'This will not be an easy vintage like 2005, more like a winemakers' vintage, where the right decisions will be rewarded.'
Philippe Blanc, Château Beychevelle (St-Julien)
‘Rich wines with plenty of structure and excellent acidity.’
Philip Dhalluin, Châteaux Mouton Rothschild, Clerc Milon and d'Armailhac
‘Intense and inexplicable stress from mildew and odium diseases as well as the presence of destructive insects put us on maximum alert. "Never let your guard down" was our motto for the year. Preventative and targeted treatments were the key to our success for 2006. the result is a great lineage wines which, even if they do not attain the natural power of the 2005s, will be situated among the best of the 2000 vintages.'
Philippe Dambrine, Château Cantemerle (Haut-Médoc)
‘The most rigorous sorting directives were given to bring in only grapes capable of producing great wine. This 2006 reminds me a little of the 1999, with more structure and body.’
Jean-Pierre Hugon, Château Marquis de Terme (Margaux)
‘2006 will not be 2005. It will not have its power but what silkiness! It is a very delicate vintage, very silky with beautiful fruit.’
Louis Mitjaville, Château Carignan (Premières Côtes de Bordeaux)
‘After cool temperatures in August, a heatwave in September abruptly accelerated ripening, which made the grape skins somewhat fragile. The rainy (93 mm), but rather cool period that followed called for close monitoring. We had to pick the minute the grapes were ripe to avoid the risk of further rot. The winemaking wasn’t especially challenging but the sorting was.’
Thomas Duroux, Château Palmer (Margaux)
‘It doesn't look as if we will double prices in 2006.'
Anthony Barton, Châteaux Leoville-Barton and Langoa-Barton (St-Julien)
‘The 2006 whites reveal themselves to be of surprising quality, well above average. The wines are delicate and very elegant. For reds, the 2006 vintage is without doubt a difficult year. We have been able to obtain high quality through the sacrifice of small yields and late maturity. The wines are fruity and will become more elegant than powerful.’
Yves Picant, Château Hostens-Picant (Sainte-Foy Bordeaux)
‘2006 will not be a great vintage.’
Yann Sch˙ler, Château Kirwan (Margaux)
‘2006 is a winemaker's vintage. Here we have a year typical for the region - rigorous vineyard management is the determining factor of quality. The 41 barrles of fermenting wine contain very pure juices. I am consequently expecting great wines.’
Xavier Planty, Château Guiraud (Sauternes)
‘I am a bit disappointed with this year's harvest. I had to discard a lot of rotten grapes, and even among the good parcels, there was a lot of variability. This is a year when there will be a large gap in quality between the good and the less good.’
Jean-Christophe Mau, Châteaux Preuillac and Brown (Médoc and Pessac-Léognan)
‘The first juices showed a purple-violet colour with fragrances of dark berries and a pleasant acidity in the mouth, promising the future wine a certain vivaciousness associated with a sturdy, elegant tannic structure.’
Christian Hostein, Château Talbot (St-Julien)
‘Overall, the 2006 may remind us of the 2001 or the ’98 with its classical Bordeaux structure (fresh aromas, density and depth, capacity for ageing). These wines are classical in their construction, and promise excellent ageing potential.’
Vincent Mulliez, Châteaux Bell-Vue, Gironville and Bolaire (Haut-Médoc)
‘The 2006 was a vintage for confirmed winemakers, for those who wanted to bring their (healthy) grapes to maturity. It will probably remain in the tradition of the ‘6’ vintages of the past 20 years – 1986 and 1996.’
Marie-Hélène and Pierre-Gilles Gromand d’Evry, Château de Lamarque (Haut-Médoc)
‘Carbonnieux was one of the first to harvest in this sector of Bordeaux. Beautiful weather for the duration of the harvest. Results, superb white wines. Very good balance between degree [alcohol] and acidity. The wines are rich, lively and aromatic. They remind us of the 2001s. For us it is a great vintage.’
Anthony Perrin, Château Carbonnieux (Graves)
‘If we had to compare it to another Rouget vintage, it would be close to the 2000.’
Edouard Labruyère, Château Rouget (Pomerol)
‘In the end, the result is much better then what we feared under the rain. The wines reveal themselves to be full-bodied, delicate and aromatic.’
Jean-Francois Quenin, Château de Pressac (St-Emilion)
‘A winemaker’s wine. The wine shows a pleasant tannic structure and a lot of fruit. It reminds us of the 1996.’
Patrice Bandiera, Château La Tour de Mons (Margaux)
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