Bordeaux 2015: Summer & Autumn
The warm, dry and sunny weather continued relentlessly into July. There was some rain, but only 35.3 mm, well below the average for the month. And what fell came during a few days early in the month, particularly on the 4th, and the soils remained otherwise untouched by water. The tinderbox conditions resulted in a forest fire which broke out on July 10th in the pine forests of Saint-Jean-d’Illac, just west of the airport at Mérignac, very close to the city of Bordeaux and not far from the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan. Approximately 30 hectares of young woodland was destroyed, although sadly this was only a portent of what was to come as the dry conditions continued, as before long there was another fire, beginning on July 19th. This was a much more fearsome blaze, and it was several days before it could be brought under control. It destroyed 600 hectares of forest, and over 650 firefighters and military personnel were drafted in. In truth such fires are not rare these days. In August 2012, not exactly the most ‘roasted’ of recent vintages, a similar fire near Lacanau saw 650 hectares of woodland destroyed. Nevertheless the images of the Gironde’s towering pine trees set ablaze, producing long, lingering palls of smoke, were nothing short of striking. The news footage of firefighters battling the flames from above, using aeroplanes and helicopters, were scenes which seemed more reminiscent of the sun-parched garrigue of Provence, or an Australian grassland set ablaze, rather than the supposedly damp, humid, maritime climate of Bordeaux.
Later in the month there was more rain, especially on the 21st, and then again between the 26th and 31st. No doubt the firefighters welcomed it, as did the vineyard managers and their employers, all of whom were now worried about this ongoing drought. Despite this little rain overall July was a sunny month, with 280.7 hours recorded, and the temperatures were well above average, reaching a peak of 36.8ºC on July 1st. It was cooler towards the end of the month, on July 31st the maximum temperature no better than a ‘mere’ 19ºC. Nevertheless, the very dry conditions were taking their toll on some of the vines; there was visible yellowing and wilting of some younger plants in Pessac-Léognan, for example.
The Véraison
In my annual vintage review I usually take a look at the weather through August before coming to focus on the véraison. The fact that I come to it now is a reflection of the very early nature of the vintage; even in late July, those domaines with white vineyards were beginning to plan for when they might pick, and they were looking at dates in August. So it is time to take a look at this significant step in the ripening and maturation of the fruit now.
