click on the chart to enlarge 

Average Scores of all Estates within a Region

The above chart represents the average of the scores for all the Bordeaux wineries, by wine growing region (AOC in French). The districts are compared in relative to the best region on a 100 points scale. For more details on a specific chateau, please use our "Wine Search" engine at the right hand's side of each page. This tool is extremely useful to pick the best wines for Bordeaux Futures offerings and wine auctions.

2008 Bordeaux is a vintage like no other and combines high levels of ripeness with incredible purity of fruit thanks to the best possible Cabernet-Franc and Cabernet-Sauvignon grapes. The nearest comparisons are a mix between 2001, 2004 and 2006 but with the late harvest ripeness of 1988.

Meteorologically, 2008 looks to be the identical twin vintage of 2007: Each month's temperatures and rainfall figures are about the same and show clearly that both vintages started with a mild winter, continued into a wet spring, had a mediocre dull and damp summer, and were then saved by a miraculous last-minute turnaround in the form of a glorious autumn. So why have the darker, richer, more generous and more tannic wines of 2008 turned out so radically different from those of 2007? Even to the growers, the outcome came as something of a surprise. Despite the apparent similarities, the vines had a radically different behaviour in 2008 to 2007. In 2007, it had got off to an early and rapid start, with a quick early budding, followed by an erratic flowering. But 2008 was entirely different in the way that from the beginning of the season right up to the end, the vine never did anything fast all year; it took its time over all the stages; it seemed lazy, didn't want to bud, grow leaves, flower or do anything at speed. Consequently, it had very slow cycles which, despite the strain put on it by the mediocre spring and summer weather conditions, allowed it to perform more effective ripening transformations in its grapes all very gradually and very inconspicuously.
 

""Harvest 2008 was very, very long, due to uneven ripeness in the vineyards. Some winegrowers finished their Cabernets in the end of October. Outbreaks of rain didn't really affected vines that much, since their vegetation cycle was complete and therefore the roots didn't take water in. It was the so-called phenolic ripeness of the skins which was very important. Cold nights and dry weather resulted in slow ripening and preserving aromas. Mother Nature compensated somewhat for lack of sunshine during some period of 2008 and you can say September and October turned the looming catastrophe into a much needed success.

Yields are generally low in 2008, due to drastic selection in the vineyards." (Source: Izak Litwar)

But, as often, there were many lesser estates who had maybe not done all the vineyard work properly, and whose bunches were now deteriorating two weeks before they were ripe, so they had no option but to pick then and there. Once again there's a huge difference between such wines and those of the well-tended estates.

In our view, 2008 Bordeaux might well be a modern parallel of the 1988 vintage. It has the cool precision of 2002 but with the puppy fat of 2004 and mineral excitement of 2006.
This is a vintage that will turn out to keep well and reach its peak in approx. 15-25 years.
Saint-Julien's success rate is as consistent as can be. Pauillac produced some of the Left Bank's most convincing classical successes. Pomerol and Saint-Emilion came out with an impressive success ratio. For the leading properties of the Pessac-Leognan area, this vintage came out with excellent results. 2008 is an attractive vintage for Sauternes, but less compelling than 2007 as sweet white was monopolizing our top rankings. Again a complicated story at Margaux with some incidence of frost in April and hail in May affecting the size of the crop. Saint-Estèphe generally produced less plump fruit apparent wines which. Though slightly underrated by wine critics, many St-Estèphe could show better with further time in cask. Castillon, Bourg, Blaye, Lalande de Pomerol performed well while Left Bank lesser regions such as Médoc, Moulis or Listrac suffered from the difficult environment and weaker Cabernet-Franc and Merlot.

 TOP

Dry White Wines
White dry Bordeaux did extremely well in 2008 and is almost as thrilling as vintage 2007, considered as exceptional one. 2008's force is the incredibly seductive aromatic touch and fruitiness. Their freshness and exuberance, matched with fine richness, may well give a run for their money. However look out to disparities, some properties having produced wines of uneven quality.

Sauternes - Barsac
In the beginning of April 08, frost affected Sauternes & Barsac district, which resulted in losing 50-60% potential grapes for several properties in Barsac. Nevertheless, white sweet 2008 Bordeaux did finally challenge the 2007 vintage - maybe not as concentrated but extremely elegant.


Red Wines: Right Bank and Pessac-Léognan
Red 2008 is particularly successful on the Right Bank and Pessac-Leognan with fine quality Merlot and Cabernet-Franc grapes. Here there is a plumpness and succulence to the wines which make them immediately attractive. Indeed the volume of fruit and the velvety tannins indicates a vintage of significant quality, and they should last very well.


Red Wines: Left Bank
Left Bank has its ups and downs. Merlot flourished on the Right Bank, but was less convincing in the Médoc where Cabernet-Sauvignon and Petit Verdot excelled. The most classical of communes produced a significant proportion of the Left Bank’s successes, the opening charm continuing right across the palate to ripe tannins at the end. There is evident power and a superb precision, while the best growths show elegance and fruity persistence.

 

Winemega's precise and mathematical approach provides the most objective and independent recommendation source on Bordeaux Wines.

.


 

Alain Bringolf for Winemega.com

Thanks to the following Contributors for their comments on the vintage:
- Berry Bros. & Rudd
- Izak Litwar 

Related topics

Bordeaux 2008 - TOP absolute classification

Our strategies to subscribe to Bordeaux futures

Advanced wine topics - by Lauriann Greene-Sollin

The French statistical alternative solution to Winemega