January 23, 2014

The weather is always a strong determining factor as to how the wines will turn out to be.

Bordeaux had a warm and dry spring into June. July brought lower than normal temperatures and plenty of rain. The temperatures in August dropped to cooler than normal.

With the moist conditions remaining from the heavy rain from July and the cooler temperatures in August, this set the stage for potentially more than usual vine diseases at this time of the year. At harvest time in September, an early rain made the Chateaus decide to pick early or at their normal time.

The warm dry spring created small berries with sun beat thick skins. The cool August slowed down the maturation and created uneven ripening of the berries throughout the bunches. The coolness also brought some more acidity in the berries. Time spent sorting out the uneven ripened berries was critical in this vintage.

Each winery had their own way of dealing with the weather and their more than normal adjustments in their vinification process.

So overall it should be considered a classic Bordeaux vintage. It is also a vintage to taste before you buy with all the inconsistencies amongst the Chateaus final products.