10 Reasons why Bordeaux 2010 is not like 2009
August 27th 2010, by Gavin
The weather’s been warm, sunny and very dry, giving rise to reports - there’s a summary of them here - of another magnificent vintage on the cards (don’t yawn). Anything can happen before the Merlot harvest begins towards the end of September, and in October for the Cabernets, but let me explain why 2010 is not like 2009.
It is, of course, too early to say how 2010 is going to turn out as September is such a critical month, but some things are so evident - and significant - in the vineyard, I thought I should point them out.
10 key points so far
Bauduc 2010: A Dry Old Party
August 27th 2010, by Gavin
Too much rain in the Summer of 2007, frost in April 2008, hail (twice) in May 2009 and, yes, drought in 2010. “What next,” asked a friend, “rivers of blood?”
Welcome to viticulture, Bauduc-style, and 2010 will be remembered as the year of the drought. (Cue monsoons during the harvest.)
We’ve seen half the normal rainfall in the five months since the beginning of April compared to the 30-year average in Bordeaux (see weather graphs in this article). Remarkably, the young vines have kept up with their older counterparts and look surprisingly healthy: with the lack of damp in the air, the risk of mildew has been reduced - unlike in humid Augusts like 2007 and 2008, for example - so most of the leaves look green and verdant with minimal spraying. But yellow leaves around the fruit zone tell a part of the story, as some of the vines have effectively shut down and the grapes have stopped ripening in certain parts of the vineyard.
Of course, these problems resulting from the lack of rain are avoidable. Firstly, choosing to rip out crappy old vines and replacing them with young ones lead to this. Guilty as charged, but I’m glad to see the back of 3 metre-wide rows of Cabernet Sauvignon on vigorous rootstock (SO4 to be precise) pumping out bunches of grapes that never ripened properly and tasted of green peppers. I’m fond of our new Sauvignon Blanc (featured in all these photos taken today), planted on low-yielding rootstocks in 1.8m wide rows.
The old vines, with deeper roots, are quite happy. More importantly, we could irrigate the young vines but we are forbidden from doing so by law. This archaic notion - if we were in New Zealand or South Africa we’d be watering our Sauvignon Blanc for sure - has its roots in the Appellation Controlée system that was created in France in the mid-1930s. It was decreed that no irrigation would be allowed in any AC area, which is not the case for ‘lower’ quality levels like Vins de Pays which also allows for higher yields.
The theory put about is that by not watering the vines, the roots have to dig deeper in their search for moisture, resulting in a mature vineyard that is more faithful to its terroir (a handy French word for soil, sub-soil, altitude, slope, meso-climate and growing environment, to name a few components). I’ve said this many times to visitors here (although a little unconvincingly, it has to be said). This may be true, but when you see vines being unduly stressed by lack of water, ‘faithfulness to terroir’ is a minor concern, whereas we are concerned about fruit quality, vine health and, of course, the quality of our wine that goes to our customers.
I spoke yesterday to Jean-René Matignon, the long-time winemaker at Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron, about how things were going up in Pauillac. I touched on the sécheresse (drought) and the reasons for irrigation being illegal. He told me that the ruling was in place because in the old days - and vignerons might well take advantage today - growers would water their vines just before harvest in order to inflate and dilute their grapes and their volume of wine, and completely compromise quality. (Couldn’t a watering ban after the end of July stop this?)
We live and learn and despite being a supporter of many of the rules that are laid down in triplicate, I’m becoming a bit of a sceptic. Next year, if we see a repeat of these conditions, watch out for drip-feed systems at Bauduc - and Vin de Pays or Vin de France or Vin de Table or Vin de Sod the Rules or whatever on the label. Not sure anyone really gives a damn, just so long as we deliver. As for this year, if you see ‘dry-grown’ written on the back label of our 2010 white, you’ll know it was said through slightly gritted teeth.
