It's not looking good for the 2008 Bordeaux. Decanter reports that France's two main newspapers, Le Monde and Le Figaro have panned the 2008 vintage. They say that the recent poor weather has affected the harvest. Le Figaro said that the 2008 wine 'promised neither quality nor quantity' while Le Monde said that readers 'should not expect answers [from winemakers] when all the conditions that go in to making a great vintage do not come together.' The harvest has been very difficult all over the region running weeks behind schedule due to increased rain.
Since then, opinions have changed. Starting with Robert Parker, who had great praise for the vintage:
It did not take me long to realize that the 2008 vintage was dramatically better than I had expected. It had all the qualities that make an excellent and in some cases, a great vintage so special: exceptionally dark opaque colors, gorgeously ripe fruit, stunning purity almost across the board, great freshness (because it was a cool year), slightly higher acids than normal, and remarkable density as well as concentration. Moreover, one of the significant keys to evaluating quality is the maturity of the tannins. In 2008, the tannins are unusually velvety, even in wines that may lack concentration. By day three I was thinking about how this could have happened. When you look at all the facts (not the rumor-mongering from irresponsible bloggers), it seems clear that after the vinifications were done in late October and early November, something excellent had been produced.
A lot of critics were surprised at the praise Parker had for the 2008 vintage, but many quickly came around. Jancis Robinson had this to say:
But in fact most of the reds are now tasting very well, with enough but not excessive ripeness, nice fresh acidity, and tannins that at the moment seem reassuring in quantity and not too abrasive in quality. My first exposure to the vintage, straight off the plane, was a collection of wines from less exalted properties in Pessac-Léognan, as the posh bit of the Graves is called nowadays. Even at this quality level I was thrilled by the purity of the aromas and the harmony between the acid, tannins, alcohol and fruit.
Wine Spectator also had praise for the wine:
But the last three weeks of September were warm and sunny, potentially saving the day for many producers. The best of the resulting wines show lovely aromas, fruity palates, silky tannins and bright acidity that gives them long, lively finishes. However, the weaker reds can be light, green and acidic.
I have had the opportunity to sample the 2008 vintage from several Chateaux both in the barrel and bottle and I have been impressed (Note to Robert Parker: Not ALL blogs operate off of rumor, jerk). I was especially impressed with the smoothness and silky tannins of the Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2008 vintage.
The good news is that you no longer have to take my word for it, or the word of wine critics. The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux is bringing the 2008 vintage to North America, along with representatives from over 100 Chateaux. They are hitting 5 cities:
San Francisco January 21st
Los Angeles January 22nd
Chicago January 24th
Toronto January 25th
Boston January 26th
New York January 28th
Details about the events and a list of participating Chateaux can be found on The Wine Cellar Insider.
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