Wine News ArchiveA monumental VintageRobert Parker Jr. has just retasted the 2000 vintage which is now close to the end of its oak barrel aging. Just a few months before bottling, the wine seems as promising as ever and, on this occasion, Mr Parker raised various of his previous ratings, such as Chateau Petrus 2000 which is now at 96-99/100. From his point of view ,"remarkably consistent from top to bottom, there has never been a year where so many exceptional wines were produced." It is definitely not too late to acquire a few more 2000 and many are now available per bottle! Great Changes in Médoc Wine-Growing Area Today, 470 Médoc Chateaux are entitled to the Cru Bourgeois classification. Most offer top quality wines for an excellent value such as the famous Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Gloria or Les Ormes de Pez. However, this 1932 classification is about to be revised and divided into 3 different sub-categories : Cru bourgeois supérieur exceptionnel, cru bourgeois supérieur and cru bourgeois. This ambitious project will be carried out throughout the year by 18 jurors. Their difficult task will consist in blind-tasting 6 vintages of each Chateau, getting a thorough survey of each property and finally stating their long-awaited decision. These changes are mainly intended to reward the quality strides at the best cru bourgeois Chateaux and to offer consumers a more accurate guide to quality but they will certainly raise protests among downgraded proprietors. Vintage 2002 in Australia The harvest season will soon start in Australia. Crops are reported to break all records this year, with a huge 11% increase in volume compared to last year's. Moreover, for the first time, the red wine production will outstrip the white wine production. Althoug Australian wineries are quite worried - some are paying their wine-growers to let the grapes rot on the vineyard - the Australian wine and Brandy Corporation is reassuring : exports are still rising steadily with a 21% increase in volume and a 19% rise in value. The United Kingdom and the United States are still the first importers but France starts to show signs of interest for these wines, although most imports are not intended for the home market but rather for EC exports from France. Furthermore, by 2004 the current Australian overproduction should have decreased as new plantations will drop for lack of appropriate land. Harvest 2001 in Sauternes area In Sauternes more than in any other appellation of Bordeaux area, the climate is crucial for the quality of the harvest. In order to produce this world-renowned dessert wine, the grapes - Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle - are only picked up when they are attacked by a bacteria called Botrytis Cinerea. However, this "noble rot" only develops in very precise climatic conditions: morning fogs in September and October. Its effect on the grapes also evolves with time, which makes it necessary for pickers to harvest several times and to sort each grape by hand, picking the fully rotten ones and leaving the others. This year, the weather conditions were ideal. Grapes reached perfect maturity at the beginning of September. Rain came in at the right moment, at the end of September, followed by the famous morning fogs which enabled the noble rot to spread and develop quickly. Then sunshine and wind allowed for a quick and homogenous concentration of sugars. This vintage will definitely produce a rich concentrated dessert wine boasting perfect fruit jam and roasted aromas. Check our great selection of Sauternes. |
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