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French press slam 2008 vintage
November 18, 2008
Oliver Styles
France's two main newspapers have slammed the 2008 vintage, saying poor weather has jeopardised the quality of the harvest across the country.
In articles published late last week, both Le Monde and Le Figaro painted a bleak picture of this year's wines, the latter saying 2008 'promised neither quality nor quantity'.
A similarly negative Le Monde said its readers 'should not expect answers [from winemakers] when all the conditions that go in to making a great vintage do not come together'.
The newspaper added: 'In the most difficult years, we are reminded that nothing is decided, that sun at the end of September and the first half of October can still correct the situation – this is the case in 2008.'
The paper said that Bordeaux would be neither 'mythical' nor 'atypical' but 'simply classic'. Talking of the elevated levels of rainfall in Burgundy, Le Monde also claimed that there were strong rumours in the region that, for organic and biodynamic growers, the vintage would 'barely exist'.
Franck Crouzet, of negociant giant Castel Freres, told Le Figaro the harvest had been 'extremely difficult'.
The newspaper, which last year compared the 2006 vintage with that of 1982, also highlighted poor sales figures at the annual Foires aux Vins wine promotions in French supermarkets.
In terms of quantity, only Champagne and Alsace are set to report an increase in production this year.
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It's like watching the weather forecast on continental TV stations - French weather stops at the Belgian, German, Swiss, Italian and Spanish borders and according to this report is also confined locally to Champagne, Bourgogne and Alsace. Idem for all of the other countries' weather forecasts
Have just returned from Switzerland (a long way from Alsace and Bourgogne of course) where the vignerons are reporting a 'very satisfactory year' so the weather forecasts MUST be true.
Philip Styles, St.Gaudent, France
Interesting to note that Bordeaux insider Jean-Marc Quarin published today an article on his website about how his early tastings on "numerous" Bordeaux 2008 provide surprisingly good surprises (and even "marveling") which is in contrast with weather statistics and what is suggested but "not told by observing the vegetative cycle". In short, he underlines that the work of the winegrowers and cellar masters are playing like "a second terroir", thus creating a fantastic "opening on the consistency of quality". Similarly to Decanter's advice from insiders in last month's article, I would rather trust the work of a local specialist speaking about what he witnesses and tastes every day for years rather than a national newspaper trying to make the news with too general and useless information.
I wonder how these main newspapers such as Le Monde and Le Figaro stay informed in the field and are able to provide such early and adequate judgments solely based on general weather indication? It just looks ridiculous to me.
Pierre Emmanuel, Paris, France
I have seen with my own eyes rotten grapes in Meursault at the end of September and on the same day (9/22) superb quality grapes in Champagne, near Aÿ. True, my friends in Bordeaux and the Loire are not very enthusiastic. But still, a region should be set aside: the South of France - I mean, Languedoc, Rousslllon, Provence and Corse - where it has been dry and sunny... as usual. Of course, their wines are not so fashionable as Bordeaux or Burgundy on export markets (except maybe Châteauneuf), but still, it would be unfair to put them in the same climatic league as the rest of France this year.
Hervé Lalau, Belgium
We have been on report all around France for the 2008 harvest, and the both article needed bit of nuances. First, yields should be less important but the quality in Mediterrean wines will be excellent. We saw fantastic grenache noir, syrah,
mourvèdre... Chablis and Champagne are amazing, Loire white a great vintage with probably a lovely mineral vintage. There are so many nuances for each regions, I am exhausted reading this kind of evidence in newspaeper. Fortunately, le monde and le figaro are the main newspaper with the less reader...
Rikko
Every year we are told that the metaphorical sliced loaf has been reinvented with the 'marvel' of the new vintage as, of course, the growers and negotiants need to sell wine. This year it appears the toast has been burnt by Le Monde and Le Figaro
Terence Lyons
As Hervé Lalau points out, typical of the big Paris papers to ignore the south. I've talked and tasted across several areas of the western Languedoc and the Roussillon: growers and winemakers are generally very pleased (apart from lower yields) and the wines in vat and barrel are looking very promising.
Richard James
“Outstanding quality, the 2008 vintage will be remembered for its lower than average yields”
“We have a stellar vintage here, the purity of fruit is amazing”
“Yields are extremely low, but the red wines are comparable with the 2005 vintage”
These are some of the comments from local winemakers.
I have a wine shop in South West France and I have spent the last 3 weeks personally visiting local winemakers. For those winemakers who spent time in the vineyard during the difficult summer months, the results have been more than rewarding. The general consensus of opinion is that the 2008 vintage is of outstanding quality. The whites are wonderfully aromatic, with fresh fruit and refreshing acidity. The reds are fruity, fresh, and elegant with perfect balance between alcohol, fruit and acidity. I would like to personally invite Oliver Styles to visit our region where I will introduce him to the local winemakers where he can taste for himself the stellar quality of the 2008 vintage and make his own personal opinion.
Mitch O'Sullivan, France
Le Figaro may be the newspaper of the political Right in France, on the subject of the 2008 vintage, they are Wrong, especially where Bordeaux, Champagne, and the Languedoc regions are concerned. While it is true that yields are down, to proclaim, as Le Figaro has, that the 2008 harvest "promised neither quality nor quantity" is about as accurate as their earlier comparison of the 2006 vintage with the 1982 harvest, i.e. it is qualitative and stylistic nonsense.
I wonder, did Le Figaro and Le Monde send their journalists to the many wine regions of France to observe conditions throughout the 2008 harvest, to witness first-hand the quality of the fruit being harvested in the seriously run vineyards, to taste the first fermented juice? Their unfounded prognostications lead me to assume that they clearly did not!
As Pierre Emmanuel in Paris points out in his cogent response to this baseless balderdash, it is better to trust the work and observations of local specialists writing about they have seen and tasted rather than to lay credence in the writings of journalists, cloistered in their Paris cubicles. Pity that their editors unabashedly push them to produce such sensationalistic diatribes, where being first seems more important better than being accurate.
Yet another black eye on the face of responsible journalism.
Jeffrey M. Davies, Bordeaux, France
The concensus would seem to suggest that from the point of view of Le Monde and Le Figaro:- "Bad news is news - good news is no news!"
Philip Styles, St.Gaudent, France
To ignore the media and only trust the opinion of local producers is senseless. Those producers have to sell their wines and will obviously try to promote the vintage, despite bad weather. Vineyard management can minimize the influence or impact of bad weather, but it isn't a miracle solution.
Edo Heyns
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