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THE CHANGING FACE OF BORDEAUX: THE WINES OF OUR GENERATION
Extracts from Vintage Wine by Michael Broadbent, M.W.
1980-1989
Unquestionably this was a great decade, matching the 1920s for the number of high quality vintages. Unlike the early 1930s and the mid-1970s, when poor weather and a severe recession coincided, the 1980s reversed the process: there was, allowing for the natural variations described below, overall a vast improvement in weather conditions, and, even more happily, a renewed demand to match. The wine trade, if not exactly licking its wounds, did not re-enter the market and stock up. The big brewers in Britain had burnt their fingers once and, since then, have been more or less out of the market, private customers being the main buyers of en primeur wines. In the United States and further afield, châteaux proprietors had the means to renovate, to install new vats, to increase the use of new barrels, even to rebuild vineyard walls. But the most important result for the consumer was the increasing care in the vineyards: pruning and green pruning to reduce yields and increase quality, and the selection of only the best vats for the grand vin. The other noticeable thing about the 1980s is the increasing number of 'second wines' made from the less fine vats and wines made from young vines. This was a contrast to the depression in the mid-1970s, when this sort of care and selection could not be afforded.
In the 1950s, consultant oenologists hardly existed. The precursor was Professor Riberau-Gayon, but the best known became Emile Peynaud. His influence was considerable. He always averred that his job was to prevent or rectify mistakes, and that the accusation that Médoc châteaux were being 'Peynaudised' was more than unfair. However, by the 1980s, there appeared a new breed of consultants employed to advise on and, hopefully, to improve the quality of wine. Happily, though, 'designer' wines had not yet arrived.
1990-1999
There are two ways of looking at the 1990 vintage: the end of an era or the bright start to a decade of dashed hopes, near misses, good but less glamorous years. Even the best vintages of this decade, and some are very good, tend to be compared with the 1990, just as a younger child looks up to the 'Captain of School'. What is certain is that the euphoria and general satisfaction with the 1980s, ending up with the magnificent twins of '89 and '90, made the 'rain-stopped-play' years of '91 to '93 less attractive. Anyway, by then everyone was sated with stock. The 1995 vintage was fairly well-timed. It gave the trade in Bordeaux and in London the impetus it needed.
Who were 'the trade'? Almost gone were the négociants-éléveurs, the big companies, the stockholders. All - well, almost all - were now brokers, selling on, not sitting on stock. In England, only the old-fashioned but surprisingly go-ahead Berry Bros and a handful of other London and provincial wine merchants supplied from stock. Though the auctioneers, Christie's and Sotheby's, continued to thrive, the brokers had captured a good deal of the trade, Bordeaux continuing to be a major part of their portfolio, their clients worldwide. Only in the United States was the wine trade still structured: importers, wholesalers and retailers keeping more or less to their own patch.
The only trouble with Americans is that so many of them, both trade and private buyers, are too influenced by wine critics, by the otherwise admirable Robert Parker in particular. How important is America and its taste preferences? To put this in perspective, in 1999 the United Kingdom and Germany each imported more Bordeaux by value and by volume than the United States. We would not mind so long as the producers took less notice of American-led global taste and stuck to what they do best: produce good, well-established, food-wine claret. Horses for courses, I say. Just one more thought: wouldn't it be boring if every vintage was of equal quality and style? Bordeaux, thanks to its maritime climate, produces great wines for long keeping and good value wines for everyday drinking.
2000 and the future
Unsurprisingly, the 2000 vintage was anticipated with a combination of hope and anxiety; merchants anticipated substantial trade to mark the millennium, unless of course the wine turned out to be unbelievably awful. In the event, most people were reasonably satisfied, particularly in light of the uneven 2001s.
