? The wine professionals, in particular the wine critics and the wine-waiters, are emphasising a factor a little neglected these last few years, i.e. the freshness of the wine.
This evolution, if it continues, is interesting as it's the opposite to the tendency of competition wines, where there is a standardization of taste, and highlights the "terroir" (a specific soil) and the idea of individual differences.
A fresh wine is a wine with a relatively higher acid level, less alcohol content, made from ripe grapes but not over-ripe, more delicate and of greater complexity; a wine that makes a change on the palate from the heavily concentrated "sweet-juiced" wines, and which marries more naturally with food dishes.

September 2003 - The campaign for the "primeurs" 2002 vintage has scarcely begun and we are already hearing talk of the quality of the future 2003 vintage.
An exceptionally hot summer with very little rain, has left us with ripe grapes generally in very good condition and certain vines in a state of hydric stress (the Champagne and Rhone areas in particular where certain vineyards exceptionally obtained an authorisation to water the vines). The wine harvest very precocious (2 to 3 weeks earlier than usual for certain regions) is of quite high quality, with here and there a low acid level, but not very great quantities: the French production will probably be less than 50 million hectolitres where as it has been between 55 to 60 million for the last few years. The last wine production as low, was in 1991 (42 million hl) but in that case the frost was the reason.
Whatever the case, it's probably wiser to talk about the 2001 vintage, the latest vintage that we begin to find on the market concerning the great wines (left 18 to 24 months in casks before being bottled) and previous vintages, as it's only after bottling (and the necessary period of rest afterwards) that we can really judge wines and vintages.

March 2003 - This year's Loire wine exhibition took place in Angers from the 3rd to 5th of February. As usual it was a well-organized exhibition where visitors (8800 professionals this year) were able to taste the wines proposed by around 600 wine-makers in relatively calm conditions.
What we noticed particularly in the 2002 vintage: rather spectacular dry white wines, long, with body and fat, more complete than those of the previous vintage (and this applies just as well to the Muscadet wines as to the Anjous or the Sancerres).
More and more, the wine-growers are expressing their desire to work the soils, to reduce the use of chemical products, to vinify using natural yeasts and with less interfering methods. Some of them in fact apply organic methods and even biodynamics without necessary making the fact public.
Even if its still too recent to draw conclusions, it's showing in the wine: there are more and more "cuvées" which are really pleasant to drink; and generally speaking the wines seem more balanced, richer and more fatty, the grapes used are riper, sometimes a little too extracted (the reds), but that's perhaps another point open to discussion.

October 2002 - Not all English people appreciate great wines in the same way. According to an article in the Sunday Times (08/09/2002) in January 2002, following a mistake in the accompanying documents, English customs officers in Dover had no hesitation in pouring all the contents of a delivery of "grands crus" down the drain; the total cost of which amounted to about 200 000 EUR and included wines such as La Fleur-Petrus 1990, Haut-Brion 1994, Mouton-Rotschild 1996...certain bottles were worth around 1000 EUR. Whitehall officials are looking into the affair.

June 2002 - The 2001 "primeurs" at Bordeaux: a general sign of lower prices for a variable vintage (average to good and even very good depending on the châteaux). But in most cases, the lowering of prices is pretty negligible: from 10 to 15 % compared to the 2000 "primeurs". A bigger reduction concerns the "premiers crus" and associated wines, which have descended a little from their soaring levels. But in any case, the prices are still not low enough.
We don't agree with the fact that "primeurs" are already presented tasted and... judged at the end of the month of March following the wine harvesting. But if that has to be, then why not at least respect the original principle of the "primeurs", i.e. a contract between a producer who benefits from an early cash inflow and a consumer who, in exchange, gets a substantially lower buying price.

May 2002 - Still no news of the report of the public enquiry concerning the works intended to increase traffic on the railway line Marseille-Aubagne-Toulon. These works would encroach on the Bandol appellation and in particular on the Château Pradeaux domain.
The inhabitants of Saint-Cyr are up-in arms and support letters have been coming in from all over the world. We'll keep you informed of how the situation develops.

