Nach der Lese ist vor dem Wein. Nach den beiden Ausnahme-Jahren 2015 und 2016 und dem ordentlich bis gute 2017 ist man natürlich gespannt auf das, was uns der 2018er Jahrgang bringt. Was sagen die Winzer, wie sah das erhaltene Lesegut aus, traut sich schon jemand eine Prognose zu?
Andrew Black, der renommierte britische, in Bordeaux lebende Weinpädagoge und Journalist, hat sich wie jedes Jahr umgehört, um herauszufinden, was wir vom gerade geernteten Jahrgang 2018 erwarten können. Hier ein paar gesammelte Stimmen …
Andrew Black – Première Presse (No. 54)
The 2018 Harvest
«In football-speak, the 2018 growing season was a game of two halves: the first persistently rainy and the second relentlessly dry, with the exception of a storm or two at the beginning of September.
What impact would these two extremes have on the profile of the wines?
Would the 2018 be rain-influenced and have some Atlantic classicism, or would it be ›solaire‹, expressing the long warm and dry summer?
While the jury seems to out on that question, the majority of growers are enthusing about freshness, aromatics and good acidity on the one hand, and full ripeness and abundant tannins on the other. Could 2018, a bit like 2016, be a harmonious blend of the two extremes?
Whatever the verdict, 2018 has proved to be another challenging vintage for growers and winemakers alike in the vineyards of Bordeaux and Spain, as illustrated in some of the interviews below.»
– Andrew Black
Pierre-Olivier Clouet (Cheval Blanc):
«All three varieties will go into the First Wine. Obviously, it’s too early to say in what proportions, but what I can announce is that there will be a high proportion of First Wine in this vintage.»
Pauline Vauthier (Château Ausone):
«What’s amazing is that when you taste the vats you get a very nice sensation of freshness and aromatic fruit. It’s as if the acidities were higher than they actually are.»
Alexandre Thienpont (Vieux Château Certan / Le Pin):
«I’ve never seen the sorting tables looking so clean! The fruit is so fresh and compact.»
Marielle Cazaux (Château La Conseillante):
«The grapes in 2018 are just as aromatic as in 2016. When you walk through the vat-room it’s bursting with aromas of blackcurrant and especially of cherries.»
Frédéric Faye (Château Figeac):
«We didn’t de-leaf the vines too much. We protected the fruit from direct sunlight. That helped preserve fresh fruit character in the grapes. The acidities are really good.»
Vincent Priou (Château Beauregard):
«The amazing thing about 2018 is that while we waited for the tannins to ripen, the pHs held their level.»
