Harvest are slowly coming to an end now with some very interesting news. Vinifera Boutique was able to source some top wines, while trying not to disturb these vineyards during their most stressful weeks of the year. Most areas are finishing up although some Chataux in Bordeaux were starting Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot harvests this week. Updates to come.. although one aspect to be careful of is in the good year to watch out for the tannins . As we have had so many ‘good’ years recently that it is increasingly important to look at the individual producers, however the 2009 Bordeaux vintage really does seem to be a great vintage for both small and large producers, with a good dry ripening period, almost too dry. The question for the reds is that did the rain at the end of September provide too much water, however it seems it was just the right amount after an ideal summer. People are talking about one of the greatest vintages, not in the past years, but in a long time, 10’s of years… surpassing the 2005 sounds almost unbelievable. Let’s wait until the official reviews come out to see how the chateaux perform.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Top Seven Assumptions People Make About Wine
The Vinifera experts get to work on dispelling those myths…
Loire Wines 2009 Update – Sauvignon Blanc Recognition
Update from the Loire, for white wines good acidity and overall balance has been reported by Clos du Porteau. More specifically, pH 3.25, Acidity 4.37 and Alcohol of 12,2 for their Sauvignon. Acording to Aynard de Cleremont this gives a great equilibrium to their Sauvignon of 2009. Vinifera Boutique will be looking to source these in the future, particularly this wine as it recently received recognition in France. This was the first appearance of the vineyard of Isabelle Clermont-Tonnerre in the Hachette Guide. Below, two stars from the French “Hachette du Vin” is definitely noteworthy as already one star wines are good. For the time being please have a look at the Pinot Grigio and great Vanneau Huppé from 2005 in our Cellar!
Domaine Mosse Harvest
Domaine Mosse below have sent an update on their harvests. Everything is reported as going well towards a great harvest. The below pictures are from the end of September from the “vendanges”. (French term for the grape harvest), featuring Agnès and Rene Mosse. They use bio-dynamic philospohies while having fully certified organic wines. It will be interesting to see what type of wines are made from the grapes in 2009.
Vinifera boutique branches out to the UK
Vinifera Boutique a French connoisseur boutique is set to launch an easy to use website with selected weekly wine
Rosé – A Win for Quality and Tradition?
EU dropped plans to allow the blending method (mixing red and white wine) for rosé production due to pressure from producers. This shows that there is still a place for passion, history and quality in rosé production in France and Europe. This is a big gain for certain producers or regions, such as Provence in the South of France, where growers use the more time consuming methods to produce great wines (the great shades of pink to orange, with great balance, acidity and aromas). – On the other hand however, it could be argued that adding blending wines is just another technique such as adding additives.
