“We are born at a given moment, in a given
place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of
the season of which we are born”….. Carl Jung
If
you regularly buy or enjoy Chateau Petrus, Margaux or Lafite-Rothschild for
daily enjoyment, odds are you’re not following Wine Mizer anyway. But if you
enjoy Bordeaux wine – or want to try some and are more like the average
consumer - today’s post is for you. At
the Union des Grands Crus de
Bordeaux tasting
in Chicago on January 23, I relished tasting the white, red and sweet wines
from the 2015 vintage. These were actually barrel samplings that were bottled
for the trade show. I still have a few 2005, 2009 and 2010 aging and am always
impressed with how they have developed over the years. Even the 2004 that I
bought as “futures” redeemed itself with time in the bottle.
What
particularly struck me about the 2015 vintage is how drinkable the wines are
now. Sample after sample, right bank (Merlot dominated) or left (Cab
dominated), fruit dominated both the tannins and acidity. If you don’t have a
cellar or the interest to age wines, this is important. Even better, I think
2015 will be regarded as the best vintage since 2009-2010 so it should be
regarded as an opportunity to either stock up on the vintage or to try tasting
Bordeaux wine and learning why it
is considered the benchmark of blends. Wine Spectator in their
June issue 
Sauternes 94-97. Finishing with the sweet, botrytized whites of Barsac & Sauternes
at the tasting, what so often appeared – almost s a theme throughout the region - was
a freshness in the wine’s finish and mouthfeel: light notes lifting the mouthfeel of a
necessarily rich wine and displaying classical French finesse.
Despite the somewhat fruit forward
nature of this vintage, the reds have more structure than 2007 and should
cellar well, giving the vintage a benefit to both the experienced appreciator
of Bordeaux wines and those newly introduced.
....................... Jim
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