Bordeaux 2014 – What was the vintage like?

Each vintage in Bordeaux is picked over with a fine toothcomb and seems to garner more attention than any other wine region globally. It is, after all, a large wine producing region and while there’s great wine made all around the world, Bordeaux continues to wear the mantle of being the greatest fine wine region.

The wine trade has been holding its breath with the 2014 vintage, after 2011, 2012 and, 2013 did not produce showstoppers, rather a mixed bag including some attractive early drinking wines. The dynamic duo were 2009 and 2010 but was 2014 going to deliver?

The initial view was not flashy; for some parts of the region, flowering was inconsistent and for another year, volumes looked to be down. What followed was an extremely wet July and August. As producers headed off for summer holidays, the outcome did not look promising. A long hot September and October proved a godsend and saved the vintage.

The prolonged warm period allowed, particularly, Cabernet to be left on the vine, achieving a good, long hang time and good ripening. Merlot struggled a little more and was affected in parts of Pomerol with inconsistent flowering. Merlot is grown in a number of different soil types around Bordeaux and depending on the location and care taken, there are some good Merlot dominant wines. The Cabernet dominant wines are certainly more consistent. The wet start to the season, then rapid heat ,produced excellent conditions for botrytis, the sweet wines from Bordeaux once again shining.

Pessac Léognan had an excellent year and the white wines are superb, very fresh with excellent acidity. The reds have balance, tension and great character.

Bordeaux is a region for white wine; one of the highlights of the week was the gorgeous Cos d’Estournel Blanc, an enchanting wine, it captured one’s attention even amidst all that young Cabernet.

The Left Bank overall is more consistent, with Cabernet enjoying the long hang time and achieving good ripeness. It was a great year for Petit Verdot, which liked the conditions and appears in many blends this year.

The Right Bank is far less consistent, a real mixed bag with many different expression. The right should not be avoided, rather selected carefully.

We often look to compare one vintage to another. In doing so, it does provide a reference point, one we are familiar with. 2014 is not as great as the 2009 or 2010 vintages. It is better in quality than the 2011,2012 or 2013 vintages. There are hints of the 2004 and 2008 vintages in these wines and they provide useful comparisons.

Initially interested in a career in the culinary area, while in London Liz Wheadon found herself drawn to wine, which quickly became her passion and her career. Having been at Glengarry for over 20 years, she travels abroad regularly, meeting Glengarry’s fine wine suppliers in Europe, maintaining strong relationships first hand and ensuring a continued supply of the rarest and the best fine wine. Ms Wheadon heads up the Glengarry business as its general manager, with a thorough hands on understanding of all parts of a business she loves.