News & Events

Bordeaux

THE 2007 VINTAGE


A Review



MARK SAVAGE M.W.

INTRODUCTION

As one of those vintages destined to be the victim of negative press reports even before the grapes are off the vine, 2007 starts its commercial life with a handicap. With vintages such as 2003 and 2005 there was a danger of overassessment, but in 2007 the opposite is the case. Premature misjudgement as well as plain nonsense is a common problem, so the natural sceptic and the prudent purchaser will be in search of an insight based upon experience rather than exaggeration. I will start by looking at the facts that distinguished the actual growing season.

The key to understanding 2007 can be found by comparing it with the 2003 vintage, to appreciate the extraordinary length of time from the flowering to the picking. It has rightly been described by Jancis Robinson as the “polar opposite” of 2003 for the very good reason that the respective growing seasons were so different. Where the 2003 was some ten days shorter than normal, the 2007 was at least three weeks longer , allowing the fruit to reach full physiological maturity and the tannins to ripen fully as well as the natural sugars.(The norm for Bordeaux is around 110 days from flowering to picking, but in 2007 the figure was around 130-140 days.) The effect of three weeks of extra photosynthesis on the final maturity of the grapes is therefore the clue to the potential quality in this vintage. All Bordeaux vintages are different; it is this extended maturation period that makes the 2007 vintage so unusual.

No one denies that 2007 made greater than usual demands on the vigilance of the ‘vigneron’, but the problems were manageable. It just required a lot more effort and it was an expensive vintage to produce as a result, but the suggestion that a ‘difficult’ vintage is consequently a feeble one must be resisted. In fact it was possible to make red wines free of rot, under-ripeness, or the effects of dilution, the three perennial problems in the Bordeaux winefield, even if they have not been to the forefront in recent years.

The key months were April and September, both of them warm and dry and therefore crucial, given the dull summer that came between them. Without the early budbreak and flowering brought on by the same glorious weather in April that we enjoyed in England, the final maturity would never have been attained for the following four months were anxious ones for the vineyard manager. The threat from mildew was severe, but growers are well alert to that danger and respond accordingly, just as they did in 2000 incidentally, but no one ever mentions that now. The danger of underripeness was all too apparent at the end of August, but a desperate situation was saved by a superb autumn. The final month before harvest solved the problem, with warm dry days and cool nights and growers were able to wait until the middle of October without risk. The best fruit was probably harvested on or close to October 7th. It is the final ten days or so of the growing season that have the biggest influence on the final quality of the wine. In 2007 the slow ripening allowed for a more gentle degradation of the tannins and the result of that is more graceful wine than we see in typical 2003’s, where many growers were rushed into picking too soon in fear of falling acidity and rising sugar and consequent alcohol levels in the finished wine. In 2007 there was no need for anxiety on that account and what we see is a return to the style of an earlier era when growers were rightly satisfied with achieving 12.5% in their cabernets, perhaps a degree more in the merlot. Great vintages such as 1953, 1964, 1966 and even the legendary 1961 were picked at similar, if not lower levels of potential alcohol than the 2007 and the result was finesse rather than mere concentration. The successes of 2007 will, I suspect, show much greater refinement than most 2003s and refinement is surely the objective of great claret. Some of us will indeed relish the prospect of lower alcohol. The good wines of 2007 show ripe fruit and a most desirable freshness. The acidities are relatively low, which would hardly have been the case if the fruit was unripe, while the tannins are excellent and, most importantly, ripe and will provide good structure. Many commentators are saying that that 2007 will be a precocious vintage for short term drinking, useful while one waits for the more ‘serious’ vintages such as 2005 and 2006 to mature. If they are ready to enjoy in their first decade, like the 1997s, then I will not complain, but my guess is that they have the essential balance and structure to last a good deal longer than many of the critics are suggesting. Good claret has a habit of lasting longer than even the ‘experts’ suggest.

I wonder if those who have been so quick to dismiss 2007 are perhaps the same people who were happy to jump on the ‘vintage of the century’ bandwagon for the 2003s? The enthusiasm of the Robert Parker school of tasting and the transatlantic palate did much to push the price of 2003s beyond their proper value, so perhaps their negative assessments on 2007 can be safely ignored by those who prefer delicacy and refreshment in their wine rather than alcohol and stewed fruit. It is my belief that there are going to be many rewarding wines from this vintage, though homogeneity is not a characteristic and the selection process will be a bumpier ride than it was with 2000 or 2005 when only the incompetent failed to make good wine and you did not need to be a very experienced taster of young wines to make a safe decision. 2007 presents the professional with a more interesting challenge.

