Bordeaux 2012: The Harvest
I had a lucky escape in April, when I returned to the UK from the 2011 vintage primeurs the day before the heavens opened over Bordeaux. And I had a second such lucky escape in July, when the weather finally cleared just before I returned to the region. This time, however, I was not so lucky. I spent a week in Bordeaux, and although for much of the time the weather was good, the rain was never far away either. I spent most of my time in the Médoc, which was bustling with picking teams. Picking depended very much on variety (obviously) but also age of vines and soils. Fruit began coming in during late September, although it only seemed to get really busy in the vineyards midway through my visit, during the first week of October. I spent some time walking the vineyards with Frédéric Massie, one of Stéphane Derenoncourt’s team of viticultural consultants, who was guiding vineyard managers on when they should pick. The weather was increasingly chilly though. How long could they all hold out?
Here I will look at the details of the harvest for the dry whites, and the red grapes too. As usual I will reserve my thoughts on the Sauternes for that region’s individual report, as it deserves a more thorough and separate examination. That is true in any vintage, but especially so in 2012.
Bordeaux 2012: The Dry Whites
The picking of the Sauvignon Blancs in Pessac-Léognan came first, followed very quickly by the Semillons. Despite the problems with mildew early in the season, the subsequent good weather meant the ripe bunches of fruit were in great condition, with no signs of rot or other malady. The picking rolled out during the first two or three weeks in September, which as I have already described was warm and dry. The nights were relatively cool though, with an average daily temperature low of 12.9ºC, which preserved acidities in the berries as the vines finished their work.
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