Bordeaux Enjoys the Fruits of the Golden Weather
“You can’t lie about the weather,” a well-known journalist said as he collected his glass for London’s first taste of the 2015 Bordeaux wines last week.
The Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux, a loose grouping of 183 properties from Bordeaux Supérieur to Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan to Saint-Estèphe, always comes to London a couple of weeks before En Primeur proper starts in Bordeaux.
As such, it’s a snapshot of the vintage and of the mood – which this year is decidedly upbeat. If you compliment a vintner on the crunchiness of his fruit or the suavity of his tannins, the response is likely to be a broad smile and “Mais bien sûr, ça c’est la vendange!”
However much the Bordelais may be accused of hyping their wines, the weather is a fact. From flowering to just before harvest, 2015 was blessed. A warm spring gave way to a hot and dry July and cooler August, with a few showers to hydrate the vines, then warm days and cool nights in September. That month also saw rain, with 50-60mm falling in Saint-Estèphe and slightly less in Margaux.
Read more at http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2016/03/bordeaux-enjoys-the-fruits-of-the-golden-weather
