Bordeaux Harvest 2012 updates

I have been travelling and tasting at many different Chateaux in Bordeaux over the last few weeks. The red grapes have all been harvested and are either fermenting or being transfered to oak barrels. The dry whites were picked quite early in order to maintain the freshness, whilst the sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac have had a difficult time.
I was at Chateau d'Yquem on Friday and met one of the technical team Sandrine Garbay. The rain that arrived in Bordeaux in October has effected the grapes in Sauternes badly. The normal 'tri' harvest when the pickers go through the vineyards several times has been stop/start. Much of the fruit currently on the vine (today) will be dropped on the floor.
I also saw the team from Chateau Guiraud on Friday. Xavier Planty the charismatic joint owner of Guiraud was keeping a positive frame of mind. But Guiraud had problems during the growing season with mildew (they are now fully organic, so treatments against mildew are difficult). Guiraud have picked the grapes for their excellent dry white wine 'G de Guiraud' and they have picked some botrytis grapes but not any good quantity of top quality grapes for their top wine.
Bordeaux is a difficult place to grow grapes with the Autumn rains normally at harvest time, but this 2012 vintage is looking even more precarious. It is too early to give definitive views; and ultimatley the best judgement is when we actually taste the wines in early April, but the situation in Sauternes is so bad that the top estates might not actually make any wine. Chateau d'Yquem do not produce a second wine (they make a different style of dry white called 'Y'). So the Chateau has no system of downgrading grapes to a lower tier. The decision at Yquem will be either to make wine or not. The Chateau did not release any wine in 1910,1915,1930,1951,1952,1964,1972, 1974 and 1992. Let's hope that the seemingly 20 year cycle of duff vintages has not continued into 2012!
I'll be tasting at Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pontet Canet, Grand Puy Lacoste and more in Pauillac tomorrow so I'll get more feel for what is happening and update shortly. 
Initial views are that the red crop is a significant drop in volume from 2011 and the quality in some vats is very very good. The dry whites are looking good too.

Bordeaux Harvest 2012

Ripe grapes ready to be picked at Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste

The 120 pickers gather at Chateau Margaux for their instructions.

Horses being used to transfer empty crates at Chateau Pontet Canet

First sorting table (whole bunches) at Pontet Canet

Second sorting table at Pontet Canet (individual berry selection)

The 2012 grape harvest has started in Bordeaux. The growing season has been slightly topsy turvy! There was extreme cold during the winter of 2011/12, which is normally absolutely no problem when the vine is dormant. But in Pomerol it reached -16 degrees celsius for a few days and the vines suffered.

Spring was wet and gave the vines enough water to keep alive.
 The crucial flowering time at the end of May/beginning of June was very protracted due to uneven weather. The merlot vines seemed to have suffered more from coulure, which is a result of uneven flowering. The resulting bunches have become uneven and straggly.

The usual problem of mildew seemed to arrive with avengeance in 2012, due to the humidity of the Bordeaux area. Therefore Copper Sulphate was sprayed on non organic vines to prevent further outbreaks.  Some yields will be significantly lower due to problems of mildew.

Then the summer weather was full of peaks and troughs! There were spikes of extreme heat (as much as 40 degrees) as well as some rain and humid weather.
The end of August and beginning of September have been hot and dry.
Now as the grapes are ready to be harvested we have had some rain, so sorting and selection will be crucial for the berries.
I have been visiting the vineyards throughout the year and especially over July, August and September, when the grapes are changing colour and ripening.
Everything is looking OK now. Many Chateaux started to pick last week and surprisingly the Medoc (left bank = more Cabernet) is being harvested in some cases before the right bank (mainly merlot).

I'll be back in the vines next week, when I shall report back further.

Delicious aromatic grape juice during a pump over at Chateau Beychevelle. (I wish you could smell this!)

I had lunch with Philippe Blanc (MD of Chateau Beychevelle). He had started picking young merlot vines early last week, and then he had stopped.....now he will restart this week.

The crucial time will be post fermentation when we can taste the wine!

The magnificent Chateau Beychevelle. in Saint Julien.

The gardens are always colourful at Beychevelle.

