The Chinese New Year is only days away now and the Primeur tastings will be held soon, so focus is shifting to the 2009 En Primeur campaign. It's my intention to keep you updated by either writing some insights myself, or by stealing them from somebody else.

In the last category, I have found 2 excellent articles on Jancis Robinson's website. She in turn has used Bill Blatch's vintage report. As Jancis says, "Bill Blatch runs Bordeaux negociant Vintex and is one of the members of the Bordeaux wine trade who is most fascinated by how wines actually taste. For some years he is widely acknowledged as being responsible for by far the most detailed analysis of each Bordeaux vintage and kindly gives us a preview".

The first article is an in depth overview of the weather and the impact on the vines: www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201002042.html. It is techy stuff and for those who enjoy that, highly educational. The conclusion is that it has been a "textbook perfect vineyard year. Nobody could have asked for better....the big question is what to do with all that alcohol". 

The second article covers the wines in the various regions: www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201002044.html. Comparisons with other vintages are always difficult but Blatch has a go at it:

"Overall, of all the great vintages of the last 100 years, 2009 seems to have more in common with the silky concentration of 1982, 1947 or 1929, rather than the more robust tannic balance of 2005, 2000 or 1928. Yet it does not seem to have all the warm, exotic softness of the extreme heat-wave vintages 2003, 1990 and 1921, nor the more traditional style of the 1945 and 1961..... 2009 is what 1982 or 1985 would have been if the vineyard and the yields had been managed as today, or what the 1947 would have been if the vinification had been controlled as today. All of those historic vintages seem to share the same sweetness of concentrated fruit as the 2009, but in those days, 12.5° for the Cabs and 13.5° for the Merlots was the absolute maximum. These 2009s have, in addition, far higher alcohol levels, which make the vintage – so far – unique. Better? We'll see".

Indeed. Interestingly, he starts with saying "of all the great vintages...". So there you are. The question is not whether 2009 will be great but how great. Prepare for a manic campaign and eyewatering prices.