It is totally premature to judge the quality of the 2003 vintage at this stage. Nevertheless we find very interesting to read the pro's reports on the recent harvest and how they assess the potential of their wines.

Click on the appellation's name for more details on the region.

Frédéric Engerer - Château Latour - Pauillac  

Jean-Philippe Delmas - Château Haut-Brion - Pessac-Léognan, Graves

Philippe Delfaut - Château Palmer - Margaux 

Nicolas & Christophe de Bailliencourt dit Courcol - Château Gazin - Pomerol

Corinne Reulet - Chateau la Tour Blanche - Sauternes - Barsac

Lauriann Greene-Sollin - French Wine Explorers

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Frédéric Engerer - Château Latour - Pauillac

The « veraison » (change of colour) started at the beginning of August. Temperatures peaking as high as 45 °C were mesured inside the vines truncksin the first 10 days of the month, preventing growth. The vine must have protected itself by closing all its « light receptors » to the attacks of the sun. Due to these extreme conditions, maturation slowed down and hence ripening was somewhat heterogeneous. As a result, the precocity that had been running since the flowering was reduced by the excessive climatic conditions of summer.

Fortunatly, it finally rained twice, on the 19th and 31st of August, (approximatly 20 mm of rain) which enabled the vines to resume their growing cycle. From the beginning of September, the weight of the grapes and the polyphenols levels increased noticeably. In spite of all this, 2003 stands as one of the earliest vintage in the history of Latour, as we strarted harvesting the first merlots on September 8th. Ripeness is excellent for this grape variety with potential alcohol degrees between 13 and 14 ° and with mature and extractible polyphenols. The sanitary condition of the harvest is perfect, although their is less acidity than in the last few vintages harvested.

The cabernet sauvignon ripened somewhat later. However in the « Enclos », we can already see a clear improvement in the structure of the skins due to the discrepancy in temperature between day and night.The dryer terroir suffered more and ripened with delay.

Merlots grapes are in a perfect sanitary state, with a lovely colour and are picked in the best possible climatic conditions. The cabernet sauvignon has a deep dark color. The 2003 vintage is very promising.

http://www.chateau-latour.fr/index_fra.html

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Jean-Philippe Delmas - Château Haut-Brion - Pessac-Léognan, Graves

August has been a truly exceptional month. 

In our meteorological records and in the memories of the Bordelais we have never experienced a heat wave with such consistently high temperatures over such a long period of time.

August 2nd the weather station registered 36.3°C/ 97°F. On August 3rd the temperature rose to 39°C/102.2°F. August 4th the temperature soared past 40°C/104°F to reach 40.6°C/105°F. Then August 5th a new record was made when the thermometer hit 40.7°C/105.3°F. Between the 2nd and 13th of August the temperatures always rose above 35°C/95°F with 4 days topping 40°C/104°F on the 4th, 5th, 12th, and 13th. During the first two weeks in August the average temperature for 24 hours was 29°C/84.2°F. All of Europe experienced a heat wave never before encountered.

Wednesday August 13th 2003: Start of the vendanges of Chateau Haut-Brion white wine.

Definitely an historic occasion!

One must go back to 1893 to find a trace of such an early vendange. The flowering of the vines was one or two weeks in advance this year according to the different cepages. We knew from June on that we would have to return early from our summer vacations! But this was without taking into account the unusual heat wave that ensued at the beginning of August. It accelerated the ripening of the grapes and obliged us to begin picking the white grapes one month earlier than last year.

Because of the heat we had to take special precautions. The picking began at sunrise and ended midday in order to bring in the grapes during the coolest moments of the day. We also had to replace our usual tractors and trailers with refrigerated trucks to transport the harvest back to the chais. Confronted with such exceptional climatic conditions we took exceptional measures to meet the challenge.

Tuesday August 19th 2003: Start of the harvesting for our red wine at La Mission Haut-Brion.

We finished the vendange of the last white Sémillon grapes of Chateau Laville Haut-Brion in the morning. We then went on to harvest the younger parcels of Merlot grapes which had attained perfect maturity. Referring as far back as all our archives go, this early start was an historic occasion!

It is too soon to know if these exceptional conditions will produce an exceptional vintage. However, the great years of the past were in general vintages that were harvested early. Therefore we are very optimistic.

http://haut-brion.com/home/en/langflash-en.php

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Paul Pontallier - Château Margaux - Margaux

August 2003September 1st, 2003
The first Sauvignon Blanc juices have shown, as we would have expected, very high levels of 
sugar, with a potential alcoholic degree approaching 14°. We are now somewhat used to this level of sugar, since it has almost become the general rule over the last few years. The primary aromas are fine, delicate but discreet; on the whole typical of a hot year. The total acidity is very low. The first figures, based of course on our grape samples taken over the last two weeks, are both baffling and exciting (..)

September 8th, 2003
(..) But what do we mean by the ripeness of the grapes? We ask ourselves this question over and again every year, and invariably, (dare I say it?), the answer changes... This year, anyway, it is neither the concentration of sugar, which has been at very high levels for several weeks now, nor the acidity of the must, which is at historically low levels, which are the best parameters to take into account. It is not even the taste of the grapes, whose vegetal character (generally an excellent indicator of the ripeness of Sauvignon Blanc grapes) disappeared very early this year, perhaps burnt away by the scorching sun of the first two weeks of August (..)

