Snapshot: Bordeaux 2019
Ageing potential
Bordeaux 2019 has the qualities required to age, because there are lots of tannins and colour compounds in this vintage – well managed by low temperature fermentations in the main, along with concentrated flavours and surprisingly good acidity levels, considering the heat of the summer. I am extremely confident that the best wines have decades ahead of them. Summing up
• If you pick one appellation: Pomerol
• If you pick one wine: L’Eglise Clinet
Yields
Lower than ideal but better than expected, might be the all-round summary for 2019. Overall, this was a dry summer, which meant the berries were small and concentrated. The rains at the end of September helped enormously to recover some lost ground, however, and the final yields were reasonable, even plentiful in some cases. This year saw hail or frost affect some 5% of Bordeaux vineyards, far less than the 40%-50% loss that was seen in 2017.
As ever this differs widely per appellation and estate – the cru classé wines of Sauternes, for example, saw yields of just 10hl/ha. Up in St-Estèphe, by contrast, the average yield stood at 50hl/ha. Both have some brilliantquality wines, but clearly the difference in terms of bottle numbers is going to be stark.
Alcohols
In keeping with the last few years, you are going to see raised alcohol levels in 2019. On the Left Bank, they are lower or the same as 2018 in most of the top wines. On the Right Bank, Merlot was generally at least as high or higher than in 2018. Looking at the technical measurements, ISVV recorded Merlot average sugars at 244g/L compared to 233g/L in 2018 (bearing in mind 17g/L for every 1% of alcohol in the finished product). Average sugar for Cabernet Sauvignon came in at 233g/L compared to 230g/L in 2018 (this is close to figures for 2016 and 2010). According to the Enosens consultancy group, the average alcohols in 2019 were around the 14% mark.
Vintage comparisons
You’re going to hear a lot of different opinions here, partly, I think, because château owners have not been exchanging thoughts with each other as they usually would, due to lockdown. At Vieux Château Certan (Pomerol), I heard a comparison with 1988, while several on the Left Bank raised the potential of 2001. Most, however, seem to be split evenly between 2009/2015 or 2010/2016. I would still put 2010 and 2016 as the best vintages of the past decade, but 2019 is not so far behind in the best places.
Price-watching
And a quick note on prices, because – unusually, but hey, this is 2020 – the scores are coming out after the campaign has begun. There have been some standout examples of wines coming out below a château’s cheapest existing market price, which is what you should look for rather than specific percentage price drops. The biggest buzz so far has to have been for Château Mouton Rothschild, closely followed by Haut- Brion, Palmer, Lafleur and Pontet- Canet. For obvious reasons, those who have made a clear gesture to the market are being rewarded with the demand – and in my mind it is not just about the market this year, but about making a clear gesture to the Bordeaux wine lovers who are willing to buy the wines despite everything that is going on around the world.