In a couple weeks, the first wines of the campagne des Bordeaux en primeur 2008 are expected, with the first notes of some of the participants. Contrary to last year, it’s expected that the event will finish quite early this year.
A few vintages are already out with discounts expected, from previous years, to sit between 10% and 45%. These early wines have the advantage of more maneuvering room with their prices after the surge in prices in 2005.
Tasting Bordeaux Cercle Rive Droite.
A vintage with little expectation or interest
Scheduled like a non-event, this campaign is currently faced with less than positive fortunes.
The global economy crisis is very real and will still last many more months. The most ambitious owners have even admitted to difficulties, even those who maintained that expansion would continue unabated.
Up till now, despite the depression, few actual sales have been made.
Of course, at these prices, the first vintages will obviously find buyers as the quality is quite high (see the classification below). Others, such as Léoville-Barton and Léoville-Poyferré, positioned themselves perfectly and the market responded well.
La Mission Haut-Brion
One thing is for sure: More than ever the the strength and prestige of the brand, positioning of the price, and the rarity of the wine will be the determining factors for success.
But, don’t forget the key point - the intrinsic success of certain houses! In this strange, unhopeful vintage there will for sure be some significant successes, wines that will be remembered for a long time. Truly moving wines with unique style and originality that will go far. Not everything is assured and known…
Once again, you’ll have to be selective and, above all, never lose sight that following the crowd rarely leads to success. Buying what everybody else is buying might be reassuring but often leads to failure. Buying selectively when the siren calls have momentarily ceased is a sound plan! Think back to the 2001’s, 2004’s, and some 2002’s.
But this, of course, you already know.
Who would want to live in absolutes?
We don’t want to reignite last year’s debate about absolute or relative notation. I haven’t changed my position. I don’t live in absolutes; it would bore me. You neither, I’d hope… as such an evaluation is only a certain point of view, a piece of the puzzle between various wines, or wines of this or that vintage.
By Jacques Perrin (translated)
Photo: Armand Borlant
Exceptional Wines *****
Latour 95-97
Laville Haut-Brion 95-97
Ausone 95
Yquem 95
Great wines ****/*
Cheval Blanc 94-96
Cos d’Estournel 94-96
Ducru-Beaucaillou 94-96
Haut-Brion rouge 94-96
Haut-Brion blanc 94-96
Lafite-Rothschild 94-96
Lafleur 94-96
Mouton-Rothschild 94-96
L’Eglise-Clinet 93-95
La Mondotte 93-95
Léoville Las Cases 93-95
Margaux 93-95
Le Pin 93-95
La Mission Haut-Brion 93-95
Nairac 93-95
Pavie 93-95
Pavie-Macquin 93-95
Petrus 93-95
Pontet-Canet 93-95
Cos d’Estournel : The 2008 is a great success.
Good wines ****
Domaine de Chevalier rouge 93
Clos Haut Peyraguey 93
Rabaud-Promis 93
Angélus 92-94
Beauséjour Duffau 92-94
Calon-Ségur 92-94
Canon 92-94
Canon-la-Gaffelière 92-94
Chevalier blanc 92-94
Clos Fourtet 92-94
Clos l’Eglise 92-94
Coutet 92-94
Figeac 92-94
Gazin 92-94
L’Evangile 92-94
Larcis-Ducasse 92-94
Léoville Barton 92-94
Léoville Poyferré 92-94
Palmer 92-94
Pape Clément blanc 92-94
Pavillon blanc de Margaux 92-94
Pichon Baron 92-94
Rieussec 92-94
Smith-Haut-Lafitte blanc 92-94
Suduiraut 92-94
Trotanoy 92-94
Vieux Château Certan 92-94
Château Calon-Ségur: a stylistic change has worked out well.
Good wines (continued) ****
Bellevue-Mondotte 92
Lafaurie-Peyraguey 92
Pavie-Decesse 92
Sigalas-Rabaud 92
Beau-Séjour-Bécot 91-93
Branaire-Ducru 91-93
Certan de May 91-93
Doisy-Daëne 91-93
Fargues 91-93
Haut-Bailly 91-93
Hosanna 91-93
La Conseillante 91-93
La Dominique 91-93
La Gaffelière 91-93
Le Gay 91-93
La Violette 91-93
Malartic-Lagravière blanc 91-93
Montrose 91-93
Pape-Clément rouge 91-93
Pichon Comtesse 91-93
La Tour Blanche 91-93
Troplong-Mondot 91-93
Le Tertre Roteboeuf 91-93
Malartic-Lagravière rouge 90-93
Péby Faugères 90-93
Belair 90-92
Bellevue 90-92
Clerc-Milon 90-92
Clos La Madeleine 90-92
Clos Saint-Martin 90-92
Feytit-Clinet 90-92
Fleur Cardinale 90-92
Guiraud 90-92
Haut-Bergey rouge 90-92
La Clotte 90-92
Lafleur Petrus 90-92
Latour à Pomerol 90-92
Petit Mouton 90-92
Prieuré-Lichine 90-92
Providence 90-92
Rauzan-Ségla 90-92
Rayne-Vignault 90-92
Rol Valentin 90-92
Trottevieille 90-92
Vray Croix de Gay 90-92
A (domaine de l’) 90
Berliquet 90
Brane-Cantenac 90
Cantenac-Brown 90
Chapelle d’Ausone 90
Clinet 90
Cos Labory 90
Fieuzal blanc 90
Forts de Latour 90
Giscours 90
Haut Carles 90
La Passion Haut-Brion 90
Lafon-Rochet 90
Lafon La Tuilerie 90
Lagrange 90
Langoa-Barton 90
Lynch-Bages 90
Lynch-Moussas 90
Magdelaine 90
Roc de Cambes 90
Saint-Pierre 90
Sociando-Mallet 90
….
The rest is found on
Vinifera 40 (expected arrival end of May).
These wines and the others will be evaluated and commented on at the next Vinifera. These were tasted by myself between the 26th of march and the 3rd of april, 2009, at Bordeaux.
These evaluations are, obviously, slices in time of a source matter that is alive and changing with age. Each time it was possible, I took multiple tastings. Most of the wines were blind-tasted, with the exception of the first vintages, a part of the seconds and all those that, for diverse reasons, could only be tasted on property.
3 comments so far...
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Hi,
well written article, I think our views on
HOME - DEGUSTATION BORDEAUX PRIMEURS 2008 differ a little however you put foward some good points
Thanks
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