[轉]Harvest Report: 'Miracle' recovery in Bordeaux thanks to autumn heatwave

fatloong · 發表於 2014-9-17 11:21:24

Original news from The Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ ... utumn-heatwave.html

Fatloong Remark: I am getting more and more skeptical about these claims by the Bordelais.  It seems that they only have the following words to describe their vintages: good, outstanding, exceptional, excellent, amazing, vintage of the century etc etc

'Miracle' recovery in Bordeaux wine thanks to autumn heatwave
Late sunshine brings promise of exceptional vintages in Bordeaux this year, erasing fears of a poor harvest.

After months of cool, rainy weather that brought the prospect of a poor grape harvest, winemakers in Bordeaux are looking forward to exceptional vintages thanks to the Indian summer.  Antoine Médeville, a leading winemaking consultant who advises many red wine producers in Médoc, part of the Bordeaux region, said: "We're making a spectacular recovery. This September sunshine is a fantastic piece of luck."

Grapes are already being picked for white wines in Bordeaux, which make up about 12 per cent of the region's production, and experts are optimistic about quality.  Denis Dubourdieu, the head of the prestigious Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences and the owner of several chateaux in Bordeaux, said: "There's a lovely balance between sugar and acidity. It's quite astonishing and can be compared to a Sancerre or a Burgundy."  Mr Dubourdieu said a "miracle" was taking place. "It is a rare and interesting vintage thanks to the combination of a cool summer and this beautiful September weather with cool nights, which has stopped the damage. We're picking white wine grapes that are acidic, sweet, fruity and healthy, the four perfect ingredients."

Winemakers are hoping the sunshine will last long enough for them to be able to delay picking red wine grapes until the last possible moment, allowing the heat to burn off their acidity. White wines benefit from acidic grapes but not reds, which need riper, fruitier-tasting grapes.  "The reds are still a bit too acidic," said Fabien Teitgen of the Smith Haut-Lafitte chateau, which produces a red Bordeaux classified as a "grand cru classé" of the Pessac-Léognan appellation. "We're keeping our fingers crossed that we can leave them to ripen in the sun."

Winegrowers are anxiously poring over weather forecasts as they make the crucial decision of when to start grape-picking. The warm, sunny weather is expected to break by the weekend, when storms are likely to force vineyards to begin harvesting Merlot grapes, picked earlier than the other varieties traditionally grown in Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The warm weather is good news for Bordeaux, where harvests were all but wiped out by severe hailstorms last year.

Sales of Bordeaux wines fell by 28 per cent during the first half of this year, compared to the first six months of 2013. Much of the decline is attributed to less interest from China, which has emerged as the region's largest export market by value in recent years. Chinese buyers have reduced orders because of a government anti-corruption drive.  Exports of all French wines and spirits have declined by more than seven per cent to 950 million euros (£759 million) for the first six months of the year, with the American market described as "lacklustre".

By David Chazan, Paris
3:58PM BST 16 Sep 2014