In conclusion, my inclination is, not for the first time, to take a somewhat different stance from what appears to be the general view on this vintage. We did not get carried away by the widespread frenzy over the 2003s and told customers at the time that we felt too many of the wines were overvalued. Conversely, we are happy to suggest that there will be pleasant surprises in 2007. Vitality and energy in wine comes from fruit that has freshness. If you eat fruit that was picked in the cool of the morning it tastes crisper and more refreshing than that which was picked during the heat of the afternoon when the plant shuts down for a siesta. If this most recent vintage does not appear to have a glamorous enough image then perhaps we should be referring to it as the 007!

What is unambiguously clear is that 2007 has proved a great year for the white wines of Bordeaux, both dry and sweet. Years ending with a 7 have often proved propitious for Sauternes it seems, with 1997, 1967, 1947 and 1937 all springing to mind. The white grapes had great aromatic intensity, the natural result of a cool growing season, and there is great acidity, always a prerequisite for successful sweet wine. They will last a long time, so those who may be looking for suitable presents for godchildren could do a lot worse than look in this direction. For once, it would be no surprise if the demand for the white wines was greater than for the reds. We have already bought several and expect to add to our list later in the year.

MARK SAVAGE May 21st 2008

OPENING OFFERS

WHITE WINES
With my continuing concern over the current quality of much Cote d’Or white Burgundy, the case for turning one’s attention to alternatives from Bordeaux is strong. The improvement in quality in the region over the last few years has been remarkable.
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DUBOIS CHALLON Blanc ‘Cuvee Amandine’ £66.00 per dozen
A delicious dry white wine made by one of my oldest friends in the Bordeaux region, Pascal Delbeck, now sole proprietor of Chateau Belair, formerly the property of the late Madame Dubois-Challon. This is an attractive blend of sauvignon, semillon and muscadelle, fermented and matured briefly in new casks, but have no fear, the oak is in no way intrusive. I kicked myself for failing to remember to buy it last year and this time I am not making the same mistake. A wine of considerable class at an almost ridiculously low price, it weighs in at a refreshing 12.5% alcohol with plenty of charming fruit and offers a much surer reward than much Puligny Montrachet these days.NB:This wine will be available from September 2008.

DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER Pessac –Leognan £550.00 per dozen
Described by owner Olivier Bernard as one of the three greatest wines produced here since 1983, I do not think dry white Bordeaux gets any better than this. Only those who are quick off the mark stand much chance of getting their hands on what is bound to be a small allocation for us, as always, and this year with the reputation of the white wines already established, the demand will be sure to exceed the supply even more than is usually the case. Drink young or keep for 20 years, as you wish..

DOISY DAENE Barsac
2eme Cru Classé £275.00 per dozen
This is yet another triumph for oenologue-proprietaire Denis Dubourdieu, probably the leading white wine expert of Bordeaux. The acidity is there to carry the concentration of sweetness. This is always a chateau to follow nowadays. The value should be obvious.

CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY Sauternes
1er Cru Classé £350.00 per dozen
90% semillon and 8% sauvignon. Another in the long line of recent successes here for M.Pauly, with richness and real complexity, it is not just a sweet wine, but an expression of extraordinary fruit. Given the quality the price seems modest.

LA TOUR BLANCHE Sauternes
1er Cru Classé £375.00 per dozen
With its 5% of muscadelle adding attractive grace notes of tropical fruit to the 80% semillon and 15% sauvignon, this is a chateau that has made real progress since 2001. Once upon a time it was rated even more highly than Yquem itself. Its 2004 was the best Sauternes of the vintge in my book (leaving Yquem out of consideration) and the 2007 is again among the best.



RED WINES

THE LEFT BANK

HAUT MEDOC
CHATEAU PUY CASTERA £84.00 per dozen
This vineyard continues to offer a genuine incentive to the ‘en primeur’ buyer, since the wine is invariably more expensive once it appears on our list after the bottling. (cf. 2005 vintage now at £12.50 per bt.). Alix Mares has made a truly charming wine, with a fresh, clean, sweet fruit flavour, a hint of spice and pepper, and good structure with soft tannins. The yield was a meagre 35 hectos per hectare due to poor fruit set, but there was no loss to mildew. Her wine will as usual offer immediate gratification as soon as it is shipped, a perfect solution for those who do not want to lay things down for 10-20 years.

