Comments on: Bordeaux 2007 wish list

By: Richard Weaver

Richard Weaver — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:50:55 +0000

Chris – yes, we’re planning to break with (Majestic) tradition and offer the Sauternes in half-bottles.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:03:45 +0000

Are sauternes likely to be offered in half bottles?

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:26:48 +0000

Having the expertise and the resources to throw at your already excellent terroir obviously does stand the top chateau in good stead when it comes to second wines as well as first.

It is difficult to tell just how great an effect “pink harvesting” (there’s that phrase again, Ian!) and other labour-intensive vineyard management will have on the second wines, but on the strength of the noticeable family resemblance often apparent when tasting wines from the same stable (notably from Ducru, Cos and Latour for example), the second wines often seemed to have reaped similar benefits.

As Richard commented in earlier posts however, choice of picking date – a factor dependent more on nerve than on resources – has also played a vital role in 2007 and many of the ‘lesser’ properties have produced wines capable of a proper scrap with the second-wines from the leading chateaux.

Our team’s overall comments and scores will be posted on the site soon; watch this space.

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:15:03 +0000

One of the themes that recurs in this blog is that those properties with good terroir and sufficient resources to “treat” the vineyards (I do like that “pink harvesting” phrase) have done better than those without – is this likely to extend to second wines of good producers (e.g. Croix de Beaucaillou or Pagodes des Cos), and could these be a better bet than the first wines of some of the less “blessed” producers?