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Extraprima Bordeaux 2018 Catalog english version

  • Text
  • Cabernet
  • Suckling
  • Merlot
  • Consists
  • Dense
  • Sauvignon
  • Franc
  • Pomerol
  • Tannins
  • Aged

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extraprima Bordeaux2018 usual. The aromatic profile of the red grapes generally is largely focused on the dark-berry range. Even the normally red-fruited and cherry-scented Merlot grape remained in a dark spectrum of flavors. Late-harvested Merlots additionally had a chocolaty note to it. The loss of a Merlot-individuality is one of the reasons why the Cabernet-Style dominates to a large extent. Because only occasionally »typical«, red-fruited Merlots with a classic appearance were to be found. Alcohol levels of the 2018s usually are above those of 2017, but there were very few wines that could be described as »warm« or tasting strong in alcohol. Overall, the aromatic profile of all wines remained rather cool, voluminous, and powerful, with the aforementioned dark-berry fruit approach, which in turn tends towards massive, and they seem to be a little bit less expressive in terms of complexity and eloquence. It may be that after a ripening period in the bottle that the wines will tell more stories. But it seems to be possible that they continue to live from their impressive presence and remain less eloquent. Depending on stylistic preferences, this can also be very appealing to Bordeaux-lovers. A similarity of the 2018s to massive vintages such as 1945 or 1959 in their youth was reported by some longtime experienced tasters. However, some wines at the first taste showed very full-bodied and intense on the palate, but then they faded relatively quickly in the aftertaste. Therefore, it was very important for all tasters to pay attention to the length and sustainability of the taste impression to detect these wines. Another important feature generally was the internal density of the wines. Some of the top-wines showed scents of oak in taste, even if the wine was aged in 50 % or 60 % new barrels only. Other wines, such as Léoville Las Cases or Ducru-Beaucaillou, didn’t show any wood-aromas even if they were aged in 100 % new barrels. These wines didn’t have the aromatic concentration to cover the wooden aromatics. In general, most producers from the start reduced the proportion of new wood for the 2018 vintage. As well, the extraction of the small berries during fermentation was practiced rather gentle. Due to the low juice content in the berries, the proportion of very thick grape skins was very high. Too much extraction of tannins and flavors could have had rapidly a negative impact on the balance of musts. The best wines of the vintage show a perfect expression of terroir, great intensity, and marvelous length with excellent depth and freshness. VEGETATION CYCLE AND GROWTH After the traumatic frost of 2017, the new vegetation cycle for the vines began with permanent rainfall, which varied widely from region to region as well as in quantity over the entire first half of the year. As a result, the water reserves in the subsoils were replenished after the 2017 drought. In January 2018, there was little sunshine despite quite warm temperatures. February was cooler than usual, and March already brought spring-like temperatures, with 20 rainy days and twice as high rainfall in the northern Médoc as usual. April started rainy again, the first buds sprouted around April 10, about 12 days later than 2017. From mid-April unusually warm weather set in with up to 10 °C above the regular level, still daily sunshine hours remained below average. By the end of April, growth had risen sharply, but it slowed down again with the cool start of May. On May 7 and again ten days later, it became warm, with significant rainfall and two hailstorms. The first on May 20 in Graves and Sauternes and further on May 26 in Bourg, Blaye, Entre- Deux-Mers, and the Médoc. On 1,000 hectares, about 80 % of the crop was destroyed. At the end of May, the flowering began quickly in satisfactory conditions with some rainfall on June 6 th and 7 th . Heavy rains between June 9 to 18 gave a precipitation 2- to 4-times higher than the average. With the last ten days of the month, warm and sunny weather set in, boosting growth significantly. Up to this point, the vegetation was actually optimal, except for the first mildew symptoms on leaves and grapes, which had been found in mid-June. On the last weekend of June, it was extremely important to spray against fungal infection, says Count Stephan von Neipperg. His team was tirelessly working in the vineyard, even on Sundays. At harvest time, Neipperg was later able to bring in the highest yield ever from La Mondotte, despite organic farming. Other organic growers claimed it would have been almost impossible to successfully combat the mildew. Apparently, each vineyard and each plot had its own specific requirements forcing the vineyard management to individual treatments. As mildew does not stop on the weekend, the 35-hour week in France had to be managed more flexible. Never before such a heavy mildew attack occurred in Bordeaux. The losses were sometimes dramatic. Although there are exceptions on both sides, conventional farming seems to have coped better with mildew than ecological. Biodynamic growers obviously had a harder time, as can be seen at Pontet-Canet and Palmer. Several hailstorms ravaged southern Médoc on July 4, and 5

