Bordeaux 2016 Primeurs: St Emilion Grand Cru Classé & Grand Cru
François reached down and plucked the piece of paper from where it lay at the foot of the steps, presumably left behind by a taster who had been sat there earlier in the day. From where I was standing just a metre or two away I could see, even in these Cimmerian cellars, that it was a fairly typical A5-sized primeurs information leaflet, a common sight across Bordeaux in early April. Having briefly repositioned his spectacles on his nose in order to aid his examination, François scanned it for useful information. A moment or two later he emitted a quiet but distinctly derisive laugh.
“Look at this”, he said. At first it seemed to me that his comments were delivered into the ether, intended solely for the ears of ancient deities who perhaps lurked in the shadows. But as I was the only other mortal being with François in the cellar I realised there was a chance he might be directing his words at me. I looked up from my glass of 2016 Château Tertre-Roteboeuf, which had until that moment held me in an enchanted state of suspended animation, and François Mitjavile held the leaflet forward for me to see. I could see now that it was a leaflet produced by a Bordeaux négociant, one who also owns a few estates dotted around the region.
He flicked an offending passage with his finger, and continued, “It says ‘2016 is an excellent vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon on the gravels of the left bank, and for Merlot from the clay soils of Pomerol’. This is nonsense! It is crazy to say such a thing”. I wondered, only naturally, if the omission of the phrase ‘and Merlots from St Emilion’ might have given offence, but I was not quite correct. “You cannot limit the success of the vintage in this fashion, to certain varieties or certain terroirs. It is a success for all the varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc too, across all the region, on all soils. This is very silly”. His final comment was delivered with the withering exasperation of a schoolmaster, and I had a vision of François later telephoning the négociant’s parents at home and asking them to attend at Château Tertre-Roteboeuf the next day, at 4pm, to discuss their son’s wayward words. And of the parents dutifully attending. And apologising. And promising that little Frédéric would do better in future, they would make sure of it. And with this François gave the leaflet an extra fold before he slipped it into his pocket, no doubt destined for the student’s file.
