October 2009 Harvest Report - France Takes Centerstage

Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, harvest is in full swing.  In most regions, last month’s painstaking waiting game has been replaced by a meticulous mad dash to bring the year’s precious bounty in safely.  Early reports – especially out of France – suggest that 2009 may be a legend in the making.  Mother Nature has been particularly good to France’s most important regions this year, with Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley all shaping up beautifully and attracting high levels of anticipation. 

The following is a brief summary of how the grapes are coming in from these regions:   

BORDEAUX – Spectacular conditions have persisted in Bordeaux for both the Left and Right Banks; now the hot topic is what classic year this great vintage is likely to resemble.  Some of Bordeaux’s old school producers have visions of 1959 dancing in their heads – a year considered by many to top 1945 and 1961 for the “Vintage of the Century” title.  Still other vignerons carry even higher hopes, imagining a mythical blend of 1982, 1989 and 2005 that would capture otherworldly depth, complexity and structure while possessing high levels of freshness and elegance. 

Winemaker Eric Prissette recently completed his Languedoc harvest and has moved to St. Emilion to commence work at his Rol-Valentin property.  His vines appear to have produced fruit similar in quality to that from the beautiful 2005 vintage.  Conditions have proven so good to date that producers are being cautioned to avoid over-extracting their wines, given the off-the-chart levels of ripeness and tannin they have at their disposal.  Most of the Right Bank’s Merlot possesses deep color, thick skins and high sugar levels, and the first Cabernet grapes are have just come in at similar levels of richness and complexity.  By all accounts, 2009 Bordeaux appears destined for greatness. 

BURGUNDY – The delicate nature of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay always makes Burgundy harvest predictions more of an art than a science, but optimism is running high as the region digs into harvest.  Many insiders feel both the reds and whites will show a deep, rich expression of fruit similar to that of 2005, a vintage revered for its concentration. 

This style stands in stark contrast to the recently released 2007s, which look to be of a more elegant, refined nature.  This degree of richness may step outside the traditional stylings of Burgundy, yet for those producers who harvest at the right point and strike a balance in their wines, their top offerings could one day be spoken of in the same breath as the best wines from the heralded 1947 and 1959 vintages – rare company indeed!

RHONE – It’s tough to talk Rhone right now without focusing on the masterful 2007s from the southern appellations, but all signs point to another stellar year for the Rhone Valley in 2009.  With the exception of 2002, the Southern Rhone continues on its torrid streak of great years ignited by the ’98 vintage.  Yields are down in the southern Rhone due to the vintage’s oppressive heat, but much-needed September rains kept a relapse of the insufferable 2003 vintage from taking place.  The grapes responded to the late precipitation nicely and obtained a needed dose of extra acidity to balance out their high sugar levels.  The heat has made for an excellent vintage for the stubborn, late-harvesting Mourvedre, the powerful black grape cherished by Rhone and Bandol producers for its leather and black pepper complexities. 

Farther north, Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, and Cornas are all poised to produce classic Syrah.  The warm weather has contributed depth and structure to these wines, but producers seeking freshness and balance will be able to craft wines of incredible complexity and finesse to complement the core of dark berry fruit. 

There is still much to be done in the vineyards, followed by the delicate process of selection and vinification. But at this stage, it is obvious these three regions have the potential to produce brilliant wines out of the 2009 vintage.