The majority of Bordeaux 2007 wines are disappointing, says American wine guru Robert Parker.
Talking to French broadsheet Le Figaro, Parker said that although the vintage was impressive in places, overall the wines were poor.
'It [the vintage] is showing much better than I thought,' he said. 'However, lower quality wines, which make up most of the production, have no depth, with herbaceous – even vegetal – notes. Taken as a whole, they are disappointing.'
Underlining what many producers, merchants and tasters have said about the vintage, Parker said that last year's warm September seems to have 'saved' some of the wines.
'The best chateaux, with the financial ressources to do rigorous work in the vineyards and have a strict selection policy, have produced fruity, soft and charming wines, which will be pleasant to drink in the next few years,' he said. 'They do not have the density, structure and weight of a great vintage.'
He went on to compare 2007 with the 1997 or 1999 offerings.
Parker also affirmed his love of French wines in general, saying they remained the 'benchmark' for all the countries that made great wines.
See Steven Spurrier's overview of the vintage in the En Primeur videos section
Have your say... To post your comment on this story, email us at news@decanter.com, making sure the relevant headline is in the subject field
Register on decanter.com absolutely free for news alerts delivered direct to your email inbox, and our fortnightly newsletter with advance notice of what’s coming up in Decanter magazine, offers, competitions and more.
PLUS registration is a one-stop shop for the Decanter magazine Archive and Decanter Fine Wine Tracker.
