Bordeaux 2022 Primeurs: Appellation Bordeaux
“Are you going to visit Château Climens this year?” asked Twingo.
Before answering I paused for a moment, for several reasons. First, it seemed incongruous to discuss a visit in Sauternes as an opener for a report on the dry white and red wines with the generic Bordeaux appellation; Sauternes is for another day. Second, and perhaps more significantly, I just realised he was speaking English, my own native tongue, rather than his native French, and I was not sure if I had previously appreciated that. And third, how did my new companion know that my primeurs schedule usually includes a trek far to the south of the city of Bordeaux, south of Pessac-Léognan, to call in on Château Climens?
After all, we had only met five days earlier.
And yet he seemed to know everything about me.
Was it possible I was imagining all this?
Am I Twingo?
No, don’t be silly. Of course not. I continued my conversation with the obviously animate conglomeration of metal, plastic and rubber.
“There’s no need this year. With the arrival of Château Climens’ new majority shareholder, Jérôme Moitry, the system for primeurs tastings has changed. First, no more barrel tasting, trying to judge what the wine is like from tasting fifteen or more individual barrels or lots. Maybe that will please the Bordeaux-bashers on social media, who see tasting from the barrel as fun until it is in Bordeaux, when it suddenly becomes a crime against humanity. More pertinent to your question, however, you don’t have to go to Climens this year; they are bringing their 2022 up to Bordeaux, to a rented venue in the city centre, so I am going there to taste.”
“But parking in Bordeaux can be a nightmare,” interjected the ever-helpful Twingo, who seemed to be able to read my thoughts. Strange, that.
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