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Emilion, Bordeaux. Remarkable, incroyable, fantastique and amazing are only a few of the positive descriptors I heard the normally ultra conservative Bordelais winegrowers utter last week to describe the quality of the 2009 harvest in the Emilion/Pomerol/Fronsac appellations. As I leave Libourne, on Bordeaux's famed "Right Bank," the harvest is winding down with all but select parcels of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon left to be picked.
I can't remember seeing more perfect berries arriving at wineries all across Libourne, and that includes the legendary 2000 harvest, when I happened to be in Bordeaux picking picture-perfect bunches in the Medoc, propelling the 2000 vintage onto a short list of truly remarkable harvests at least since records have been kept.
Most years, the Bordelais have a knack for finding something good in a vintage no matter how poor it might be and, more often than not, they reserve the right to any final judgement on the quality of the young crop well into the next year and beyond. It is not the case in 2009. Even the most taciturn vintners are flashing broad smiles.
There will be another evaluation at the end of fermentation, in mid to late October, but don't expect much to change. It was an extraordinary year in Emilion and Pomerol, and likely all across the Medoc. I am more confident it will be a vintage counted among the best of the 21st century.
Often great vintages appear unexpectedly, but in 2009 it will be attributed to a growing season blessed by nature and perfect timing from start to finish. At Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix, the cool, calm and collected Christian Moueix called his 40th vintage "perfect, extraordinary," even uttering "1947," referencing the incredible post-war harvest that solidified the reputation of Emilion worldwide for decades.
The prospect of wines the calibre of the legendary 1947 Cheval Blanc could not come at better time for the Bordelais embattled by high prices, a worldwide recession and an almost non-existent market in the U.S. Believe me they are savouring the moment and the almost certain enormous demand that will follow. Expect China to lead the charge. Fine wine is becoming a religion with China's most affluent consumers and as one merchant said Bordeaux will always find a market because l'argent n'a pas d'odeur.
But back to the harvest.
Although isolated hailstorms were a problem for many in the region, in the end the short crop (down some 30 per cent in places), only contributed to the depth of colour, flavour and intensity of the grapes. If there is a caveat in this big fruit vintage, it will be alcohol. Levels are fluctuating between 14 and 17 degrees, producing incredibly ripe, rich wines that will need some work if the notion of balance and equilibrium, as the Bordelais like to say, is to be reached.
Every time something was required for the health of grapes, it happened. Rain when it was needed in spring and summer was followed immediately by sun to dry the vineyards. There was very little rain in the fall, but the days were warm and the nights unusually cool, preserving the grape's acidity and the future wine's freshness. The picking was a relaxed affair. With only one or two days of rain all autumn there was no rush to get the grapes off the vine, in fact the Bordelais are referring to the harvest as an a la carte vendange because they picked the grapes when they wanted.
In British Columbia BCLDB stores are just releasing limited amounts of the 2006 vintage so I thought based on my trip and tastings, I would suggest a few of the lesser-known wines for budget-minded collectors. In the meantime, save your money for the 2009.
Technically sound and practically organic Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne 2006 offers up a blend of merlot and cabernet franc with black fruit and earthy, licorice notes on the nose and palate and firm acidity. Well made and should age five to eight years comfortably. The price is a bargain.
La Fleur de Boüard 2006 is a delicious Lalande de Pomerol made by Chateau Angelus wizard Hubert de Boüard. Love the ripe black fruit, toast and coffee notes. Dense and weighty, it will cellar for a decade.
Chateau Larcis Ducasse 2006 is one of the better examples of the year. A mostly merlot blend with 11 per cent cabernet franc, it has a soft supple texture with roasted meats, black cherry and savoury notes. Made to hold a decade or more.
Chateau Fontenil 2006 is a Fronsac red that mixes 85 per cent merlot with cabernet sauvignon, all aged in 75 per cent new oak. It's ripe and elegant, relying on freshness and minerality to bolster the fruit and carry the finish. Good value.
Another wine from glorious terroir is the Chateau Haut-Bailly 2006. Look for a fragrant nose that mixes floral, earthy notes with silky textures and a wisp of raspberry fruit. Big tannins point to time in the bottle. Make it a decade.
Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2006 is of very fine quality. The wine is concentrated, but with balance, finesse and ripe, soft tannins. Big fruit for the vintage and a welcoming girth on the palate.
CHATEAU GRAND CORBIN-DESPAGNE 2006, SAINT EMILION, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price: $39
UPC: 3263070021413
Score: 89/100
Remarks: Should age five to eight years comfortably. The price is a bargain.
LA FLEUR DE BOUARD 2006, POMEROL, LIBOURNE, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price: $55
UPC: 003277036230863
Score: 91/100
Remarks: Ripe black fruit, toast and coffee notes. Dense and weighty.
CHATEAU LARCIS DUCASSE 2006, SAINT EMILION, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price: $85
UPC: 003258691311050
Score: 90/100
Remarks: Roasted meats, black cherry and savoury notes.
CHATEAU FONTENIL 2006, FRONSAC, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price: $45
UPC: 00896709001017
Score: 89/100
Remarks: Ripe and elegant with a fresh minerality. Good value.
CHATEAU HAUT BAILLY 2006, PESSAC-LEOGNAN, GRAVES, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price: $99
UPC: 00714153052167
Score: 91/100
Remarks: Floral, earthy notes with silky textures and a wisp of raspberry fruit.
CHATEAU BRANAIRE-DUCRU 2006, ST. JULIEN, HAUT-MEDOC, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price: $89
UPC: 003760114631169
Score: 93/100
Remarks: Big fruit for the vintage and a welcoming girth on the palate.