March 2002 - This year at the Paris Agricultural Show (23rd February to 3rd March 2002) some wine-growers introduced wines produced under the name "Terra Vitis" from different French vineyards.
Terra Vitis was created in 1998 by a group of Beaujolais wine-growers who believe in reasonable growing methods. In November 2001 this group became a national federation and brought together, besides the Beaujolais group, wine-growers from the Loire Valley (Muscadet, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine), from Languedoc-Roussillon and from Bordeaux; over 360 domaines.
This qualitative approach, less demanding than organic or biodynamic wine-growing, is encouraging. Nevertheless the fact remains (as for organic and biodynamic methods too) that their methods are only applied to the actual growing of the grapes, and stop at the door of the cellars.
We'll be back on this.

October 2001 - Has wine become just another luxury product?
We made no comment on the last "Bordeaux primeurs" campaign. The prices were sufficiently eloquent: the 1st "crus classés" and assimilated wines were proposed at 250 EUR per bottle for the general french public. And unfortunately this tendency to push up prices has been followed to a slightly lower but noticeable extent in the last 4 or 5 years by many prestigious domaines all over France.
And yet wine is a product which comes to us from the earth, destined to be drunk and thus to return to it's sources. The way things are going, certain bottles may perhaps become objects of exhibition never to be touched in order to keep their speculative value.
And meanwhile, some AOC wines which are "only" regional (like generic clarets, "AOC Bordeaux" or "AOC Bordeaux supérieur") are not selling easily and their prices are falling.

? Marrying food and wine: If in doubt, don't make life complicated for yourself. Begin by considering marrying dishes of a region with wines of the same region. A "foie gras" from Alsace will go better with a Gewurztraminer or a late harvest Tokay, just as a "foie gras" from the southwest of France is wonderful with a Jurançon. it's a little more complicated for dishes from Brittany or Normandy, although in fact cider can go very well with many of these dishes. We'll be back on this subject.

April 2001 - Recent wine-tasting in Burgundy and in the Rhône Valley (most of the wines of the 2000 vintage had finished their fermentations).
Côte de Nuits: With full, fruity wines, firm but gentle tannins, the wines of the 2000 vintage seem superior to those of 1999 tasted at the same period.
Red Côte de Beaune: Its more or less the opposite. The 1999 wines were very good, the 2000 wines are less complete withe a lower acidity.
White Côte de Beaune: Very fine 2000 vintage, perhaps not for keeping (acidity a little low) but delicious and superior to 1999.
Beaujolais: Some very fine wines tasted in this 2000 vintage, some less fine too. Nothing to compare with the marvellous 1999 vintage, except in a few domaines.
Northern Rhône: The 2000 vintage is lighter, less tannic than the superb 1999 vintage which has confirmed its promises (of all the wines tasted this time, this one made the biggest impression).
Southern Rhône: Here, its the opposite to the north. The 2000 vintage is superb, full wines with ripe fruits (even for the Mourvèdre cuvées) and this vintage seems to be on the same level as 1998, with 1999 perhaps not quite so splendid.

11/2000 - The harvesting of the 2000 vintage has been completed. Judging from the quality of the grapes brought into the wineries and without taking into consideration what the wines will become after their vinification and storing, the 2000 vintage promises to be good and even very good depending on the wine regions. Generally speaking flowering was early and the harvesting took place during very good climatic conditions (for the dry wines in any case).
Alsace: very good vintage except perhaps for the Pinot Noir (grapes not in very good condition).
Burgundy: good vintage but a little rot on the Pinot Noir in "Côte de Beaune".
Northern Rhône: very good vintage with fairly low acidity, slightly inferior to the superb 1999 vintage.
Southern Rhône: superb vintage recalling a little that of 1995. One can observe that the last three vintages 1998-1999-2000 make up an exceptional series fir this region. All the conditions are present to produce some very fine wines for keeping.
Languedoc: good vintage but Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes had difficulty ripening.
Bordeaux: superb vintage on the left bank, very good on the right bank but with disparities depending on the soils and the situations.
Loire: good vintage for the red wines (Cabernet Franc) but inferior to 1999.
Champagne: good vintage especially for blends with a majority of Pinot (Noir or Meunier).

? Keeping wines, so that they can age harmoniously isn't always easy in our everyday environment. The basic rules concerning wine-keeping are the following: protection from light, from vibrations, from strong smells; a fairly humid atmosphere (the hygrometry should be between 70% and 90%) and conservation at a fairly constant temperature (around 12°C/54°F).
This may seem too demanding, and its probably true for "technical wines" less sensitive to external conditions, nevertheless its essential for wines made naturally, with very little sugar addition, without aromatic yeasts, with little sulphuring, little racking, hardly any or no filtering nor fining. These wines, like those we choose, are more fragile and so it's even more important to try to respect these conditions: especially concerning the humidity and the relatively low and constant temperature.

