After tasting through the Médoc for two days straight, we have a few things that seem to be clear–this is a vintage with compelling wines that deserve collectors’ attention, but it is also one that comes with much less clarity and consensus as the easy-to-understand vintages of the past five years. While many reach for a recent vintage as a parallel, the 2023s have a character all their own–something that makes us love wine in the first place.
Read MoreVintage Report for Bordeaux’s 2020s: A particularly early growing season was characterized by heatwaves and drought. Some mildew pressure June to mid-August in northern Médoc. Merlot was picked in ideal conditions in early September, but then the weather turned cool and particularly damp so some Cabernet Sauvignon had to be picked before perfect ripeness. Small grapes meant lots of tannin and a relatively small crop.
As I said in the report I published upon my return from the En Primeur campaign, some great wines were produced in 2020, and some good wines were produced. 2020 is a fine vintage in general even though it was anything but normal.
Read MoreToday's Newsletter is our long-awaited, comprehensive report on all things Bordeaux 2022 En Primeur. After a whirlwind trip to the region in April, our team returned full of enthusiasm and insight for what can only be described as an unprecedented modern vintage. While the growing season was not without its challenges, numerous properties crafted renditions that will rank with their very best, and while prices are undeniably up from 2021, there are still remarkable values to be had when you know where to look. As with any potentially great vintage, the hype and hyperbole must be put into proper context to help our customers make their very best buying decisions—this year's En Primeur newsletter does just that. Please note - these wines are all being offered on a pre-arrival / futures basis.
Read MoreFreshly back from Bordeaux’s En Primeur tastings, Clyde and his team have assembled a roster of the best and brightest Bordeaux that we currently have in stock. You’ll find notes about the lauded 2022 vintage to chew on while we assemble our in-depth vintage report and wines to keep your thirst slaked while we watch the 2022 campaign. All that and more in today’s newsletter!
Read MoreThis year, we started our visits with the infamous Bill Blatch, a fount of knowledge who tasted us on Sauternes, but is as well-versed in Bordeaux as anybody you’d meet. When asked about the vintage for sweet wines, his answer was very refreshing and grounding. Instead of reaching for superlatives and quotables, he produced a series of charts that showed the weather conditions in the region for every single day. We asked for conclusions. Instead, he gave us information, paired it perfectly with the wines, and set us down our own paths.
Read MoreK&L's Team Bordeaux has sampled the 2018 vintage in bottle and their first reports are glowing. In today's blog, they've provided their notes on the exceptional wines from St-Julien, one of the standouts of the vintage. Many of these bottles are available on pre-arrival.
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