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Three perceptive comments by great winemakers:
“Terroir, terroir, terroir”- Château Margaux
“Raisins mûrs sans être solaires” (ripe grapes not over-gorged with sun) - Domaine de Chevalier
“Immense, but controlled power wrapped in a silky and voluptuous texture”- Château Beychevelle
At the risk of boring those who read my articles on the 2015 vintage last year, I must repeat two factors that I consider of paramount importance.
ART: making great wine is an art, whilst just making wine is farming. Great artists are rare in any field, be it that of painting, sculpture, music or any other of the five senses. Those of wine are those of Taste and Smell, and hence unfortunately transitory. When you have drunk the wine, it is gone, unlike a painting that you hang on the wall or a fine piece of music that you play over and over again.
This however, does not make those senses any less artistic and true gourmets and wine lovers appreciate wines by using them to the full. Making great wine is the art of balancing fruit, acidity and alcohol and blending them into a harmonious whole and at the same time producing a wine of power without losing elegance. 2016 has produced a number of great wines, which comply with all the requirements for greatness including five criteria of Denis Dubourdieu discussed at length in “Part 2- Weather” and which have now become wine law in Bordeaux.
COST: This becomes more and more important. Today it is almost impossible to make great wine, as opposed to just “wine”, if you do not have sufficient funds. You have to cosset each and every vine in your vineyard throughout the year. This costs a lot of money as do the vital operations of green pruning, leaf thinning, canopy management and shoot suppression etc.
The late Denis Dubourdieu described these operations as “luxuries” beyond the means of many. Simple, but sometimes very good, Bordeaux Rouge and Blanc are today in competition with many other wine producing countries throughout the world. Competition is fierce and with the cost of labour and living in France today it is very hard for small growers to cope up.
Another point: If you have the funds and can afford to put only 28% of your yield into a first wine and accept therefore to sell a second, third or even a portion of bulk at a very much lesser price, then of course you can use only your very finest grapes for that First Wine -your Great Wine. In 2016 that was exactly what Château Margaux did – only 28% of their total crop went to make Château Margaux. This is true luxury. The result was magnificent, but so was the cost!
YIELDS
One of the reasons that growers have smiles on their faces this year was that not only was the quality excellent, but the yields were generous. It is relatively rare that fine quality goes hand in hand with generous yields, but contrary to some old beliefs, this is not impossible and 2016 proves the point. As usual, when one reads all the vintage reports from the many châteaux they differ widely, but this year nearly all agree about the yields.
In Sauternes and Barsac these yields were often not far from a record and this is a region that desperately needs such help. Reading the structural report on the vintage below I think it will become clear why this was able to be so in 2016. A generous fruit set, almost no coulure or millerandage, above average number of berries and perfect health with little or no waste.
However, we have suffered appalling frost damage here in Bordeaux 26th-27th April and I have no doubt that, spite of these generous yields, such an unhappy event will be reflected in the prices! As a point of interest, the biodynamic Château Climens treats frosted vines with valerian to promote the development of the laterals.
FRUIT: This year the grapes were superbly healthy and this I will surely repeat many times under my different headings. This is actually rare in Bordeaux and is a reason for much pleasure and enjoyment. Our climate is very humid. Parisians used to refer to the Bordeaux region as “the chamber pot of France”. We are used to fierce attacks of mildew during the Spring and after heavy rains and to botrytis invading the vineyards during the vintage period.
In some years, there is so much botrytis that after a certain point harvesting has to be stopped and the grapes jettisoned. This year there was not a trace of rot until around 18th October by which time 99% of all growers had finished their vintage. For the sweet, botrytized wines the botrytis (noble rot) was very pure and untainted with other rots such as grey or acid rot.
Both September and October were wonderfully sunny and dry months and growers were able to pick their grapes at optimum ripeness, in other words PERFECT FRUIT. Most vignerons say that 80% of a wine is made in the vineyard and when one is able to pick such perfect fruit, with the facilities available in almost every cellar today, there is little or no excuse for not making clean, well fruited and honestly decent wine. Despite all the above it was important not to wait until over-ripeness, which would result in jammy wine.
ALCOHOL
This is very much one of the “plus” factors for the 2016 vintage. Alcohol levels have been creeping steadily up over the last 20 years or so. They have increased by anything up to 2° and have been reaching 14.5° and even 15°. This is too high for Bordeaux. It may be good in Australia where the wines thrive on power, but not for Bordeaux where we excel in elegance, finesse and delicacy. This year very few wines reached 14° and most were around 13°-13.5°; even Château Latour.