Hedonism Wines, Mayfair

I had heard a few things about an interesting wine shop opening in central London, so I popped in on Friday after a tasting of 191 Cru Bourgeois wines from the 2010 vintage. My teeth were coated in tannin so I tried not to smile at anyone!
(Un)fortunately the first person I met as I entered the shop was a friend of mine called Tobias Brauweiler, who is a top sommelier. Tobias had set up the wine list at Ellenborough Park Hotel at the end of Cheltenham racecourse. Tobias showed me around the incredible shop.
If any wine lover wants to see the best of the best I would thoroughly recommend Hedonism.
If you want to see Chateau d'Yquem going back to 1811 (priced at over £100,000 per bottle!) or an uninterrupted vertical of Chateau Mouton Rothschild from 1945-2004, or Jeroboams of Chateau Lafite Rothschild then this is the place to go.
In fact their collection of large format bottles is quite staggering. I mentioned that the racks of Jeroboams, Methusalahs, Imperials and Melchiors looked like torpedoes. They even have a 27 litre bottle.(called a Primat)
The shop is owned by a Russian chap called Yevgeny Chichvarkin, who had previously been a big operator in mobile phones. Mr Chichvarkin takes a very 'hands on' approach to the shop, being there every day supervising and overseeing the shop.
The wine buyer is Alistair Viner, who ran the Harrods wine depertment for many years.

Here is a slightly blurry picture (my fault), of Tobias in the Mouton vault. You can buy the whole collection for £130,000.

The selection and quality of wines is truly amazing, but the staff and ambience are extremely warm and welcoming. There is also an oenomatic tasting machine, so you can taste iconic wines such as Chateau d'Yquem 2001 or other wines. The unusual touch of having a children's play area with Ipads sets this place apart from your average traditional wine merchant. The whole place is an alladins cave for wine lovers, but it is also a wine shop that will undoubtedly attract some wealthy international clients. I have no idea how much money Mr Chichvarkin has invested in Hedonism, but this place is the best wine shop I have ever seen. 
One other thing that I was extremely happy to see amongst all these great wines was my very own Chateau de la Riviere perched on the shelf next to Chateau Angelus, Lafite Rothschild and Latour.
I do not know where they bought the 2004 Chateau de la Riviere from (the vagaries of Bordeaux wine distribution), but it was great to see drinking wine on the shelves as well as icons.

Hedonism has been open for 5 weeks and various inquisitive people have explored the shop. It will be very interesting to see how this extreme luxury, high end wine shop performs.
Victoria Moore of the Daily Telegraph visited the shop recently and she wrote about her experience here.

Fronsac in the press.....

If you read this blog regularly or know me in the wine trade, then you will know my strong links with Chateau de la Riviere, a beautiful Chateau in the Fronsac region. This region on the Right Bank of Bordeaux has about 800 hectares under vine. The soils are limestone (on the hillside), clay and sand, which is very similar to the nearby Appelations of Pomerol and Saint Emilion. Therefore the predominant grape variety planted is Merlot, followed by Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon and occassionally some Malbec.
The Appelation Fronsac covers red wines, but there are also some lovely rose and white wines being produced.

Regions like Fronsac can be overlooked in the Bordeaux area. Often it is easy to talk about the very top wines of the well known areas, but some of these lesser known Appelations can offer great value for money.
Victoria Moore has written a good article about Fronsac this week in the Daily Telegraph.

Chateau Pontet Canet and Chateau Climens biodynamic

Biodynamic viticulture has gradually spread in popularity. The vineyards of the south of France with their dry warm climate and refreshing strong winds have adapted very well to organic and biodynamic culture.
However biodynamics can be difficult in the Bordeaux region. It is not the warmest area and there is a large amount of humididty from the Atlantic Ocean as well as the large rivers. So various vineyard problems have to be treated such as mildew and millederange.

I was in the vineyards on Monday and Tuesday and I visited and tasted at two biodynamic producers .....Chateau Pontet Canet in Pauillac and Chateau Climens in Barsac. Chateau Pontet Canet started their conversion to biodynamics way back in 2004 under the guidance of the vineyard manager Jean Michel Comme. Now Jean Michel's wife has bended the ear of Berenice Lurton in Barsac, as they have started the 4 year process of converting to biodynamics. (the should be fully certified biodynamic by 2014).
It is interesting that these two properties have transformed into biodynamic viticulture as they are both making stunning wines in Bordeaux. The proof is in the bottle.
Pontet Canet and Climens are not the only biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux. The excellent quality and value wines of Chateau Falfas in the Bourg region have also been practising this method for many years.

