The Vintage
2008 will remain in the memory as a year of particularly changeable weather. Following a cool and wet Spring which included some late frost, the weather finally began to improve in June with the vegetative cycle already two weeks behind.
July was dry and sunny, although it was easy to forget this by the end of a dull, grey August which called for careful vineyard management. August was compounded by a lack of sunshine in the first half of September which seemed to herald a difficult vintage.
For the second time in two years a magnificent Indian summer that began on 14th of September and continued through until the 20th of October. This, coupled with a drying north-east wind, saved the vintage. Because the vines flowered late, and July had been warm, the grapes began this period of Autumn sun in much better condition than in 2007, attaining full ripeness and acquiring better concentration of sugars, tannins and acid.
Frost in April, some hail in May, a delayed, listless flowering and the constant threat of mildew were just some of the problems encountered. The warm July was important in that it brought hydric stress during the time the building blocks of phenolic compounds in the grapes are being laid. The fine weather from the middle of September and excellent forecast meant that this was a very late harvest in all parts. 'Heterogeneous' was an often-heard word during our four days of tasting.
Although yields were in many places painfully low (25hl/ha at Cheval Blanc) overall quality is good to excellent. Most wines have good balance with ripe, fine grained tannins, refreshing acidity and a real sense of 'terroir'.
Médoc
Unsurprisngly those with well situated vineyards and the resources to farm them effectively produced the best wines. As ever St-Julien was the most consistent of the famous four communes, Pauillac was also excellent with St-Estèphe not far behind. Most of these more northerly châteaux picked late and put a large portion of their Merlot into second wines, relying on some excellent Cabernet Sauvignon giving real definition and typicity to the grands vins (Latour has 94% Cabernet in the blend). Petit Verdot was a real success in 2008 and those with plantings used it to good effect.
Margaux was disappointing with too many simple, dilute wines which had been over-worked and heavily oaked. The Haut-Médoc, Listrac and Moulis tasting was much more enjoyable than last year with some plump, well made wines which will come together well over the next 10-12 years.
Graves and Pessac-Léognan
Careful selection was also the key here with Haut-Brion conducting three tries through their Merlot. Quality was more consistent in both red and white with supple, harmonious wines which as usual will bridge the gap between the right and left banks. There was a minerality and clarity in the best examples, with Haut-Brion the pick of the two big guns as far as we were concerned.
Whites are good, if not exceptional like in 2007, with tiny yields they are less exotic with Haut-Brion, Laville and Domaine de Chevalier all excellent.
St-Emilion and Pomerol
Stylistically we found Pomerol more pleasing and reliable than St-Emilion - no great surprise. Extended harvesting periods were the norm with some estates taking up to three weeks to picks plots which can be picked in three days. As usual the St-Emilion tasting produced wines ranging from the Porty and oxidative to the complex and elegant. Ausone was concentrated and impressive, Cheval Blanc polished, and Figeac charming.
In Pomerol there were reports of young vines coping better with the unpredictable weather and especially rapid changes in temperature than old vines. Edouard Moueix recounted physically tasting bunches rather than relying on analysis before taking the decision to harvest. The best wines had floral, mineral notes, a rich texture and will age well - classic Pomerol.
Sauternes and Barsac
A good quality vintage without the complexity or balancing acidity of 2007, many of the wines displayed notes of canned pineapple and a barley sugar finish. We will approach with caution!
The Market
Times are challenging for Bordeaux's top Châteaux. The seemingly insatiable demand for their product, fuelled by the excellence of the 2005 vintage, drove prices skywards. Things have turned full circle, however, and the global economic slowdown is putting negative pressure on fine wine pricing. The relative strength of the Euro is also making export markets for Bordeaux (in particular the UK) a real challenge.
With this being so, we clearly hope for sensible pricing, which ideally means prices returning to pre-2005 levels. We will of course only purchase wines which we believe in and which offer value for money. The tastings were a pleasant surprise, if the wines are priced intelligently then this could be a good year to purchase en primeur.