I have heard the 2011 Vintage in Bordeaux referred to as "Difficult" and "Challenging", but the newly released harvest report from Lettres de Château is the first time I have heard it (publicly) referred to as "crazy":
A CRAZY VINTAGE
Decidedly, the 2011 vintage will remain in wine growers’ memories as one
resembling nothing previously encountered. Because of the year’s unpredictable
and capricious weather, the mood in the cellars of Bordeaux swung between
fear and hope. For more than 6 months, at times anxious, at others ecstatic,
winemakers scanned the skies, without doubt examining their vines with as much
concern as a gardener inspecting his roses every morning.
Their overall take:
In short, the 2011 Bordeaux vintage was one of the earliest in history, with the first whites being picked on August 18th and the entire harvest being
completed before the end of September at some of Pauillac’s most prestigious
Crus.
The whole report is available here (PDF). It is well worth a read, some of the highlights from the report are below.
The report also provides overviews from various regions.
Ludovic David, General Manager of Château Marquis de Terme, provides his thoughts on the harvest in Margaux:
The vintage was marked by problematic weather conditions, including drought, high temperatures, hail and excess water in August. Solid vineyard management, however, such as the right pruning strategy, regulated leaf removal, and careful thinning out on certain parcels, enabled us to obtain good maturity and meet the quality targets we had set ourselves.
Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen, Technical Manager of Château Lilian Ladouys, provides his thoughts on Saint-Estèphe:
Above all, 2011 emphasised team work and know-how; by adapting the vinification process, the wines gained power and concentration while preserving fruit. With deep colour, intense aromas and very pleasant balance on the palate, Lilian Ladouys 2011 is a wonderful achievement.
Eric Perrin, Owner of Château Carbonnieux, provides his thoughts on the Graves region:
The most striking thing about the 2011 vintage was that it was so early; we started harvesting the Sauvignon Blanc on August 18th!
...
In spite of the atypical conditions, we made a classic vintage in 2011, in the pure Bordeaux tradition.
Xavier Planty, Manager of Château Guiraud, chimes in on the spectacular vintage in Sauternes:
All the wine has finished fermenting by the 20th of October. Everything went very quickly this year, incredibly quickly! The cool night-time temperatures are beginning to clarify the wines. They already taste remarkably good: concentrated, aromatic, and complex. The speed with which the grapes became concentrated preserved magnificent vivaciousness. The wines are truly brilliant. My neighbours are saying “it’s like 2001”...but this remains to be seen.
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