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Bordeaux 2008: First Report

As I sit in my office overlooking the East Lothian countryside this morning the distant fields are coated in a quite dense layer of early morning mist. It is not such a far cry from how much of Bordeaux looked yesterday morning, as we drove down from our residence in the Médoc to our first appointment of the day at Margaux. I have spent much of the last four days in the region, joining a mélee of press and trade members looking at the 2008 Bordeaux vintage.

Flying out to Bordeaux on Monday first reports that suggested the primeur tastings would be poorly attended didn't seem to stack up with the presence of the wine trade and wine press on the flight. I counted at least five MWs - and there were perhaps more - and indeed, on the ground in Bordeaux, much of the British wine trade was spotted. Despite the pronouncement from Simon Staples reported by Decanter that he "does not plan to buy a single case for stock" (which of course doesn't preclude an extensive en primeur offer), the Berry Brothers team were there in good number, including both Staples and Jasper Morris MW. Justerini & Brooks, Bibendum, Magnum Fine Wines and Albany Vintners were all represented in some shape or form. The notable absence was Farr Vintners who carried through their threatened boycott; they may have a good handle on the market, which seems disinterested principally for economic reasons, but they now have no handle on the wines which, in view of the success of the vintage (there are many excellent wines) and their position as a leading UK Bordeaux trader seems to leave them in a very weak position. Still, good on them for taking a stand.

Having said that, this didn't seem to be a busy and bustling set of primeur tastings. Most UGC tastings were pretty calm affairs, and some chateaux seemed almost deserted when we visited. Speaking from mere casual observation rather than any official poll, there seemed to be fewer Asian and American buyers on the ground, even when compared with last year when we tasted the considerably less interesting 2007 vintage. And our return flight from Bordeaux to Gatwick was less than a quarter full, whole rows of seats lying unoccupied. Was this representative of the wine trade's weak presence in Bordeaux? Or was it that the wines were so good - and in some cases they were - that the other passengers decided to postpone their return in order to accommodate another day's tasting?

Despite returning late last night, having lingered at Gatwick for an hour or so before taking another flight up to Edinburgh, and having a busy weekend ahead, I will endeavour to get my first notes and overview of the vintage online next week. This may be very timely; early reports suggest many proprietors favour an early release of the wines, and rumour has it we will see some releases, at lower prices than last year, next week. With that in mind then I think a quick look at the market and then the wines is in order.

The Market

The problem with the 2008 vintage is not so much the wines, but the economic climate. Some punters, reading the online fora, seem to have transposed the malaise of the market and the pessimistically anticipated high prix de sortie onto the quality of the wines themselves. This is a mistake; the wines of 2008 are very good indeed, and in some places excellent.

Nevertheless the Bordelais are very sensitive to these market conditions. This doesn't mean they will automatically releases at lower prices though; this is just one of several possible strategies that have been hinted at during the past few days. The concern here is that lowering prices compared to 2007 leaves négociants with large stocks of over-priced wines that will be a very hard sell. Even worse, and this is where some proprietors should be humbly inspecting their feet, the customers who bought last year will find, with better wines for potentially less money coming onto the market, the worth of their 2007 purchases falling. The 2007 release prices were in many cases indicative of nothing more than base greed. Nevertheless, some prices for 2008 are suggested to be on their way down. Paul Pontallier of Chateau Margaux intimated that a "dramatic" price reduction was warranted, although the figures were undefined. Where figures have been mentioned, they tend to suggest 20-30% reductions. The rumour mill suggests that Hubert de Boüard de Laforest of Chateau Angélus will release next Tuesday at €60 per bottle, a return to 2004 pricing. Unfortunately for UK buyers (and no doubt other currencies have a similar problem), the weak pound - which is worth 30% less than it was last year - means that such large reductions are effectively negated by the exchange rate. It is only when reductions go beyond 30% that the UK market will see a downwards shift in price and an increase in interest; such a dramatic price drop seems highly unlikely.

