Neal Martin

Naturally the cries and whispers were that, in the words of immortal New Order: “Everything’s Gone Green” (a subtle reference to the 1981 vintage possibly?)

Well, certainly at the lower levels of the hierarchy, afflicted by hollow mid-palates and scrawny, dry, attenuated finishes, but the reality is that the top châteaux have the means to eradicate most unripe berries before they enter the vat so at the top end, very little had gone green. Ironically, the overcast August encouraged some growers to leave the picking as late as possible, sometimes too late (especially with respect to the “blink and you missed it” merlot) or failed to ferment gently when the prescription was for gentle, short macerations. Consequently you end up with bizarre wines that have prune and raising scents on the nose like some 2003s, but with paradoxically under-ripe, scrawny palates. Though most winemakers will be in denial, I have little doubt that reverse-osmosis machines were dusted off in 2007. Didier Cuvelier was refreshingly candid about the use of his for part of his crop and if Léoville Poyferre employed the machine, you can conjecture for yourself how many did likewise, before slipping the instruction manual to the back of the drawer.

Whilst there are no truly profound dry red wines, there are undoubtedly many commendable wines to be found, scattered between the Left and Right Banks with no appellation really out-performing another. It was more akin to Burgundy, where the skill of the winemaker was paramount. Fortunately, Bordeaux has many skilled winemakers with the financial means to carry out their most stringent measures.

Of course, there is one appellation that did produce some potentially memorable wines: Sauternes. This became apparent to this writer as early as last October when I visited Bordeaux with my family. Poor little Daisy was getting eaten by mosquitoes, but I am sure she was comforted by the fact that the humidity could lay the foundations for great Sauternes assuming the right kind of rot ensued. Numerically it was in the Sauternais’ favour since years ending in the magic seven often portend poor reds but great sweeties: 1937, 1967, 1997 and 2007. Having spoken to winemakers in Sauternes and of course with Mr. Sauternes himself, Bill Blatch, it became evident that the harvest was trickier than first appeared and I will report on this separately.

This year I spent an intensive week tasting in Bordeaux. Arriving on Saturday to partake in a wonderful vertical of Chateau Léoville Poyferre with Didier Cuvelier. Thereafter it was 2007 all the way, well with the odd ’45 thrown in. I also dedicated a whole day tasting Sauternes, including visiting several properties to taste separate lots with differing levels of botrytis: a truly fascinating and enlightening exercise.

Well, without further ado, let me get on with the wines. Now, where shall I start. . . ?

Neal Martin