Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux 2013 Vintage Preview 1-29-16

by Gary Faust

Last week, Connor Clarke and I attended the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux event in Santa Monica. This was an opportunity to taste through various bottlings from the 2013 vintage. By all accounts, 2013 was a very challenging year in Bordeaux.

Cool and damp conditions in Spring persisted with rain greatly inhibiting flowering. July was very sunny and August was also very pleasant-- but those months could not compensate for the rough start. Humid conditions and rain in September brought the threat of rot, forcing many to start the harvest early. Yields were down at least 25% with the quality also being affected.

Our observation is that some of the wines showed tannins that were not phenologically ripe. A number of wines showed an astringent quality while several wines were generally thin. There were, however, many standouts that over-performed for the vintage.

From the Right Bank, Canon la Gaffelière showed very well with admirable concentration and balance. Troplong Mondot had good fruit with grippy tannins that should benefit from some age. In Pomerol, Château Clinet possesses a solid fruit core with lots of toasty oak. Château Gazin was full-bodied and quite delicious. On the Left Bank, Château Giscours in Margaux was a complete wine while Pauillac estate Clerc Milon possessed a full body with significant structure and pure fruit flavors.

The whites and Sauternes wines were another story entirely. Although yields were also down for the white wines, the limited number of whites available for tasting showed freshness buoyed by nice acidity. These well-balanced wines are approachable now, but will also age nicely.

After a string of very good to excellent vintages through 2010, the last several years serve as a reminder that Bordeaux is still subject to considerable vintage variation. The good news is the Bordelaise have become more sophisticated. Attentiveness in the vineyards and improvements in grape selection and vinification mean most are able to make good wine even in difficult years.