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Professors Laurence Geny and Benjamin Bois of Bordeaux
University explained in a special seminar that Bordeaux had an unusual
vintage in 2007 with fears of crops getting wiped out with unexpected
rains. There was more than usual heat till June and the winemakers thought
another hot year was ahead. But there were unexpected rains causing some
mildew in some grapes.
Then it cooled off. Average July temperature was 1.3°
C lower than average. Sunshine was low too. Rainfall was near normal in
July, but higher in August. Rain started in mid-August causing added vegetation
and decreasing fruit concentration.
Fortunately, the summer started again with much lower
rainfall in September and October. Aromas were fine as the temperatures
were not too hot. The grapes started ripening again and the earlier rot
was under control.
The First half of September was very dry so that the
crops could be harvested with a lot of aromas. It was ideal weather for
Sauternes and Barsac due to alternate bouts of sun and rain. Picking was
important and the vintage was great for white wines.
As the weather dried out at the end of the season, they
could harvest in mid-September to October for the rest of the crops. Late
ripening varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
benefited most with good level of acidity and sugar with no herbaceous
aromas.
Thus, while the white wines benefited from the weather,
reds had more variable results with Merlot not being at its best. Late
hot weather was great for Cabernets though not as much for Petit Verdot.
Different estates would have had different experiences.
The yields would have been somewhat lower in 2007.
Taste of Bordeaux: 2007
The seminar was followed by wines from Bordeaux-different
regions. The university had selected typical wines from the region- the
wines represented the area and the region rather than any chateaux, the
names of which were not disclosed.
The Following wines were tasted, with the tasting notes
and impressions of the professors- (these are the benchmarks for a typical
wine of that region and gives the reader a good idea of the current vintage
of Bordeaux)
1. St. Emilion
There is more Cabernet Franc in the blend this year, Dark ruby red. There
is nose of fresh fruit-greenish under-ripe fruit, ripe and over-ripe-almost
jammy fruits exist on the nose. Mid palate is dense and flavourful, after
taste is fresh floral, silky and long.
A very nice wine, it is really flavoured- more concentrated in other years.
2. Pomerol
Also dark ruby red and has somewhat floral (even violets) and complex
aromas that are bewitching and enchanting. Very spherical wine on the
palate; starts soft and goes on full on the palate with different flavours
impressing. Good acidity.
And what is its aging potential, someone asked. 'It
is difficult to tell,' said the professor who specialises in wine aromas
and had conducted several studies on the subject. 'Sometimes a wine shows
a good potential but gets worn out in later years. Anyhow, it is a better
wine than the fully concentrated wines of the nineties,' he added.
3. Haut Medoc
This wine from the southern part of Haut Medoc from a classified growth
is from an early ripening area. Deep ruby red, which I found rather inky
had 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot and the balance, a Merlot.
It has fresh lively acidity, and feels like a rose garden.
This is a wine with a lot of charm, not exuberant but subtle and has a
nice follow through; A good food wine for wine lovers and wine tasters.
It has more tannins- not as smooth and velvety as earlier wines.
4. Margaux
There is a similarity between Haut Medoc and Margaux-they are close cousins
actually. As with the other wines selected for this unique tasting, wines
with too many oak characteristics have been avoided
Deep colour and fresh aromas - minty and liquorish ;
more intense than the previous wines but not over intense.
When you taste this wine, you do not have a doubt that
this is a Bordeaux.
5. St Julien
Similar deep cherry red colour but with more purplish colour indicating
more phenolic compounds. Irresistible nose, much more than the fruit.
So complex, it is hard to find words to describe it. A tight knit texture
with huge concentration. 'If you have any doubts, you need to go the enology
school,' says the good professor.
This year, it is a real nugget of Bordeaux.
6. Pauillac
This wine with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and practically no Petit Verdot
has hints of black currents, blackberry and liquorice on the nose, which
is still closed in . One finds it better on the palate. Silky start, dense
in the mid palate; I expected it to be more astringent.
As we go North of St. Estephe, the approachability of
wines decreases.
7. St. Estephe
This area, North of Medoc has a tendency to make wines that are austere.
The wine contains 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% merlot and 10% Petit Verdot.
Many estates here work with clay soil and it works well here. Besides
the fruity aromas, you also find the floral ones in these wines.
It is a well collected wine-tightly knit, using a term
from horse breeding. It is fresh fruit, very compact and concentrated
on the palate, more than Pauillac. When we breathe in after sipping and
spitting the wine, there is a touch of mint in the breath, typical of
a Bordeaux wine.
8. Pessac Léognan
This village appellation, south of Bordeaux had a technically difficult
vintage. Fermentation was not a problem-choosing the date of harvest and
controlling the extraction was. Not only chemical analysis but extensive
tasting of the grapes regularly, was required.
'Fatigue of wine tasting is nothing compared to the fatigue of grape tasting,'
said the learned professor who is an advisor to many Bordeaux producers.
'We have to taste grapes according to several pre-defined criteria,' he
added.
9. Haut Medoc
The wines have no Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot: only 70% Cabernet and
the balance Merlot. It has a smoky character which is spicy and floral
rather than fruity.
10. White wines of Pessac Léognan
The wine which has a typical 30% Semillon and 70% Sauvignon Blanc used
in the region is intensely complex on the nose and has a combination of
aromas typical of both the grapes. White peach, lemony, fresh apricot
abound with no roughness on the palate with no influence of oak at all.
Only fruit rules here. The after-taste is a big bonus here; the flavour
remains on the palate although there is no sugar, it feels sweet due to
the fruit.
'The greatest dry wines are those that give the impression of being very
sweet wines and vice versa.'
11. Sauternes
Sauternes are a rare miracle of nature. You taste the fruit that has been
corrupted by mould and ends up expressing the taste and flavour even more.
There is a lot of passion fruit, lemon rind, candied lemon in the wine
flavour. On the palate it is not only rich flavoured but also fresh and
complex with acidity that gives it lightness. The balance and harmony
in the wine could be compared in the musical sense with Mozart.
Subhash Arora
Bordeaux, April 1, 2008
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