Ignore the Bordeaux Hype this Year
Posted on Thu 21st Apr 2016 at 12:22
You’ve probably heard it on the grapevine – pun intended – that the 2015 Bordeaux vintage is supposed to be excellent.We were interested, therefore, to read this article in the Times, which casts doubt on these rumours and urges readers to be cautious.
After years of championing Eastern European wine and dispelling many myths about its quality and flavour, we know how easy it is to be confused by rumour, and we praise the article’s author, Jane MacQuitty, for seeking to separate fact from fiction. Jane is well placed to write on the topic, as “Having spent a weary week racing around the region tasting hundreds of left and right-bank wines en primeur (straight from the cask), I can confirm that it is very much a mixed bag with, at best, some charming, slimline, summer-pudding-styled, velvety reds.” What is particularly interesting is that the critics whose opinion she seeks to counter had often not even tasted the wines before giving their opinion: “British merchants were quick to take the bait, with Justerini & Brooks swooning earlier this year, before tasting all the wines. Commentators have followed suit, with James Suckling, the American critic, in particular scattering top marks around like confetti. Who can blame them when the Bordelais started beating the drum last September with a brazen Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux statement declaring “2015: the dawn of a great vintage” long before any red grapes had even been picked.” We think that this article is a welcome reminder to use your own judgement when it comes to buying wine – at the end of the day you’re the one who has knows your customers and what they expect, so don’t let anyone put you off your choice!