from here you can watch the big ships navigating their way up and down this busy shipping lane. There is a selection of restaurants along the waterfront but the trendy place to eat around Pauillac is Le Vinale just outside town. (If you have the energy it’s but a 20 minute walk to get to Château Lynch Bages where they have a rather toy-town redevelopment of a French village going on behind the château. Le Vinale is to be found here). It is relaxed and unpretentious and, as far as we were concerned, the perfect place to finish up after a long days tasting.

The city of Bordeaux is now, after many years of development, a delightful place to visit, and the quay area infinitely more presentable than it used to be. At the top end of the Allée de Tournée is the opera house, and opposite is the newly restored, five star, Regent Hotel. Distinctly more modest and just beside the opera house, is the Hôtel des Quatre Soeurs, but both hotels place you within a stone’s throw of a favourite Adnams watering hole, the Brasserie Le Noaille. A great place from which to watch the world go by.

Alastair Marshall & Rob Chase, Spring 2010