2008 Bordeaux en primeur - first impressions

[greatbxfreak]

This year it's 25 years since I visited Bx for the very first time and i still feel same excitement.

It looks like it'll be Right bank year from what I tasted. But it certainly will be better than 2007. And prices much, much lower than for 2007, that's certain already now.

Some guys on the forum owe me a dinner, after they slated me 4.5 months ago.

Wednesday the 26th March 2009

La Conseillante - second wine Duo (86% M and 14% CF) was quite concentrated with nice aromatic nose and nice balnce and length. Grand Vin was silky all over, very aromatic (dark cherries and blueberries), very elegant and full of finesse, beautifully balanced and with long smooth aftertaste. Manager of la Conseillante, Jean-Michel Laporte, compares 2008 to 1988 because of same style of acidity, and with touch of 2001 in Pomerol. impressive!

Certan de May - to start with this wine didn't want at all to say bon jour, but after half an hour, it blossomed up and showed silky texture, fruit and tannins, fresh cherry aromas and violets. Looked at least mile above 2007 tasted same day. One memorable thing - barrels were filled on the 20th November, which means one month later than normal.

VCC - 70% M + 20% CF + 10% CS, M reached 13.8% alcohol while CF reached 13.9 and CS 12%. Violets, very aromatic, intense nose, splendidly constructed, elegant, long aftertaste. Simply terrific. Alexandre Thienpoint joined the bandwagon of 1988 comparison.

Le Pin - like VCC but with more breed and depth. Stunning effort.

Le Gay - it was great, great showing including La Graviere from Lalande de Pomerol (100% Merlot), Montviel (85% M and 15% CF), La Violette (100% M) and Le Gay (85% M and 15% CF). Probably the best vintage for all these four wines and in case of Le Gay it's sure. After cleaning up the vineyard of Le Gay from reminiscents of Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix being there, they learn it better and are convinced that 2008 exceeded 2005 vintage here. Explosion of blueberries/blackberries, spophisticated, silky fruit, outstanding balance, velvety tannins and formidable length.

So much for now....

Valandraud, Tertre Roteboeuf, Ausone, Beychevelle and Latour follow later.

Next week is Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux press tastings.

[stefan]

Thanks for notes, greatbxfreak. I hope right bank prices will be reasonable.

Is this your first post? Please tell us something about yourself.

stefan

[greatbxfreak]

Hi Stefan,

I'm lafleur or lafleur2000 from the BWE forum previously hosted at MSN, so you should all know me very well already.

[stefan]

Yes, of course, Izak. Why the new name? Too many disappointing Lafleurs?

stefan

[AlexR]

I visited Lafleur for the first time with Alain Bringolf about a month ago.

It's certainly a very attractive and sophisticated wine, but one, alas, for people with a bigger income than mine!

All the best,
Alex

[DavidG]

Welcome back, Izak! Look forward to reading your reports.

There seems to be a sense of doom and gloom in the US regarding the '08 futures campaign. I'm not sure how much of that is attributable to prices and the economy and how much is attributable to the perceived quality of the wines. It sounds like there were at least a few good wines made...

[AlexR]

David,

There are ALWAYS some good wines in any vintage!

The 2008 vintage has been dragged through the mud before anyone has tasted it <sigh>.
Not the first time, or the last..

YES INDEED, the financial situation has put a serious damper on the market. However, I get very much of a fox-and-the-grapes feeling here.
People feel they can't afford the wines, therefore they will them to be poor!

Best regards,
Alex R.

[greatbxfreak]

Thursday the 26th March 2009 - continued

Jean-Luc Thunevin - Bad Boy (Bx), Bellevue de Tayac (Margaux), Domaine de Sabines (L.d.Pomerol), Fayat-Thunevin (L.d.Pomerol), Le Clos de Beau-Pere (Pomerol), Fayat-Thunevin (L.d.Pomerol), Fayat-Thunevin (Pomerol), Clos Badon (St.E. Grand Cru), Virginie de Valandraud and Valandraud were in 2008 far, far better than 2007 tasted at the same occassion. Valandraud 2008 reminded quite of its olderbrother 2005. Fleshy, aromatic and velvety fruit/tannin.

Tertre Roteboeuf - it's magnifique. Francois Mitjavile did it again. 2008 is sensual, fruit en large (blueberry/blackberry/wild cherries) sophisticated and opulent. Excellent stuff! Roc de Cambes follows powerfully in TR's track. Terrific effort.

Ausone - Simard, Haut Simard, Fonbel, Moulin St.Georges, Chapelle d'Ausone and Ausone are very successful in their own category and better than 2007. Blueberry/blackberry, silky fruit and silky tannin. Ausone is fleshy, very sophisticated, with terrific balance and very long on the palate. Great stuff!

[DavidG]

Excellent points Alex. I think it's hard enough to judge the wines in barrel. To make predictions before they are even harvested or before they are done fermenting, based just on weather, can't be any easier. Perhaps it's not fair to the wines, but this year there's also a lot of anger about prices over the past few years, combined with angst about the economy. I'll be interested to see what people have to say about the wines themselves, but for some it may be hard to divorce the quality and economic issues.

[JimHow]

Alex, what was the weather like in 2008?
Other than tasting the wines myself, that's the main thing I need to know.

[AlexR]

Jim,

We translated the official report last week, but it is too long to post.
I'll e-mail it to you.

I'll be at the official presentation of the new vintage to the foreign press on Thursday.
There is a great deal of resistence around the world to the 2008 vintage.
I can understand this, but ask only that the wines be judged on their quality first, and price second.

All the best,
Alec

[JimHow]

I looked at it quickly, Alex, it looks very interesting!
You should post it here!
I'll read it more closely tonight when I get home.

[ChrisW]

Alex, Izak,

Looking at this and other forums I think that, apart from some individuals, most people are not so positive about the 2008 Bordeaux vintage because of economic perceptions and not for its expected quality. Times are tough and people are simply not getting warm feelings about tying up a lot of money in futures. And why should they, even apart from negative feelings about the current economy: people who have been loyal and bought futures of the 2006 and 2007 vintages have really paid too much money (two years in advance) for their wines.

The Bordelais cannot really complain about this, as opposite feelings have given them great prosperity over the past decade. When things only went up, people expected that this trend would continue and bought wines at higher and higher prices. Now things are going down and people think that 2008 futures will be an equally bad deal as the 2006 and 2007 futures have been. The only way to reverse this, is by pricing the 2008 wines at a realistic price level which will be below the prices set by the market when they are delivered. 2004 prices will IMO still be too high as auction prices for wines from 2001 and 2004 are already lower than most 2004 EP prices.

I personnaly will try to keep an open mind and very much welcome a good quality vintage (...as long as prices are coming down considerably compared to 2006 and 2007).

ChrisW

[stefan]

bump