Bordeaux2018 extraprima 6 later on July 15 in Bordeaux and southern Gironde. Further, about 10,000 hectares again were affected by frost in 2018, which is around 8% of the vineyards. As in the previous months, precipitation varied widely, from 40 mm in the northern Médoc to almost 100 mm in Sauternes, at an average temperature in July 2018 being the highest since 1954. The warm, humid weather and strong vegetation helped the mildew grow incredibly. Fortunately, the weather changed radically in mid-July, leading to a warm and dry summer. This also slowed down the growth and ripening of the grapes. The daily maximum and minimum temperatures were between 0.5° and 3° C above average, without reaching the record levels of 2003. The change of color (Véraison) of the berries began at the end of July. Apart from some vineyards affected by hailstorms, the Véraison was completed quickly and uniformly in an almost regular time schedule. At this stage of the growing process, for a great vintage, the vines need a water shortage from precipitation as a signal to stop its vegetative growth and move its power into the maturation of the grapes. In terroirs with good drainage, this process began earlier; for the rest in mid-August, the water supply was down to comparable levels as in 2016. Now the ripening process of the grapes began in dry and hot conditions. Due to the water reserves in the deeper soils, the dryness was initially less problematic. Smaller showers at the end of August relaxed the water shortage, only some young vines on water-permeable, dry soils have been in difficulties. A dry September brought temperatures of 2 to 4 ° C above average, and it was one of the sunniest September of the last 60 years. As a result, the ripening process slowed uniformly, which allowed growers to wait for the best harvesting time for each grape variety and microclimate, without any risk of putrefaction. WHITE WINES With picking the Sauvignons from the last week of August, the harvest of the white grapes was beginning about one week later than the previous year. Sémillons have been harvested until mid-September. The damp spring prevented acidity levels dropping down significantly due to the dryness in the summer, as the subsoils still had good water reserves. Nevertheless, acidities have been lower for white wines than in 2017, with generally higher sugar levels. 2018s Sauvignon Blancs aromatically have been significantly more expressive than the less tastily Sémillons. Therefore in most assemblages, the Sauvignon Blanc dominates the Sémillon clearly. For the white Haut-Brion 2018 is one of the best vintages of the past 20 years. Instead of the usual assemblage of 50 % each, Sauvignon blanc and Semillon, 2018 vintage consists of 80 % Sauvignon blanc, actually tasting like a single variety. A lot of 2018s white wines are exciting, especially the white Bordeaux from the Médoc! RED WINES Already at the beginning of the harvest for the red varieties, on around the 7 th of September, sugar levels in the early ripening Merlots have been quite high. Low acidity levels were due to the low content of malic acid in relation to tartaric acid. The aromatic expressiveness of the grapes grew in mid-September, the grape skins were thick and porous, with a high content of anthocyanins, which resulted in a rapid color extraction. The extremely ripe grape seeds led to especially rounded musts, without any green aromas. Directly after fermentation, the 2018 Merlots showed a higher quality level than in 2016 and 2017, with an unusual dark fruit component. The typical red berry aroma of this grape variety was often missing entirely. The ideal weather conditions of September lasted until mid-October, benefitting the late-maturing Cabernets and the Petit Verdot. Finally, Cabernet Francs did not show any herbaceous or immature notes, and the Cabernet Sauvignons developed a pronounced cassis fruit with a full-bodied structure. Also, Petit Verdot was reaching full ripeness with a powerful, dark scented elderberry aroma, which is present in the back aromas of many wines. Even these later ripening varieties had extremely ripe grape seeds. The long and consistent Indian summer in 2018 provided a perfect harvesting period without any risk of putrefaction or haste during the harvest. Each parcel and grape variety for dry white and red wines had been able to be picked under ideal conditions. In order to prevent negative influences on the musts, occasionally dried and shrunken grapes had to be selected at the sorting tables as well as the berries affected by mildew. Mostly a gentler extraction of the skins was operated for the vinification of red wines, with less remontage and pigeage than usual (the overshoot or submergence of the pomace). Even the fermentation temperature mostly was chosen to be slightly cooler with a maximum of 28° C. After the alcoholic fermentation, the musts often remained without further extraction of the grape skins, more in the sense of the preparation of a tea. Bordeaux2018 reds are very powerful, dark-berried wines with an incredible presence on the palate. Amazingly in this vintage, the grape varieties Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon are not very different in flavor, especially because the Merlot has changed its red fruity aromatic for dark-berried massiveness. In many wines, the Petit Verdot gives a special spiciness and profundity to the finish. SWEET WINES Although summer rainfalls have been a bit more in the Sauternes area than in other regions of Bordeaux, the dry and warm conditions of September and October delayed the spread of noble rot Botrytis cinerea. Early ripening grapes even shrank to rosinated berries (passerillage). At the first trie of the harvest, such grapes had to be sorted out immediately. From the second week of October with cool nights and higher humidity, botrytis has spread quickly over the vineyards enhanced by some north winds. The second trie now was bringing the largest yield of the vintage. By a rainy period in mid-October, another botrytis wave occurred. The last trie took place from late October to early November. Acidity levels were quite low due to the warm summer, but concentration was high. Thus, the sweet wines of the vintage 2018 show ripe aromas with a full-bodied structure, but they don’t show the tension and depth of a truly great vintage. Text by Thomas Boxberger © 2019

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