Another option is simply to release at a high price, and this is what Jean-Guillaume Prats of Cos d'Estournel is rumoured to be intending. His reasoning is simple; a high price protects the buyers of the 2007 vintage (which is one way of looking at it, I suppose), the 2008 vintage is of high quality and yields are low, and thus the wines are worthy of the price. And although the wines are expensive the cost to Prats, as he pointed out, is the cost of production not of sale, and it seems he is prepared to absorb that cost for the moment. I anticipate that Cos will release a tiny quantity at a price similar to 2008 and then sell very little, and Prats will hold back the rest until he can sell it at what he considers to be a worthwhile price, maybe a few years down the line. Having viewed his new cellars, which were financed with a bank loan for which the repayment plan stretches over 12 years, I think we can expect to have high prices from Cos for the foreseeable future.

And so I think the pricing this year will be variable, some opting to reduce prices for sale - although the UK will see little change thanks to exchange rate - whereas some prices will remain very high. I would expect UK sales to be lacklustre in either case.

The Wines

I will roll out more detail next week, but I have to at least offer a few soundbites for the vintage. This is not a left bank or right bank vintage, although I think there is broader and more consistent success on the right, in Pomerol and St Emilion. There were glorious wines at Cheval Blanc, including Petit Cheval which had beguiling aromatics and which was very close to the grand vin in terms of quality. At Ausone, the grand vin was much more powerful in comparison to Cheval Blanc, and indeed was a more prodigious wine than the 2007 Ausone tasted last year. Le Pin - a tenuously representative sample drawn from two barrels with a dollop of press wine - was gorgeous. But there were great wines throughout, not just at this exalted level; I enjoyed Figeac, Troplong-Mondot (two very different styles), Vieux Chateau Certan, La Conseillante and many others from both appellations. Petrus was no slouch either, and indeed the whole of the Pomerol portfolio from Christian Moueix was delicious; the St Emilions were less exciting, the rechristened Bélair-Monange (previously Bélair) was the best here.

On the left bank success was more sporadic. I note on the Bibendum blog that having started well on the left bank on day one they then found the wines on day two to be less exciting. They ascribe this difference to the lunar cycle and a biodynamic root day; on the day in question though I was in raptures at the right bank efforts and I think it is more likely that they are picking up on the more patchy quality on the Médoc rather than anything more mystical. St Julien is where to go this year; brilliantly pure and crystalline fruit in many cases, and a prodigious Léoville-Las-Cases which shows, if there were ever any doubt, that it is this super-second that would lead the way in a race for promotion to first growth. In this commune it would be easier to indicate the lesser wines, rather than the successes. There were a number of good wines in Pauillac, but the majority - after taking into account the lusciously seductive Lafite and a majestic Latour (much healthier than the 2007 was this time last year) - were less exciting than those in St Julien. I found little pleasure in St Estèphe; a well presented Cos d'Estournel, shirt all buttoned up, hair combed, toasty oak applied, was head and shoulders above the rest. Montrose was rather austere, but perhaps the samples are simply less well groomed under the aegis of the uncompromising Jean Delmas. At lower levels, I enjoyed Les Ormes de Pez. Elsewhere - the Haut-Médoc and Médoc - the wines showed little of great interest, although I am sure there will be some decent drinkers here.

The Margaux UGC tasting was hard work with no wines that really enthralled, although some certainly have potential. All were kicked into touch by Alter Ego, the second wine of Palmer, which was tasted immediately afterwards; the grand vin challenges for wine of the appellation. Margaux itself was lovely but, based on this early barrel sample, the lesser of the first growths this year. Down in Pessac-Léognan there were some good wines; this commune provided our first and last tastings, starting off with a broad tasting hosted by Smith-Haut-Lafitte and finishing up on Thursday afternoon at La Mission Haut Brion. Here Haut-Brion was, for me, not only the best wine but was, in its monumental glory, along with Latour and Léoville-Las-Cases one of the wines of the vintage. As for Sauternes, save for a rich and long Yquem sampled in the kitchen at Cheval-Blanc, there is little to excite in this commune. The wines are pretty, sweet, but lack real depth, real concentration, they miss the intensity and vibrancy of the 2007 vintages, and many lack length. Leave well alone is my advice.

Overall though, this is a very good vintage indeed. Not 2005 or 2000 on the whole, but individual wines may be ranked close to this level of quality, although not having tasted those vintages at this stage it is impossible for me to make truly valid comparisons. But compared to other recent vintages, I believe quality - in places - will surpass many recent vintages, including 2006 which I tasted en primeur, and also 2004, 2001 and 2002.

If I can find the time, the full report kicks off on Tuesday next week. (3/4/09)