There are many reasons for these higher alcohol levels: climate warming, better and more vigorous rootstocks, better canopy management and crop yield control, better clones, hormones, etc. What growers are now discussing is not how to increase alcohol levels, but how to DECREASE them. Two possible solutions are less vigorous rootstocks and higher yields.
Be this as it may, it lies in the future and this year ALCOHOL LEVELS WERE MODEST AND OPTIMUM. Less alcohol also brings out the elegance, purity and refinement in a great wine, but also helps acidity balance and reinforces the sensation of acidity in the mouth. Château Margaux added that, to their surprise, sugar levels in their grapes increased very little during the last few days before harvest.
TANNINS
Tannins are one of the most VITAL factors and components in any red wine, and essential for its ageing potential. This year, the growers have been heaping eulogies on their tannins and doting them with the most sumptuous and exotic descriptions. Château Mouton Rothschild says, “dense textures with rich and enveloped tannins giving density, concentration of flavours and intense aromas”. Many who last year said that they had rarely seen such perfect tannins said that this year they were “pluperfect”. Due to the perfect health of the grapes, and the fact that they were able to reach optimum maturity, the tannins were ripe. They were strong and massive.
Latour had IPTs of 83 with only 13.5° alcohol and Château Léoville Poyferré 94, but “smooth, silky, taut, ripe, sumptuous and velvety”. The skins of the grapes were firmly constructed and relatively thick and so contained lots of skin tannin, which is the best tannin. As the grapes were perfectly ripe the cells of the skins broke down rapidly at fermentation and as soon as there was alcohol present, the tannins dissolved.
The pip tannins, which are the rougher ones, were also gentle this year as the pips were ripe and brown. Because of the amount of tannin and its quick dissolving into the wine it was doubly essential to extract very slowly and gently and not let the fermentation temperature rise above 28°-29°C. Cold soaking or pre-fermentation maceration was totally unnecessary. Some hard-liners did it, but it was entirely superfluous. Post fermentation maceration was generally kept short. These “pluperfect” tannins, while powerful and voluminous, but silky, smooth and integrated, will give the 2016 wine both structure and a long, long life.
COLOUR
This, of course, goes hand in hand with tannin as it is part of the famous polyphenols, which were particularly concentrated and voluminous this year due to the very hot, dry Summer. The skins were thick and, due to this concentration of polyphenols, contained a great deal of colour. As the berries were perfectly ripe the skin cells broke down extremely rapidly at the start of fermentation and the colour rushed out. Many growers found that they already had deep colour in their juice after only 2 days. Colours throughout Bordeaux are deep, purple/black, intense and vivid. Also, they are stable as the structure of the wine is so strong and balanced. Their excellent stability was one of the reasons why post fermentation maceration could be kept relatively short as this normally helps to fix colour. Personally, I find this deep, intense colour particularly attractive and it is a significant feature of the 2016 vintage.
POLYPHENOLS
I have covered these under the two heading of TANNINS and COLOUR, but will just add that due to the very dry, hot summer, due to the thickness of the skins and due to the ripeness of the berries as well as more esoteric factors, the red wines this year were particularly rich in polyphenols, which meant that they were rich in colour and rich in tannins. They also reached perfect ripeness. The anthocyanin measurements, which most growers do not bother to measure, were very high this year and at Château Olivier measured 1269.
ACIDITIES
I said last year that it was one of the weak points of the 2015 vintage. Acidities are certainly one of our main problems here in Bordeaux and one of the frequent faults in our wines. This year I can safely say that it is one of the strong points, except perhaps in some of the dry, white wines. A great deal of effort is expended to try and get ripe polyphenols while the acidity level is still optimum. This year, despite particularly low malic acid content due to the very hot and dry July and August, acidity levels were still generally excellent at vintage time.
There are several possible or indeed probable reasons for this. The first, and growers have made much of it this year, the very large variation between day and night temperatures during the ripening period. This not only helps to keep acidities high, but also hugely helps develop bouquet and aromas. The pH of the soil played a role and lower alcohol levels showed the acidities more clearly. Also, Château Margaux advanced their White Wine vintage date to preserve optimum acidity levels. As, together with the tannins, these are the two main elements that give a wine longevity, the acidities this year will play a vital role in perfecting the excellent balance and structure, which in turn will enable the wines to age both long and correctly.
