Right Bank producers claim the 2008 vintage has produced ‘miraculous’ quality but fear there is no market for their wine.
Wineries at the first 2008 tasting in London said they were pleased by the results of the vintage, despite a poor spring and summer. Jean-Baptiste Bourotte of Pomerol producer Clos du Clocher admitted a dry and sunny September had saved the vintage from ‘disaster’.
The vintage has initially been compared to 2005 and 1996 yet growers have expressed concern that it will still be hard to find buyers due to the economic downturn.
‘We are very optimistic with the quality of the wine and we think everybody will agree but it will still be very difficult to find a market for them,’ said Dr Alain Raynaud, president of the Cercle du Rive Droite, an association of producers from Bordeaux’s Right Bank.
Yields were down 20-25% on average increasing production costs but producers realise they cannot afford to raise their prices. ‘We will lose money for sure because we have to lower our prices but Bordeaux has been making a lot of mistakes. We have to be more acessible, less arrogant with our prices and listen to what customers have to say,’ added Raynaud.
The Merlot-dominated barrel samples showed fresh acidity and sweet black fruit with some drinking well already. ‘The wines are very promising when you consider the difficulties they had during the growing season’, Richard Bampfield MW told decanter.com
‘Just because they are producing great wines, doesn’t mean the market wants to buy them. They have to give the market reasons to buy it other than lowering the price,’ he added.
Written by Rebecca Gibb