August Véraison: (Banned) Red Grapes Changing Colour
August 27th 2010, by Gavin
A couple of years ago I thought I’d plant some illegal grape varieties, under Appellation Contrôlée rules, in our Bordeaux ‘garden’. The photos were taken here at the very start of August and again three weeks later, before and after they changed colour - a stage called véraison. The Pinot Noir, which you’re more likely to see in Beaune, Oregon or Central Otago than Bordeaux, was well on its way in late July - much earlier than any of the other reds. Syrah is normally grown in the Rhône - notably the North - amongst many other places (it’s called Shiraz in Oz), while Grenache is found in the Southern Rhône and beyond (it’s known as Garnacha in Spain).
This has been all in the name of research, of course, and there is absolutely no suggestion that any of these terrible, alien grape varieties will turn up in our wine. However, they seem to be doing just fine, so perhaps I’ll have a good look at the ‘Vin de Pays’ or ‘Vin de Table’ option. Bordeaux Pinot, anyone? Watch out, DRC.
August Véraison: (Permitted) Red Grapes Changing Colour
August 25th 2010, by Gavin
Here are the six red grape varieties which we are allowed to grow in Bordeaux under Appellation Contrôlée laws. The photos were taken at Château Bauduc at the very start of August and again three weeks later, before and after they changed colour - a stage called véraison. A rule of thumb is that the grapes will be ready to pick some 45 days after mid-véraison. The third shot in each series shows the leaves of each variety, which for me is the easiest way to tell them apart (remembering what you’ve planted and where also helps).
Most of the 117,500 hectares of Bordeaux vineyards are red - 89% in fact. Merlot is the most widely grown variety, with 64% of red, and is the dominant grape on the Right Bank - St.Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac and the Côtes - where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc (11%). Merlot is also responsible for the tanker loads of straight Bordeaux AC and less prestigious Appellations across the whole of Bordeaux. In other words, there’s Merlot… and then there’s Merlot.
Dealing with Mr. Angry online
July 28th 2010, by Gavin
We hardly ever get emails from irate customers, or potential customers, so this one really stood out. Forgive me for the length of this article but I thought I’d reproduce the exchange in full, excluding contact blurb etc. The customer’s emails are in Blue, my wife Angela’s in Mauve, mine in black.
ARE YOU IDIOTS DELIBERATELY TRYING TO STOP PEOPLE BUYING YOUR WINE? AFTER 17 ATTEMPTS TO PUT IN MY PASSWORD I GAVE UP. I THOUGHT YOU COULD STICK IT.
Really sorry you had so much trouble with the website - I will try and find out why your password didn’t work. If you let me know what wine you would like we can arrange to have it delivered for you.
All the best, Angela
From: Gavin Quinney Subject: Re: Password, idiots and so on
Dear xxxx Thanks for the email. Obviously our website gave you some problems, so sorry about that. I’m afraid I can’t find you registered on our system at all. When you put in your email address, at the question:
‘Are you a new or existing online customer?’
Did you click ‘I am a new customer’ or ‘I am an existing customer, and my password is..’?
If you click ‘I am a new customer’ it should work. By all means give me a call.
Kind regards, Gavin Quinney (aka Chief Idiot)
Planting a Vineyard in the Dragons’ Den
July 21st 2010, by Gavin
Bauduc Bondholders had a sense of déjà vu last week as English winegrower Geoff Bowen pitched for a £60,000 investment in a vineyard scheme near Exeter, in the first of a new series of the BBC show. Confident that 20 wine lovers would splash out £9,500 for 5 cases of English sparkling wine a year for 10 years, he wooed canny Duncan Bannatyne.
“There are some really toe-curling moments in the Den,” reads the BBC Dragons’ Den website. “And they don’t come worse that Geoff’s opening minutes in front of the Dragons.
“The Devon-based winemaker starts his pitch and immediately faces the moment entrepreneurs dread - he completely forgets his lines.
“Seconds pass like hours as he struggles to regain his composure under the baleful eye of the silent Dragons.”
Reminded of the brilliant spoof by Harry and Paul (below) sweating nervously in front of the Dragons, I watched with interest as Geoff recovered to explain that he could entice 20 members of the public to pay £9500 for 600 bottles of his sparkling wine, spread over the next ten years. With a few extra costs, it would work out to £20 a bottle, he estimated.