ROT
Already, last year, I said that there was little or no rot. This year, in well managed and well-kept vineyards there was NONE. Not a trace of rot of any sort until most people had finished vintaging. The vert first spots appeared about 18th October. Producers of sweet and botrytized wines were particularly happy, because the Noble Rot was very pure and intense and totally untainted by any of the other many bad rots such as Acid Rot, Grey Rot and a newcomer, Aspergillus Niger, that discolours the grapes and leaves a black powder. Such absence of rot and serenity at harvest time is a rare joy for all growers here in Bordeaux
BODY
The 2016 vintage was both concentrated and full-bodied. Healthy and ripe grapes contained plenty of everything that they ought to contain and in excellent proportions. Colour, acidity, alcohol, tannin, not to excess but sufficient for excellent structure (see below) and plenty of matière”- body and weight. Gentle fermentation and extraction produced wines rich in fruit, flavour and bouquet. Sufficient acidity and plenty of smooth, elegant tannin all added up to a generous and full-bodied wine
PRESS WINE
When the grapes are both in perfect health and perfectly ripe then the Press wine is usually fine, particularly if there is no taint at all of rot. When this is the case many growers like to use a lot of it and this year I have talked to châteaux that have used as much as 15%. Naturally, it adds body and weight to a wine, increases its concentration and solidifies its structure. Press Wines can be delicious on their own as they are so rich and powerful, but this is not the way they are used and such tasting experiences are usually confined to the cellars.
BIO
This is the first time that I have talked about this, but biodynamic viticulture is becoming more and more important in Bordeaux and must not, nay cannot, be ignored. 2016 was as good a year for biodynamic winegrowers as Bordeaux is ever likely to get, due of course to the fine September and October and the absence of rot. Château Climens is one of the leaders in this field, having learned, as they freely admit, from Château Pontet-Canet. Both these two wines are magnificent this year and resplendent with health, freshness and vitality. Climens harvested from 25/09-22/10 with only 2 “tris”. Wonderful, pure, intense botrytis! They had a generous yield of 20 hectolitres/hectare and great results.
ENERGY
I am not sure that I perfectly understand this myself, but Château Léoville Poyferré states inits brochure about the 2016 vintage that the solar energy in 2016 at their property measured 216 702 joules/cm3, more than in 2015 and much more than 2014. I am also not sure whether this is either important or enlightening, but their IPT was a huge 94 measured by spectrophotometry. Good luck!
STRUCTURE
Structure is the combination of all the above elements and more. When all the elements, particularly acidity, alcohol and tannin are balanced and in harmony, the structure of the wine will be sound and solid. If this is the case then the wine will develop smoothly and improve with age without deviation or spoilage. This, of course, is essential for laying down and long-term enjoyment. The 2016 enjoys this structure and this is one of the main reasons that it can correctly be called a fine, and in some cases even a great vintage.
DRY WHITE WINES
A later vintage than last year it started on 1st September. Weather was perfect, dry, sunny and warm until 13th by which time many growers had finished picking. Perfect grapes in perfect health, but care had to be taken with the acidities, which in many cases were beginning to fall fast. Vintaging could not be delayed. Lower alcohol levels, large variation between day and night temperatures and picking at the right time ensured optimum levels. If there is one fault that can be reproached with regard to the 2016 dry white Bordeaux it is that some vignerons did wait a little too long and those wines lack that wonderful freshness that gives them lift and grip. The best wines are aromatic, ultra-fresh, lightly mineral and very full flavoured. They are complex, long in the mouth with a strong fruit finish. Fine weather with generous morning mists followed by warm, sunny days
BOTRYTISED WINES
A great vintage – yes, I think I can advisedly use the term great. A rarity! Great for quality AND for quantity. Even rarer! Due to the very dry weather growers had to wait impatiently for the botrytis to arrive, which it did after the mid-September rains, but when it came it came fast and massively. Picking started soon thereafter before the end of the month. Growers had to be careful of over-botrytisation and too high sugar content. 21°-22° is regarded as the optimum sugar content for great wine and where sugar levels were too high some “golden” grapes had to be added. Fine weather with generous morning mists followed by warm, sunny days were perfect picking weather. Another fall of rain on 30th September enhanced the already plentiful botrytis and picking continued until the first week of November.
For some, it was a very long and spread out vintage - 8 weeks for Château d’Yquem - but under excellent conditions. Their sugar content was 135 grams and alcohol 14.2°. Restraint! Fermentation went smoothly and truly and first tastings show wines with an ethereal freshness combined with great richness and the wonderful bouquet of pure botrytis. Structured, taut, precise and elegant.
John Salvi, Master of Wine
For earlier articles please visit
Bordeaux Vintage 2015: Part 2- Analysis of Weather
Bordeaux Vintage 2015: Analysis, Composition and Structure |