07/2000 - Bordeaux primeurs 1999: not yet the road to wisdom, but a less uniform price policy at the estates than during these last few years.
On one hand, the "premiers crus classés" and other wines, wether prestigious or not, regain the highest 1997 rates, with an increase of 10 to 15% on 1998.
On the other hand a greater number of Chateaux, including some "seconds crus classés", lower their prices by 5 to 15% on the 1998's.
As a result, if we look at the 1994 prices (our reference) certain vineyards (and not the least, quality wise) have actually "only" increased their prices by 50%, where as others "see" their prices rise by 200% or more.
The wine- lover is left to sort it all out, but is it really worth it?
Piémont: our italian neighbours have adapted "Bordelais" ways with a large increase of the prices of their prestigious wines, particularly the great Barolos. Concerning wine inflation, France European leader in front of Italy; doesn't that ring a bell...?

05/2000 - A soaring of technological values at the beginning of the year, followed just recently by a mini-crash of the same values: just the stock market you may say. Maybe...
And yet when one note that the best considered Bordeaux "crus" whether "crus classés" or not have undergone a rise of 200% on their "primeur" price between vintage 1994 and vintage 97 (a nice one but globally not as good as 94's) and that the only readjustment noted is a slight lowering of the 98 vintage ratings by 15%, one is entitled to wonder, and to have certain apprehensions about what to come...
The reasons: a world-wide speculation reinforced by the strong dollar and the yen, the end of the millennium increasing the popularity of 19xx vintages? Certainly, but to create speculators there must also be those who agree to sell at such prices... When it is not the owner himself who provokes the speculation: certain very small "cuvées" on the right bank have undergone a rise of 400% to 500% between 94 and 97, orchestrated by the owners themselves.
The present result: a certain uneasiness of the Bordeaux marketplace already experienced not so long ago. Indeed the world market has been able to sell of the 95 vintage ("primeurs" up 45% on 94) and part of the 96 vintage (60% up on 95), the 97 vintage (30% up on 96) is still for the main part in the warehouses, particularly in England and in the U.S.A. (an affair to be followed...)

03/2000 - A new "appellation", Cabardès, has just celebrated its first birthday as an "A.O.C.". Its the most western appellation of the Languedoc wines, west of the Minervois and just north of Carcassonne. The originality of this wine lies in the fact that it benefits from a double climatic influence, Mediterranean and Atlantic, and this means difference of grape types: a balanced share of Mediterranean grapes (grenache, syrah, cinsault...) and Bordeaux-region grapes (cabernet franc /sauvignon, merlot, cot...). The result is an original wine, fruity, fresh and powerful.

02/2000 - The Loire wines exhibition has been held at Angers (31st of January-2nd of February 2000). Fewer visitors(7500) than last year (8000), and even fewer than in 1998 (9000): because of the storms in December?
On the other hand more and more stands (over 520 compared to 490 in 1999 and to 475 in 1998), which make this exhibition one of the most interesting french wine events: most of the best wine-growers were there from all the appellations of the Loire valley.

? What makes a white wine "fat" or "buttery":
First of all, the grape variety: the Chardonnay (Burgundy...) gives by nature a richer wine than the Chenin blanc (Loire...) for example.
The maturity of the fruit: a ripe grape gives a richer and more buttery wine.
The wine-making method: if the malolactic fermentation is blocked (interesting for certain grape varieties and in certain regions), the wine remains drier and also more aromatic.
Finally, aging on fine lees and a regular "bâtonnage" favorizes the wine's glycerin content while increasing its richness.

? Don't hesitate to decanter wines a little young. This goes for the whites as well as the reds. The rapid oxygenation won't make the wine miraculously harmonious, won't permit the tertiary nuances that you get in ageing to emerge, but it will soften the tannins in the reds and the acidity in the whites. The wine will open up and settle a little thus becoming more balanced.

11/1999 - Speaking of wine harvesting, 1999 is announced everywhere as a good, to very good year, with good quantities. In certain places (the Loire for example) they almost had a very exceptionnal vintage, but the rainstorms in September rather quenched the enthusiasm.

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