First taste: Bordeaux 2010
Author: Simon Staples
Despite the French strikers’ best intentions to keep me out, I made it to Bordeaux eventually to visit some great châteaux and have the first taste of new juice with a handful of our international customers last week.
Highlights of the week included watching the harvest come in, tasting the juice and hearing what the châteaux owners are predicting for Bordeaux 2010.
It was only the second year I have ever been asked to taste the new juice and we tasted 2010 from Palmer, Ducru, Cos, du Tertre and Giscours. Our customers, who are not used to tasting wine at this early stage, were blown away by the quality and richness and the enthusiasm of the châteaux owners was infectious and certainly rubbed off on them.
The Bordelais are obviously delighted with the vintage and very chuffed they are onto another winner. For me, stylistically it’s too early to say but it could be closer to 2005 than 2009 – cooler than the exuberant style of 2009. However, some châteaux owners were holding off picking and with the temperature up at 27 degrees last week some might have a problem with the alcohol levels in the wine being high.
Price of the 2010s was mentioned. Historically after an incredibly good vintage the Bordelais never get it right, as we saw with 2006 which was way too high and didn’t sell as well. It is early days as the wine is still fermenting in tank but one property owner told me they have had 600 Chinese visitors through the doors in recent weeks, so they know they will have a buyer whatever the price!
As well as the new vintage, we tasted lots of wines from 2008 and I was astonished how the wines have come on since my original tasting – they are much better than I remember! There was more weight and richness and, in particular, the Mouton-Rothschild stable (Clerc-Milon, Le Petit Mouton et al). With the rise in demand of Carruades de Lafite I can sense these wines will go the same way – so buy them while they are still cheap.
My next visit to Bordeaux will be in February when we will get a much better idea of the 2010 vintage. Meanwhile, Bruno Borie from Ducru popped into our Hampshire cellars this week for a staff tasting. Watch the video for his thoughts on the new vintage.
Hi Simon, thanks for the interesting update. Did you also manage to taste any of the 2008 firsts? Any impressions on how they have evolved since last year and how they stack up against other vintages?
Thanks, Erik
Hi Erik,
Only Firsts 2008 I tried were Mouton(18.5/20) and Latour (18.5/20)and both were outstanding and that was up against their incredible 2009’s. Mouton 2009 19.5/20 and Latour 20/20 and the finest En Primeur wine I have ever tasted)
All 2008’s we tried we considerably more rich and fleshy than a year ago closer to a slightly sexier 2001 I think.
Many thanks
Simon
Hi Simon
Great to hear an update on the Bordeaux 2010 vintage from you. Saw some comments earlier from the Bordelais which tie with your notes on the potential quality of the vintage. Noted some of them were a little embarrassed by the potential for this years crop. Perhaps an early indication that they’re a little worried about how they’re going to pricing the 2010’s next spring without crashing the prices of the 2009’s? Are their comments about the number of Chinese visitors an early attempt at trying to justify pricing the 2010 around the same level as the ’09’s?
Waiting delivery on a few 2008’s so pleased to know they’re looking good.
Thanks
Hi Ray,
I would share your cynicism, had it not come from the least self promoting Chateaux there is. We are seeing incredible demand from our Hong Kong branch for all of the top wines. They did a third of our amazing 2009 En Primeur campaign on turnover and a 10th of the volume. They want the best.
I said to many Chateaux that if it wasn’t for this new market I would already be stating they need to half their 2009 prices irrelevant of 2010’s quality. They looked at me as if I had lost what few grey cells I still have left. They know they have another great vintage in the bag, unprecedented demand, slightly less wine and negotiants, merchants and private customers queuing up to buy their wares wanting others to drop out so they might get a few morsels for themselves. As much as we’d all love the prices to come back to 2002 level, or even 2004 I doubt we shall see prices from the top 100 Chateaux at that level ever again sadly. Now, as all these “brands” go up in price, the wines just below these are improving every year, encouraged by the prices they can see in “The Premiership” and its our job as Merchants to find these, winkle them out and draw them to your attention.
Cheers
Simon
Hi Simon
Thanks for the update and interesting to read your comments on 08. Do you feel then that the vintage is better than you first thought? We know Parker raved about it but many disagreed with him.
Thanks
which are the best wines to buy? I am looking to buying bordeaux wines and need some advice
Hi Marcello,
The few 2008’s that are now in bottle I have tried definitely feel more generous than my intial impressions but these really are only the very top wines who used rigorous selection. I fear further down the ranks that they will still be underripe and a tad austere. We shall do a hige tasting in February of these and report back.
Cheers
Simon
Hi Simon,
which wines would you recommend buying? which years would you recommend? I have looked at the 03 and 05. could you please advice.
Hi James,
If you mean the 2010’s I’ll be out in Bordeaux in February and then again in April and will choose the best wines and they’ll be available for sale April/June. Otherwise the best vintages, probably ever are 2009 and 2005. If you’d like to send me an email to simon.staples@bbr.com with an indication on a budget and I’d be delighted to put something together for you.
kind regards
Simon
Whats your thoughts on Chateau Lafite 2003? I am looking at purchasing a case or 2 but I have just also entered a competition to win one http://www.wineinvestmentadvice.com/dj_lafite_2003_promo
Hi James,
I’ve never come across this company before, do ask them lots of questions if you do decide to invest. I think that 2003 Lafite is the best of that tricky vintage, got 100 Parker points which is still relevent, should do very well as an investment. As a drink I’d buy 10/20 cases of better value wines.
Hope that helps
Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon,
if I was to buy 10 or 20 cases, which wines would you recommend? and why. I am looking at doing this as a long term investment.
Hi James,
I buy wines for drinking & investing, I have been using 3 brokers. I have bought en primeur wines through premium liquid assets, they specialise in wine investment, so i dont buy wine for drinking from them, only for investing. Have been a client since i bought some 2008 Lafite, nice to see that they are deciding to put a chinese logo on the bottle! my broker at pla advised me yesterday, prices are moving up further.
Regards,
Lawrence
Hi James,
Currently I’d recommend ;
Every vintage of Lafite and in order; 2008,2006,2003,2005,2004
Any Vintage of Lynch Bages from the 2000’s and in order;
2006,2009,2000,2005
All the recentvintages of the second wines of First growths, particularly;
Forts de Latour….anything, Petit Mouton 2009, Pavillion Rouge 2009,
Beychevelle 2008,2009,2006
Do give me a buzz on 01256340152 or drop me a line simon.staples@bbr.com for prices and volumes.
Many thanks
Simon