Bordeaux 2021
Many acknowledge that it has been a challenging vintage for the Bordelais. Widespread frost was the result of an extremely cold April. The white grapes and the areas of Graves and Sauternes were particularly badly hit. Of course, some areas have naturally better protection from frost due to their proximity to the banks of the Gironde or Garonne rivers, so some of the great estates on the left bank were more fortunate.
A cool and wet start to summer followed, which meant that producers were susceptible to mildew, especially in June. The Bordelais then hopefully anticipated a warm July, yet that didn’t really materialise. Less-than-average sunshine hours as well as lower mean temperatures were not ideal. August continued in the same vein, with producers rightly concerned as to the potential of the crop and its ability to fully ripen – not a problem that they have had to be concerned about in recent vintages!
Fortunately, welcome sunshine came later in August and into September. This immediately benefitted the earlier-ripening Merlot, which can struggle in warmer conditions. Reports from second growth Cos d’Estournel are that the Merlot is ‘remarkably enticing’. There were worries regarding the ripening potential for Cabernet Sauvignon, but fortunately the good weather seems to have prevailed well into harvest, allowing for successful ripening. The smaller yields of the vintage proved to be a blessing in disguise in this regard.
Due to lower sugar levels, alcohols will also tend to be generally lower in 2021 – perhaps not a bad thing! Recent vintages in Bordeaux have been very approachable in their youth. Perhaps the 2021s will take a little longer to come around? We are certainly not expecting a blockbuster vintage, but in true ‘Bordelais speak’, maybe it will be a more ‘classic’ or ‘lighter’ vintage.
Burgundy 2020
While we await the verdict on Bordeaux 2021, there is no denying the positivity and amazement surrounding the paradoxical Burgundy 2020 vintage. Paradoxical because, in essence, the wines show such freshness and brightness in what was an undeniably extremely hot vintage.
A mild winter season saw an early budburst in March 2020, which led to early flowering in the middle of May. An extremely warm summer then followed. Daytime temperatures were high, but critically, the nights were cool, allowing the grapes to maintain precious acidity levels. It was not only hot, but also extremely dry, allowing for significant concentration in the berries. This led to a staggeringly early harvest, with some producers starting in the third week of August – the earliest since 2003.
You might expect the resulting wines to be challenging, yet that is far from the case. The white wines overall show superb freshness alongside excellent intensity and concentration. For me, Chablis stood out among the wines I’ve tasted. One of the reasons for the freshness is due to the low pH of the wines and high prevalence of tartaric acid in the grapes over malic acid; this gives a bracing backbone of acidity to the wines, which is a superb foil to the concentrated fruit. Also, although the grapes were ripe, the fruit profile is certainly not tropical, erring more towards classic stone fruit and floral. It is fair to say that this is an exceptional year for white wines throughout Burgundy.
I think a fair general assessment of the reds in Burgundy would be ‘extremely good’ – however, not uniformly so. Pinot Noir, as we know, is a complex and fussy grape and can be susceptible to drought (especially younger vines). This left yields lower as well as produced considerably smaller berries. Alcohol levels were generally lower than those of recent vintages, which is perhaps surprising given the extreme warmth. Tannin levels were fairly high, meaning that producers needed cooler fermentations and to take great care with extraction. Good estates and good winemakers overall will have made superb reds in 2020.
If you can get hold of (and afford) the 2020s, then I would suggest you do! Global demand continues to rise and prices continue to increase, and given the extremely low yields of 2021, it might be prudent to snap up these wines. Whites will thrill young, and reds might possibly just need a little longer but still are very pleasurable in their youth.
- Alistair Cooper,
Master of Wine & Esteemed Critic