September 16th, 2003
What a fantastic weather! The Merlot is an absolute joy to pick and will be finished tomorrow. The grapes are coming in baked by the sun at record sugar levels and -pleasant surprise- with good acidity. Will we ever understand the subtle physiological mechanisms at play during the ripening process? Even the colour, which some gollmy forecasters said would be poor, has turned out to be good (..)

September 18th, 2003
Today, we have something of a dilemma, albeit a pleasant one. The Cabernets are magnificent, and all the known analytical parameters (sugar, acidity, anthocyanins, tannins) show an optimal level of ripeness; even their taste, full of flavour and free of any vegetal character, seem to confirm what the figures, which we never dare trust 
completely, are indicating. And yet... in the way they look, in their cinsistency, in their insolent good health, they seem to have something about them that suggests they are, as yet, unfinished, hot ready, perfectible. 

September 25th, 2003
Since Monday we have been picking the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Petit Verdot, which have both reached a state of ripeness that we had not dared hope for just a few days ago. At this rate, which is faster than usual (but understandably so, with the very low yields), we should be finished by next Monday (..)

September 29th, 2003
The harvest will be finished today. We have finally arrived at the last Cabernet grapes, which are still very healthy, even riper and maybe better (..) This morning we tasted all the Merlots, which have now finished their alcoholic fermentation. As in 2000, the yeasts had a little bit of trouble digesting (in the strict sense of the term) the last few grams of sugar. There is no doubt that the high alcoholic degree, up to 14° and 14.5°, affects 
their metabolism, The incredible richness of tannin, which was even greater than in the 2000 vintage, perhaps also had an inhibiting effect. In any case, these Merlots are simply fantastic! They are so rich, so complex and have great finesse, too. Who would have believed that such an atypical, hot summer would produce such fabulously classic wines?


http://www.chateau-margaux.com/fr/

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Philipppe Delfaux - Château Palmer - Margaux

Château Palmer, September 8th, 2003
One thing is for sure, the vintage is early - over 2 weeks earlier than last year. This is the result of a warm, dry spring, then a scorching hot summer we will not forget easily! The end result is a very low yield and the berries are small and thick-skinned. The way the grapes have ripened differs according to exposure and the orientation of the rows of vines with respect to the sun. These differences are more marked for the Merlot than for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and even more so in the soils with deep gravel than in areas with clay subsoil. The berries which were protected from the sun's rays have fine, fruity and concentrated aromas, and those which were more exposed have more jammy flavours. We are therefore having to sort the grapes especially meticulously, sometimes with 2 collections from the plots.

Given the exceptional duration of the heat and sun, we have to admit that we don't know how to expect the character of the wines to develop. The vinification will have to take the particular qualities of the grapes into account and adapt the temperature, the pumping-over and the length of maceration for each plot. A rigorous task requiring great care awaits us in order to ensure that this absolutely exceptional vintage will be the best possible expression of our Terroir.

September 10, 2003 - The Harvest Is Under Way!
On Monday we started picking the Merlots with our local team of 35 harvesters, beginning with the young vines which were the earliest to ripen. These vines are also the ones which suffered the most in the unprecedented heat we had in August. Some plots require two separate collections in order to isolate the best grapes from those which were burned by the sun. We have at our disposal a team from Sauternes, who are used to this kind of harvesting and who are training the other harvesters in this unusual work for the Médoc.

We think we will have finished harvesting the Merlots by the end of the week but we haven't yet made any decision about the Cabernets. Before any fermentation, the juice has a nice colour, a ripe fruit flavour and a high sugar content as in previous years. Only the acidity is lower, although it isn't yet possible to predict the character of the wines. Very soon, that heady smell of fermentation will fill the vatroom again. We can hardly wait to tap into the vats in a few days for our first taste of the new vintage!

September 13, 2003 - The fermentation is in full swing...
We are now picking the best Merlots under a magnificent sun. There's a really good atmosphere here and the earlier aches and stiffness are now but a memory.

That wonderful smell of fermentation is finally coming from the vat-room, giving our visitors a unique sensation they'll never forget once they've experienced it. The smell fills every nook and cranny, reminding us that the fermentation is in full swing. One only has to look at the colour of the must to realise that it is transforming into wine. We can hardly wait to satisfy our curiosity and taste this new vintage! 

September 17, 2003 - "What a difference this year between the merlot and cabernet..."
Since yesterday we've been picking the cabernets which are now ripe, and the Petit Verdot. The weather is on our side, with the sun being more and more generous every day after a cool night, helping the harvesting and the sorting of the grapes. We are therefore taking our time and only harvesting 7 hours a day. The harvesters are starting at 9 o'clock, after the morning dew has burned off. The cabernet and Petit Verdot juices are extremely rich, with more freshness than the Merlot. There's no need for two collections in these plots because the harder, thicker skins were a better defence against the summer heat

What a difference this year between the Merlot and cabernet, whereas in 2002 it was hard to tell the two varietals apart when tasting from the vats! Once again, Mother Nature and the climate will determine the major characteristics of the vintage. May we be able to work with them in order to bring out its best aspects!

