A 'commando' vintage' says Aurelie. She means, just in case
anyone might get the wrong idea, that 2013 Bordeaux is not a classic, set-piece
harvest where all is planned and the battalions moved accordingly.
 |
| Aurelie: she has a way with words ... |
Not at all; this is a real fire-fight of a vintage. Attacked
on all fronts, we are. Weather, rot, recalcitrant machinery; we have it all.
She has to whizz people here and there according to where the problem is worst.
Secure a quick win here. There a quick rescue. If you move fast you can make
small amounts of very good wine. She's resourceful and undaunted.
We have 30 hectares of vines here. But they are split into
many separate pieces. Some were hit hard by hail in August. Some escaped. Some
seem to have survived the clobbering remarkably well. Others haven't. Others
seem OK then suddenly the rot gets in there and spreads fast. On the plus side,
there's quite a bit of the 'Noble' rot around too which enriches rather than
destroys grapes.
Problem is when grapes suddenly sprout the dreaded 'grey
beards'. Spotting the bearded ones, says Aurelie – who has a talent for
political incorrectness – makes her feel like she's running anti-terrorist
operations, not making wine.
What a vintage! Is it the worst ever seen? No. Worst in
recent decades maybe, but only in the villages hit by hail. Of which we, alas,
are one. Plenty places got off Scot free. And the best viticulturalists really
shine in years like this.
The worst vintage I ever saw was 1967 when I was a student
working in a co-operative winery here. Grapes came in mostly as husks. The
skins looked almost normal but the insides had been eaten out by rot. There was
a fog over everywhere … except it wasn't fog. It was spores of mould. That was
BAD. They had no defence against rot then. Today we do. Winemaking and
grape-growing today is light years ahead of then.
We'll make some very good wine this year. Not a lot, true.
Hardly any. But you'll like it, I promise.
This will only be partly down to technology. It’s human
spirit and never-give-in stubbornness as much as technology.
I have just worked all day at the sorting table with
Aurelie, husband Lucas Eveline, farmer Olivier, and the others. Even Old Denis
who's about to retire but has been helping out since he was Young Denis at our
original Railway Arch forty years ago,
Sorting out the furry grapes is serious work this year. Hour
after hour. You really have to concentrate. But we are going to win.
As are our friends.
 |
| With Ludo Rousillon and JMS |
Yesterday I went with Jean-Marc to see Ludovic Roussillon –
he of the confusing name – in his village near Rauzan in Entre deux Mers . Ludo
is an ace viticulturalist. Head and shoulders above the rest says J-MS. His
land and his vines are always vibrant with health. And they didn't get hailed
upon.
His half-fermented Sauvignon Gris and Blanc juice is clearly
going to make exceptional wine this year. That's Château Le Coin. The most
remarkable juice though was the black stuff just turning into soft, aromatic
claret. Ludo also farms the vineyards of a Château Pellbouc belonging to the
Thienpon family of Château Le Pin and Vieux Château Certain, Pomerol, fame.
That will be excellent too, when it arrives.
 |
| Nadja tasting at Le Chai |
The Chai au Quai, which was all empty barrels when I was
last here with the group, is now all full barrels. The Chai is so upbeat. Mark,
Nadja and Jean-Marc have Sauv Blanc and Gris, Chardonnays, Viogniers,
Vermentinos and more all fizzing away. I love our baby Sauvignon Blanc when it’s
fermenting and looks like fizzy milk. I'd love to sell it like that. But
bottles would explode and it would be a very short season – about a fortnight –
but it’s the most superlative 'Bourru' consumed round here with roasted
chestnuts.
 |
| "I must have filled a thousand barrels, but this is the first time I can see what's going on inside!" - a very impressed Mark Hoddy |
You want to try something similar, fly to Vienna
and get a tram to the wine-growing suburbs where they'll sell you milky young
wine with roast meats in their 'Heurigen.'
 |
| A harvest lunch, Poulet Farcie |
No comments:
Post a Comment