網誌分類：R&B, Rouge et Blanc |
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網誌日期：2009-03-31 16:56
Written by Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW
After the success of the 2005 and 2006 vintages, 2007 could have found itself with a hard act to follow. However, it has instead returned to classic burgundy, with cooler
temperatures and fresher wines. The early part of the season appeared to be following the trend of hot, early harvests when April registered temperatures of 32°C and
ushered in an early bud break and flowering, leading to the possibility of an August harvest. On 26th April there was a massive hail storm over St Aubin and some of the
Grand Cru Montrachet vineyard sites (notably Chevalier and Bâtard) which reduced their production significantly.
However, just as quickly as the spring heat had come it went away, leaving a dull, cloudy and sporadically wet June and July – more than half the annual average rainfall fell in the four months of May to August. Only after 24th August, when high pressure moved in and
brought cool, northerly winds did things begin to look up, however for some growers this game of brinksmanship was just too much and they had already begun to harvest by
this time, unprepared to take any further risk with their crop. The majority of producers harvested from the first week of September onwards, with some even later than that, all working extra hard on their sorting tables to remove both rotten and unripe grapes. This is truly a vintage of the all-round producer, who understands that the only route to good wine is by starting in the vineyard: controls and triage (sorting) were vital at all stages from flowering right through to the end of fermentation.
It is clear from the wines we have tasted that the 2007s are wines for the medium term,
and will drink before the 2005s and 2006s. In terms of quality, we heard comparisons
with almost every vintage in the past decade, but our feeling is that the white wines are
better than the 2004s, being closer to the 2005s in quality, and the reds are certainly on
a par with the best of 2004. There is a fresh, floral character to many of the reds, with
gorgeous, real Pinot Noir fruit showing, the oak being less dominant as producers have
let the fruit express itself with very little intervention or manhandling. The whites are
showing lovely purity of expression, already seeming very accessible, and are
aromatically very precise and pure.
Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW
December 2008