GRAVES
DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER Rouge £275.00 per dozen
When I spoke to owner Olivier Bernard after the harvest in October he was smiling with relief at the result of the ‘petit miracle’ that had come to the rescue in September to save the vintage from oblivion or at least mediocrity and now I was anxious to see the results. The reason for his enthusiasm was clear. They have produced one of the great successes of the vintage, a wine of genuine class and originality. I would argue with anyone who might consider it inferior to their 2006, but it is of course early days to be passing final judgement. It is a ‘must buy’ for me this year and I cannot wait to see what it tastes like this autumn and next spring after its second winter in cask.



THE RIGHT BANK

POMEROL
CHATEAU GUILLOT CLAUZEL £225.00 per dozen
At barely over one hectare this property is small even by Pomerol standards. It is virtually contiguous with Le Pin, whose wine now sells for over £1000 per bottle as soon as it is released. We might dare to suggest that there is a rather better ratio of quality to price on offer here from its neighbour, as yet unaffected by speculative demand and ‘must have’ superspenders.




THE WINES OF FRANCOIS MITJAVILE

Saint Emilion and Bourg-sur-Gironde

After 29 consecutive vintages experience, we have come to expect that the more difficult the vintage the greater will be the wine. Proprietors of important chateaux in Bordeaux who actually understand and work their vineyards at first hand have become a minority these days, but they are the ones who are most likely to be able to make good wines when the conditions are at their trickiest, because they properly understand the priorities of good vineyard management and how to get the best out of their own particular vines and soils. I spoke to Francois Mitjavile in the middle of last August when most Bordeaux growers were long-faced at the lack of sunshine, yet even then he was full of enthusiasm and optimism for the forthcoming vintage as he knew that his vines were in rude health and doing their job well.

Having succeeded in harvesting mature fruit, the actual winemaking process should be relatively straightforward. We expect nothing but the best from his wines and 2007 is no disappointment. On the contrary it promises to be up with the most delicious wines ever made here. The 1997 is a vintage of which Francois is particularly proud and for which both of us have always had a soft spot. We both hope and expect 2007 to be at least its equal and as such will prove to be one of the very best wines of the vintage in Bordeaux this year.

Very small quantities of Tertre Roteboeuf are to be found on the market after the wines are bottled and the market price for these is exceptionally firm as a result. His wines thus still fully meet my criteria for ‘en primeur’ purchasing: they offer exceptional quality, subsequent availability is relatively difficult and the opening price is the lowest that one is likely to see. The same can not be said of many of the top wines of Bordeaux today. As usual at Tertre Roteboeuf , the crop was pitifully small and our allocation for the UK market is unlikely to be large enough to allow us to meet the anticipated demand, even in a year when the demand for ‘en primeur’ Bordeaux may not be very obvious.

ROC DE CAMBES: exotic and exciting, there seems to be so much more than just great Bordeaux merlot and cabernet here, with suggestions of Northern Rhone syrah as well as the kind of rich pinot character that comes from the greatest of Burgundian vineyard sites. The result is one of intriguing and voluptuous complexity. Impossible to spit out!

TERTRE ROTEBOEUF: more classically Bordeaux in style and structure at present, superbly original in personality and in no way difficult to taste or enjoy even at this early formative stage of its development. Open, full of energy, more muscle than fat perhaps at this stage, but without any trace of harsh astringency thanks to the soft, ripe tannins, superbly sensual rather than austere.






DOMAINE DE CAMBES
BORDEAUX £195 PER DOZEN
IN BOND
ROC DE CAMBES
COTES DE BOURG £295 PER DOZEN
IN BOND
TERTRE ROTEBOEUF
ST. EMILION £425 PER CASE OF SIX BOTTLES
IN BOND






NB: ALL WINES IN THIS ‘EN PRIMEUR’ OFFER ARE QUOTED LYING IN BOND U.K. Charges for duty, carriage and V.A.T. will be invoiced following shipment after the bottling in 2009, with the exception of the Dubois Challon Blanc which will be available from September 2008.


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