Bordeaux 2018 - en Primeurs
2018 is a vintage that comes from afar !
The year 2018 begins with a very wet January. Winter temperatures oscillate around seasonal averages with a very mild January (+ 3° C on average), but a cold February (-2° C on average). December and March are within the season averages.
Bud bursting occurred in the first half of April. The spring of 2018 is marked by temperatures above the normal of the season of 2° C, with a sunshine deficit. The vine grows normally and we see this year a beautiful output of inflorescence, especially on the vines affected by frost in 2017.
If the temperatures are higher than the seasonal norms, it is the same for the precipitations. There is therefore a strong pressure of fungal diseases. Vigilance this year is, more than ever, very important. The vine growers are relentless in their plots to carry out specific foliage work in order to ventilate their bunches as much as possible and to avoid the development and spread of diseases such as late blight. As too often in recent vintages, properties are affected by climate disasters. This year, hail has hit the Médoc three times, but also in Côtes-de-Bourg, Blaye, Graves and Sauternes.
From mid-July, the sunshine and temperatures rise: these conditions give morale to growers who are exhausted. The hot days, but not a heat wave, alternate with rather cool nights favorable to the synthesis of anthocyanins. Precipitations at the end of August are auspicious and particularly beneficial for reviving the maturity sometimes slowed down on the parcels of young vines.
The month of September the weather conditions remain perfect. The harvest of the red grapes began around the 20th of September on the early earth, but generalized at the end of September. 2018 is a classic vintage, at least as far as harvest dates are concerned.
On the wine side, the colors are particularly deep this year. The aromas are clear with a good intensity of ripe fruit and the tannin and anthocyanin concentrations are close to the exceptional vintage 2016. The wines have a beautiful structure, volume and beautiful balance. The heterogeneity of the vintage is based on the amount of harvest. Depending on the terroirs, the cultural practices or the vineyards affected by the storms of hailstones, the returns from one property to another are very variable. A few small pre-harvest rains, especially between Libourne and Saint-Hypolites allowed for a little more juice. One thing is certain, for all winegrowers, 2018 is a vintage that comes from far away.