http://blog.bauduc.com Gavin Quinneys Bauduc Bordeaux Blog Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:42:17 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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 ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/08/27/bordeaux-2010-another-2009/ 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 ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/08/27/bauduc-2010-a-dry-old-party/ 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. ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/08/27/august-veraison-banned-red-grapes-changing-colour/ 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 ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/08/25/august-veraison-permitted-red-grapes-changing-colour/ 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 ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/07/28/dealing-with-mr-angry-online/ 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 ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/07/21/planting-a-vineyard-in-the-dragons-den/ If you would like our monthly newsletter in your inbox, simply type in your first name and email address in the box at the top of this website. Click on the newsletter image to open any of the links: http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/07/20/july-newsletter/ At least England lasted longer than France, finalists four years ago. The locals have hardly mentioned Les Bleus, and the headlines across Europe have been ferocious at their teams' poor showings. Meanwhile, our seasonal workers are happy with their cut-price Rooney shirts: most of them are Morrocan so anything to have ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/06/30/the-world-cup-sacre-bleu/ All over now bar the shouting. Here, in my humble opinion, are the Best Buys - at the opening prices - of Bordeaux 2009, broken down as follows: 10 Expensive wines - but sound investments. £400 to £1000 - 17 Fabulous quality, blue chip names. £200 - £300 - This is where the values ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/06/28/best-buys-from-bordeaux-2009/ For those who like lists: with the massive 'en primeur' price increases from 30 of the famous Bordeaux Châteaux last week - 196% up on average on 2008 - I thought it would be useful to compare points and prices of the top 2009s with both the ... http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/06/28/bordeaux-2009-v-2008-v-2005-comparing-points-and-prices/