And the future? As always, all depends on the weather and the market. They are linked. As we have seen, the former dictates the overall quality and style, and a healthy market is essential to keep the wheels of trade in motion. Putting it more bluntly, unless consumers and collectors are prepared to pay an appropriate price, the producer cannot afford to make a fine wine. If any reader doubts this, compare conditions between the mid-1970s and the mid-1980s. There is another factor: competition. It seems that all the world is making wine. Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are ubiquitous; Cabernet Franc less so but increasing; and even Petit Verdot and Malbec are used to produce wines for the table, and with increasing success. Although some of these Cabernet-based wines, particularly the cult ones are beginning to price themselves out of the market, most, notably those from Australia and Chile, are very good value. Incidentally, I have just used the expression 'wines for the table' because in France 'table wine', ridiculously in my opinion, has the lowest connotation whereas vino da tavola in Italy is a term that can nowadays be used for blends, often including Cabernet Sauvignon, which are in fact out of the ordinary and some are very good indeed. One thing that many of the New World and 'new' Old World Bordeaux look-alikes have in common is that they are not, in practice, ideal wines for the table; they are too rich, they dominate the food, they do not refresh; indeed, they are often best drunk without food, whereas decent red Bordeaux is made to accompany food and is best with food.
A word about investment and speculation. Only wines of high quality and of top vintages are suitable, which limits the range. Moreover, as one is always reminded when buying any financial product, prices, values, can go down as well as go up. To a certain extent, investment is justifiable but speculation, by its nature, is risky. But there is nothing new about speculation, it has been a feature of the Bordeaux market as long as there has been a market, the difference between the 1860s and 1960s is that speculators then were trade, whereas in the early 1970s and 1980s, it was non-trade.
The sensible thing is to follow the more traditional pattern, for claret drinkers to buy their favourite wines when young and cellar them so that, after ten years or more, they can drink them when mature and at cost. Mature wine of good quality surplus to requirements can then be sold at an enhanced price on the open market. As wine is a consumable commodity, its value increases as it matures and available stocks decrease.
I am an optimist. I am of course biased. One of the reasons that claret has been successful over the centuries is that it is the perfect beverage: its multifarious shades of red are appealing and informative, its nose is refreshing and, as it opens up, it can reveal endless nuances; it tastes good and, when sipped, the wine cleans the palate between each mouthful. The tannin, often harsh when young, is an antioxidant. It not only preserves the wine, but is said to help keep our arteries clear. Claret, particularly fine claret, is subtle and intriguing. It appeals to all our senses - and aids the digestion! Bordeaux is good for you!
1981
Extracts from Vintage Wine by Michael Broadbent, M.W.
1980-1989
Unquestionably this was a great decade, matching the 1920s for the number of high quality vintages. Unlike the early 1930s and the mid-1970s, when poor weather and a severe recession coincided, the 1980s reversed the process: there was, allowing for the natural variations described below, overall a vast improvement in weather conditions, and, even more happily, a renewed demand to match. The wine trade, if not exactly licking its wounds, did not re-enter the market and stock up. The big brewers in Britain had burnt their fingers once and, since then, have been more or less out of the market, private customers being the main buyers of en primeur wines. In the United States and further afield, châteaux proprietors had the means to renovate, to install new vats, to increase the use of new barrels, even to rebuild vineyard walls. But the most important result for the consumer was the increasing care in the vineyards: pruning and green pruning to reduce yields and increase quality, and the selection of only the best vats for the grand vin. The other noticeable thing about the 1980s is the increasing number of 'second wines' made from the less fine vats and wines made from young vines. This was a contrast to the depression in the mid-1970s, when this sort of care and selection could not be afforded.
In the 1950s, consultant oenologists hardly existed. The precursor was Professor Riberau-Gayon, but the best known became Emile Peynaud. His influence was considerable. He always averred that his job was to prevent or rectify mistakes, and that the accusation that Médoc châteaux were being 'Peynaudised' was more than unfair. However, by the 1980s, there appeared a new breed of consultants employed to advise on and, hopefully, to improve the quality of wine. Happily, though, 'designer' wines had not yet arrived.
1990-1999
There are two ways of looking at the 1990 vintage: the end of an era or the bright start to a decade of dashed hopes, near misses, good but less glamorous years. Even the best vintages of this decade, and some are very good, tend to be compared with the 1990, just as a younger child looks up to the 'Captain of School'. What is certain is that the euphoria and general satisfaction with the 1980s, ending up with the magnificent twins of '89 and '90, made the 'rain-stopped-play' years of '91 to '93 less attractive. Anyway, by then everyone was sated with stock. The 1995 vintage was fairly well-timed. It gave the trade in Bordeaux and in London the impetus it needed.
