BORDEAUX, France — Variable. That’s the best way to describe the 2006 vintage in Bordeaux after my first day of tasting over 90 wines, all from the Right Bank, at the 2006 Bordeaux en primeurs tastings.
It’s hard to generalize about which appellations did best because the variability extended across borders. Some properties in lesser places, such as Château Joanin Bécot in Côtes de Castillon and Château de la Dauphine in Fronsac and Domaine de Courteillac, a Bordeaux Supérieur, succeeded in this tricky vintage and made very good wine.
Other properties in the same appellation made wines with unpleasantly bitter tannins. Similar variability existed within more exalted appellations. Some were excellent — L’Angelus and Canon in St. Emilion and Clinet, La Croix and Feytit-Clinet in Pomerol spring to mind — but bitter, stemmy tannins marred others.
The weather during the growing season explained the vintners’ difficulties. Without boring you with the details, a hot July allowed for good early ripening. August was cold, which slowed ripening. The second half of September, including harvest, was rainy, which set the stage for rot.
Winemakers who were not careful during fermentation and failed to perform a gentle extraction wound up with bitter, green, unripe tannins. Those who were careful made good wines with plenty of fruit and firm — but not bitter or green — tannins that will require aging.
Hubert de Boüard, from L’Angelus, was so proud of his 2006 that he had me taste it alongside the 2005. The comparison was emblematic of how the vintages differed. The 2005 was ripe, with silky, supple tannins that reminded me of the charm of the 1982s when they were young.
The 2006, packed with fruit, was succulent and dense, but had much firmer — but not bitter — tannins, reminiscent of the wines from 1988. The 1988 Bordeaux are drinking beautifully now and I suspect the best wines from 2006 will as well because they are balanced, but they will need time.
Patrick Maroteaux, president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux. who along with his family, owns Chateau Branaire Ducru, aptly described the vintage as ‘classic,’ referring to the balance between the fruit and tannins.
I’ll report on wines from the other appellations as the week progresses.
Photo: WRO Columnist Michael Apstein spits out a mouthful of tannic young Bordeaux at the 2006 en primeurs tastings.
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