September 20, 2003 - "The harvest is already over"
It's over already. Today we are picking the last of the cabernets in the latest patches. Unusually, these outlying plots reached an exceptional maturity this year despite being so early in the dry weather, which is comforting given the effort we put into them every year. The principal attributes of the juices are much freshness in the taste, a strong colour and tannins with no crudeness. They are reminiscent of our best plots this year.

This is a good thing for the blendings to come. Like last year, the harvest conditions were beneficial to the full maturation of the wines, especially for the cabernet.

This year is the second earliest year at Château Palmer in the past 50 years (the harvest started on Sept. 6th in 1989) and above all the hottest.

Time will tell if "early" means "successful".

http://chateau-palmer.com/fr1

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Nicolas & Christophe de Bailliencourt dit Courcol - Château Gazin - Pomerol

The 2003 harvest started on Thursday September 4th, at Gazin.
This date is very close to the dates of 1989, 1990 and, surprisingly, 1997. The big difference with 1997 is that, in 2003, the grapes are perfectly and uniformly ripe. Indeed, the bunches offer a natural 13 degrees level of alcohol. But, further more, the tannins are in the right condition. That is what we call the phenolic maturity (not to be confused with the “mediatic maturity”, which is reached when the vintner pretends to be harvesting under the tv cameras to be able to proclaim: “I started the first …” or : “this harvest is the most precocious one since 1893”).

The perfect tannins maturity, which normally does not match the mediatic maturity is, in fact, essential to produce a top quality wine. The alcoholic level is not that important. Therefore, this augurs well of the vintage quality. Nevertheless, the vinifications remain a difficult exercise as it is not so easy to convert into alcohol such a big quantity of sugar without any fermentation accident and any volatile acidity increase. The summer drought damaged a (small) part of the crop, weakened the skins of the grains, dramatically reduced the acidity level. For once, the administration gave the vintners the possibility to acidify the wine with tartaric acid, the natural and specific acid of the grapes. The acidity level is essential to make wines able to age and improve when ageing. 

The yield is, once more, very small. Even smaller than in 2002: about 10 hectolitres per acre versus 15 hectolitres last year. But this figure will be finalized once the rackings are over, all the more as the Cabernet francs and Sauvignon have not been picked up yet. Just now they benefit from the very sunny and warmy present days. As long as rot does not appear we wait, on stand by. So far the fermentations are developing well: colour, fatness, fruit, everything is there. 

http://www.chateau-gazin.com/

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Corinne Reulet - Château la Tour Blanche - Sauternes - Barsac

09/17/03 – Grape harvest 2003 has started...
The first grapes have been picked at Chateau La Tour Blanche, under a radiant sun and with high temperatures.

A first “trie” (sorting) was carried out yesterday on Sauvignon and Muscadelle, and today on Sémillon.

The grapes, in a very good sanitary state, are very rich in sugar and the noble rot is developing very quickly thanks to the beneficient effect of the rains of the first days of September.

Harvest will continue during the whole week with excellent weather conditions.

http://www.tour-blanche.com/

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Lauriann Greene-Sollin - French Wine Explorers

On my last tour through the vineyards of France, Sept. 9 though 18 

(Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux) we noticed that they were still harvesting in Alsace; in Burgundy we arrived on the last day of the harvest, and in Bordeaux they were in the midst of harvesting or were about to start, depending on the chateau. Everywhere we went, the winemakers were sceptical about how this vintage will turn out.

They are not used to working under these extreme conditions, and they have ended up with a raw material that is difficult to work with.

Exceptions to the appellation rules have been made in most regions: in Alsace, they will be allowed to acidify the wines this year (unheard of in this northern region where the wines have a naturally high level of acidity). In some areas of Provence, they have been allowed to irrigate or water the vines, which were close to dying in some areas (also unheard of for AOC's, where irrigation and watering are strictly prohibited all over France). In Burgundy, I asked the winemaker of Louis Jadot's Grand Crus what he was finding as he started vinifying the wines. He said there was a general lack of acidity, which was troublesome, and he wasn't sure yet if the wines would be great this year. They would be good, he said, but not necessarily great. In Bordeaux, more scepticism - the ripeness of the skins was not great,
even though the pulp of the grapes was very sugary, and the lack of acidity was again cited as being a problem. The feared result: unbalanced wines with unripe tannins, too much alcohol and not enough acidity. Possibly also not very aromatic, as excessive heat does not allow the precursors of aromas in the skins to develop to their potential. All over France, the attitude was very much "wait and see".

So early reports of "the vintage of the century" were vastly exaggerated. As in most things in life, the happy medium is better than the extremes, and excessive heat generally makes for uninteresting, bland and unbalanced grapes. Thus the interest of blending grape varieties in hotter climates.

Lauriann Greene-Sollin - September 24th, 2003

www.wine-tours-france.com 

Sincerely Alain Bringolf

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