Who were 'the trade'? Almost gone were the négociants-éléveurs, the big companies, the stockholders. All - well, almost all - were now brokers, selling on, not sitting on stock. In England, only the old-fashioned but surprisingly go-ahead Berry Bros and a handful of other London and provincial wine merchants supplied from stock. Though the auctioneers, Christie's and Sotheby's, continued to thrive, the brokers had captured a good deal of the trade, Bordeaux continuing to be a major part of their portfolio, their clients worldwide. Only in the United States was the wine trade still structured: importers, wholesalers and retailers keeping more or less to their own patch.
The only trouble with Americans is that so many of them, both trade and private buyers, are too influenced by wine critics, by the otherwise admirable Robert Parker in particular. How important is America and its taste preferences? To put this in perspective, in 1999 the United Kingdom and Germany each imported more Bordeaux by value and by volume than the United States. We would not mind so long as the producers took less notice of American-led global taste and stuck to what they do best: produce good, well-established, food-wine claret. Horses for courses, I say. Just one more thought: wouldn't it be boring if every vintage was of equal quality and style? Bordeaux, thanks to its maritime climate, produces great wines for long keeping and good value wines for everyday drinking.
2000 and the future
Unsurprisingly, the 2000 vintage was anticipated with a combination of hope and anxiety; merchants anticipated substantial trade to mark the millennium, unless of course the wine turned out to be unbelievably awful. In the event, most people were reasonably satisfied, particularly in light of the uneven 2001s.
And the future? As always, all depends on the weather and the market. They are linked. As we have seen, the former dictates the overall quality and style, and a healthy market is essential to keep the wheels of trade in motion. Putting it more bluntly, unless consumers and collectors are prepared to pay an appropriate price, the producer cannot afford to make a fine wine. If any reader doubts this, compare conditions between the mid-1970s and the mid-1980s. There is another factor: competition. It seems that all the world is making wine. Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are ubiquitous; Cabernet Franc less so but increasing; and even Petit Verdot and Malbec are used to produce wines for the table, and with increasing success. Although some of these Cabernet-based wines, particularly the cult ones are beginning to price themselves out of the market, most, notably those from Australia and Chile, are very good value. Incidentally, I have just used the expression 'wines for the table' because in France 'table wine', ridiculously in my opinion, has the lowest connotation whereas vino da tavola in Italy is a term that can nowadays be used for blends, often including Cabernet Sauvignon, which are in fact out of the ordinary and some are very good indeed. One thing that many of the New World and 'new' Old World Bordeaux look-alikes have in common is that they are not, in practice, ideal wines for the table; they are too rich, they dominate the food, they do not refresh; indeed, they are often best drunk without food, whereas decent red Bordeaux is made to accompany food and is best with food.
A word about investment and speculation. Only wines of high quality and of top vintages are suitable, which limits the range. Moreover, as one is always reminded when buying any financial product, prices, values, can go down as well as go up. To a certain extent, investment is justifiable but speculation, by its nature, is risky. But there is nothing new about speculation, it has been a feature of the Bordeaux market as long as there has been a market, the difference between the 1860s and 1960s is that speculators then were trade, whereas in the early 1970s and 1980s, it was non-trade.
The sensible thing is to follow the more traditional pattern, for claret drinkers to buy their favourite wines when young and cellar them so that, after ten years or more, they can drink them when mature and at cost. Mature wine of good quality surplus to requirements can then be sold at an enhanced price on the open market. As wine is a consumable commodity, its value increases as it matures and available stocks decrease.
I am an optimist. I am of course biased. One of the reasons that claret has been successful over the centuries is that it is the perfect beverage: its multifarious shades of red are appealing and informative, its nose is refreshing and, as it opens up, it can reveal endless nuances; it tastes good and, when sipped, the wine cleans the palate between each mouthful. The tannin, often harsh when young, is an antioxidant. It not only preserves the wine, but is said to help keep our arteries clear. Claret, particularly fine claret, is subtle and intriguing. It appeals to all our senses - and aids the digestion! Bordeaux is good for you!
1981