It was great to see a couple of key points at both wineries on Monday:

Here the vineyards of Pontet Canet are being sprayed with talcum powder using one of their 5 horses:

And here are a few of the dried plants at Chateau Climens that they make 'tissanes' (similar to tea infusions) in order to spray the vines....they use sage, nettles, camomile, laurel as well as a few others.:

Saint Emilion Pricing and classification,

After the re newed classification of the Saint Emilion classification there has been a few quiet adjustments to wine collections and portfolios.
The 2012 classification is actually in line with the pricing rather than being a major change, which influences the market.
This is in contrast to when Robert Parker regraded the 2009 vintage in March this year there was dramatic price movement and some Chateaux added €500 per case overnight on the secondary trading market. Robert Parker graded 19 Chateaux a maximum 100 points.
In effect the market has already factored in the quality of the upgraded Saint Emilion wines and the promotions and movements are simply rubber stamped.
This chart below is from the Liv-Ex blog: 









 *Average price for a 12x75cl case in GBP across the 2005-2009 vintages.

So the question is.....where is the value?
I like the style and quality (and price) of Chateau Figeac. I also think that Chateau Canon are undervalued, having had enormous investment from the Wertheimer family (owners of Chanel).
Ausone is a great wine, however I think the price here reflects the scarcity more than anything else., so not much real value. LVMH, the owners of Cheval Blanc have just spent €15 million on their new wine cellars, and they have expanded their vineyard areas and maintained their high price.

Saint Emilion 2012: New Classification

In 1955 the governing body of Saint Emilion set out their own classification of the vineyards and the Chateaux. They were only 100 years after the 1855 classification that had been set out by the mayor of Bordeaux for Napoleon 3rd at the World Exhibition in Paris! This original 1855 classification covered mainly the 62 top vineyards in the Medoc area (left bank mainly Cabernet Sauvignon based wines), with the inclusion of Chateau Haut Brion in the Graves area. The only dramatic change to the 1855 classification was the remarkable upgrade of Chateau Mouton Rothschild from 2nd Growth to 1st Growth in 1973.
The advantage of the Saint Emilion classification of 1955 is that they decided to review the classification every 10 years in order to create movement and dynamism, and also to reward wines that have significantly improved. Whilst the 1855 classification is set in stone and as time goes on gradually becomes obsolete. It is crazy to think that Chateau Pontet Canet, Lynch Bages and Grand Puy Lacoste are still 5th Growths in the 1855 classification, when they are really on a level of 2nd Growths.
The reviews of the Saint Emilion classification have been roughly every 10 years since 1955, and have caused controversy for some Chateaux, whilst also being an effective 'check and balance' system for the Chateau owners,
The example of the 1986 classification when Chateau Beausejour Becot (previously a Premier Grand Cru Classe) was downgraded to Grand Cru Classe should be highlighted. The reason for this downgrade was that the estate had expanded their vineyard area and had tried to maintain their original high standing. The ruling body did not agree and downgraded. However the Chateau spent the next 10 years keeping the quality of their wines very high, maintaining a good quality reputation internationally for their wines and keeping the prices at a reflective level for the quality. So in 1996 the Chateau was restored to premier Grand Cru Classe status.

The latest controversy was from the re classification in 2006, when the system was reduced to farce. The ruling body upgraded the excellent Chateau Troplong Mondot from Grand Cru Classe to premier Grand Cru Classe, whilst downgrading several Chateaux from Grand Cru Classe to Grand Cru. In modern times these decisions can make significant financial positives or negatives to your balance sheet! So the group of Chateaux that were downgraded decided to take the ruling body (the Institut National d'Appelation d'Origine (INAO)) to court. They attacked the decision making process and the clarity of the decision making. There was then a few years of very negative time for Saint Emilion as the law courts swung their decisions one way and another. The resulting legal fudge was to please everyone, by leaving Chateaux that had been promoted as promoted, and any Chateaux that had been demoted retained their former status! So everyone won.

The INAO have been extremely wary of this negative situation for Saint Emilion, so they have tried to re classify the vineyards and Chateaux and avoid the law courts.
On Thursday evening the new classification was released from the Ministry of Agriculture in Paris.

Here is the new classification in full:
- Premier Grand Cru Classé A

Château  ANGELUS (promoted)
Château AUSONE
Château CHEVAL-BLANC
 Château PAVIE (promoted)

- Premier Grand Cru Classé B

Château BEAUSÉJOUR (DUFFAU-LAGARROSSE)
Château BEAU-SÉJOUR BÉCOT
Château BELAIR-MONANGE
Château CANON
Château CANON-LA-GAFFELIÈRE (promoted)
Château FIGEAC
Clos FOURTET
 Château LA GAFFELIÈRE
Château LARCIS-DUCASSE (promoted)
Château LA MONDOTTE (promoted)
Château PAVIE-MACQUIN
Château TROPLONG-MONDOT
Château TROTTEVIELLE
Château VALANDRAUD (promoted)
Chateau MAGDELAINE is no longer classified as the Chateau has merged with BELAIR-MONANGE.
Chateaux CURE-BON and MATRAS are no longer classified as they have been bought by Chateau CANON.

- Grand cru classé

Château L'ARROSÉE
Château BALESTARD-LA-TONNELLE
Château BARDE-HAUT (promoted)
Château BELLEFONT-BELCIER
Château BELLEVUE
Château BERLIQUET
Château CADET-BON
Château CAPDEMOURLIN
Château LE CHÂTELET (promoted)Château CHAUVIN
Château CLOS DE SARPE (promoted)
Château LA CLOTTE
Château LA COMMANDERIE (promoted)
Château CORBIN
Château CÔTE DE BALEAU (promoted)
Château LA COUSPAUDE
Château COUVENT DES JACOBINS
Château DASSAULT
Château DESTIEUX
Château LA DOMINIQUE
Château FAUGÈRES (promoted)
Château FAURIE DE SOUCHARD
Château DE FERRAND (promoted)
Château FLEUR-CARDINALE
Château LA FLEUR MORANGE (promoted)
Château FOMBRAUGE (promoted)
Château FONPLÉGADE
Château FONROQUE
Château FRANC-MAYNE
Château GRAND CORBIN
 Château GRAND CORBIN-DESPAGNE
 Château GRAND-MAYNE
 Château LES GRANDES MURAILLES
 Château GRAND-PONTET
 Château GUADET
 Château HAUT-SARPE
 Clos des JACOBINS
 Château JEAN FAURE (promoted)
Château LANIOTE
Château LARMANDE
Château LAROQUE
Château LAROZE
Clos la MADELEINE (promoted)
Château LA MARZELLE
Château MONBOUSQUET
Château MOULIN DU CADET
Clos de L'ORATOIRE
Château PAVIE-DECESSE
Château PEBY-FAUGÈRES (promoted)
Château PETIT-FAURIE-DE-SOUTARD
 Château de PRESSAC (promoted)
Château LE PRIEURÉ
 Château QUINAULT L'ENCLOS (promoted)
Château RIPEAU
 Château ROCHEBELLE (promoted)
Château SAINT-GEORGES-CÔTE-PAVIE
 Clos SAINT-MARTIN
 Château SANSONNET (promoted)
Château La SERRE
 Château SOUTARD
 Château TERTRE-DAUGAY now renamed Chateau QUINTUS
 Château LA TOUR-FIGEAC
 Château VILLEMAURINE
 Château YON-FIGEAC





Chateau HAUT CORBIN is now part of Chateau GRAND CORBIN.
Chateau CADET-PIOLA is now part of Chateau SOUTARD.
Chateau BERGAT is now part of Chateau TROTTEVIEILLE.
Chateau LA CLUSIERE is now part of Chateau PAVIE.

The big headline from this new classification are the two additional Premier Grand Cru Classe (Class A) wines....Chateau ANGELUS and Chateau PAVIE. These are undoubtedly great quality wines and they have certainly repaid the significant investment from the owners in the vineyards and the winemaking facilities. The prices for these wines has also been very high, as well as the scores by Robert Parker.
In fact when I look at the new classification I do think that there is quite a lot of Pakerism stamped across it. Robert Parker has the power to move markets....as seen with his 100 points grading for 19 of the 2009 wines......perhaps Parker can now influence classifications too?