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"a vintage like this comes only once a lifetime" - 11/5/2018 9:50:47 PM   
Joe the Critic

 

Posts: 118
Joined: 1/18/2014
From: San Jose, California
Status: offline 		Saw this nugget today from the estimable Andrew Jeffords in Decanter:

"Honestly I never saw such a vintage. I never saw such maturity; all the plots are good. The ‘18 will be better than the ‘10. Even in 2010 we had to select the plots; in 2018 we didn’t have to select. Everything is good. My father says that a vintage like this only comes once in a lifetime. He thinks it’s like `47, `61, `82; maybe better than everything since ‘82.”
The speaker is Bertrand Léon of Ch Les Troix Croix in Fronsac as well as Technical Director for Sacha Lichine’s Ch d’Esclans in Provence – and the son of Patrick Léon, the former Managing Director of Mouton-Rothschild, whose career began in 1972.'

see https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/jefford-on-monday/jefford-bordeaux-report-403885/

Is anyone else psyched for the Bordeaux vintage of our lifetime?

_____________________________

You can observe a lot just by watching.
- Yogi Berra
Post #: 1
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/5/2018 10:05:00 PM   
CranBurgundy

 

Posts: 8272
Joined: 1/5/2016
From: Philly / South Joizey
Status: offline 		Wowsers! Yet ANOTHER "Vintage of a/the _________" (fill in lifetime, century, millennium, etc). Good thing I'm not a Bordeaux buyer, because I have too many "Vintage of a Lifetime" and "Vintage of the Century" Rieslings, Burgundies, and CaliCabs jamming my cellar already.



_____________________________

Purple Drankin' Cretin.

Vote NO on Proposition S1ct1516 "BAN the CRAN!" this Election Day.

“Let it be recorded: henceforth, December 15 shall be known as 'The Day of Dennis'.” - Prof. Ken "KPB" Birman, 12/17/23

(in reply to Joe the Critic)
Post #: 2
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/5/2018 10:29:36 PM   
jmcmchi

 

Posts: 3226
Joined: 8/6/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe the Critic

Saw this nugget today from the estimable Andrew Jeffords in Decanter:

"Honestly I never saw such a vintage. I never saw such maturity; all the plots are good. The ‘18 will be better than the ‘10. Even in 2010 we had to select the plots; in 2018 we didn’t have to select. Everything is good. My father says that a vintage like this only comes once in a lifetime. He thinks it’s like `47, `61, `82; maybe better than everything since ‘82.”
The speaker is Bertrand Léon of Ch Les Troix Croix in Fronsac as well as Technical Director for Sacha Lichine’s Ch d’Esclans in Provence – and the son of Patrick Léon, the former Managing Director of Mouton-Rothschild, whose career began in 1972.'

see https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/jefford-on-monday/jefford-bordeaux-report-403885/

Is anyone else psyched for the Bordeaux vintage of our lifetime?


So 1947 to 1982 is three lifetimes? Must be large canine species

(in reply to Joe the Critic)
Post #: 3
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/5/2018 11:27:24 PM   
Joe the Critic

 

Posts: 118
Joined: 1/18/2014
From: San Jose, California
Status: offline 		Wow, tough crowd here. Hard for a Vintage of a LifeTime (VoLT) to get any respect!

< Message edited by Joe the Critic -- 11/6/2018 1:10:42 AM >

_____________________________

You can observe a lot just by watching.
- Yogi Berra

(in reply to jmcmchi)
Post #: 4
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/6/2018 4:05:31 AM   
S1

 

Posts: 14828
Joined: 11/12/2011
From: Wandering between Coastal SC and South FL
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe the Critic

Wow, tough crowd here. Hard for a Vintage of a LifeTime (VoLT) to get any respect!

VsoLT have become all too common based on hyperbole from the Bordelais (and RMP)

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Tous les chemins mènent à la Bourgogne!
"One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and -- one talks about it!" (in memory of drycab)

(in reply to Joe the Critic)
Post #: 5
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/6/2018 4:09:21 AM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23509
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		‘82 was pretty darn good...

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(in reply to S1)
Post #: 6
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/6/2018 5:30:52 AM   
Eddie

 

Posts: 6242
Joined: 12/17/2012
From: central Kentucky
Status: offline 		There is quite a buzz over at the "2018 Vintage West Coast Weather Thread" on WineBerserkers about the quality (and quantity) of the 2018 California grapes. Time will tell.

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V horam in quodam loco est.

(in reply to musedir)
Post #: 7
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/6/2018 5:59:24 AM   
Poppacork

 

Posts: 643
Joined: 2/8/2018
From: South Carolina
Status: offline 		Well i guess i should cancel all my 2016 futures orders!

(in reply to Eddie)
Post #: 8
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/6/2018 6:51:07 AM   
KPB

 

Posts: 4670
Joined: 11/25/2012
From: Ithaca, New York
Status: offline 		Literally every single vintage from every single region tries to generate press like that, every single year. One gets jaded.

_____________________________

Ken Birman
The Professor of Brettology

(in reply to Poppacork)
Post #: 9
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/6/2018 6:54:51 AM   
River Rat

 

Posts: 1339
Joined: 4/29/2010
From: Forestville, CA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: jmcmchi


quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe the Critic

Saw this nugget today from the estimable Andrew Jeffords in Decanter:

"Honestly I never saw such a vintage. I never saw such maturity; all the plots are good. The ‘18 will be better than the ‘10. Even in 2010 we had to select the plots; in 2018 we didn’t have to select. Everything is good. My father says that a vintage like this only comes once in a lifetime. He thinks it’s like `47, `61, `82; maybe better than everything since ‘82.”
The speaker is Bertrand Léon of Ch Les Troix Croix in Fronsac as well as Technical Director for Sacha Lichine’s Ch d’Esclans in Provence – and the son of Patrick Léon, the former Managing Director of Mouton-Rothschild, whose career began in 1972.'

see https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/jefford-on-monday/jefford-bordeaux-report-403885/

Is anyone else psyched for the Bordeaux vintage of our lifetime?


So 1947 to 1982 is three lifetimes? Must be large canine species


The speaker may not yet have been born in ‘82 if his father strted wth Mouton in ‘72. So this would be the vintage of his lifetime.

(in reply to jmcmchi)
Post #: 10
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/6/2018 10:39:18 AM   
skifree

 

Posts: 3416
Joined: 3/14/2010
From: SE King County, Washington
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe the Critic

Wow, tough crowd here. Hard for a Vintage of a LifeTime (VoLT) to get any respect!


Berserker's is the tough crowd!

Here is Gavin Quinney's report on the vintage, I know Jane Anson posted but here is the link to Jancis Robinson's post: All Came Right in the End

This will be the 4th excellent vintage in a row for the Bordelais. Given Lisa P-B's rave about the excellent vintage in 2016 for Napa and Sonoma in Wine Advocate, we have a bounty of excellent Cab, Merlot, and blends to choose from in the near future.

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So much wine, so little time

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Post #: 11
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/12/2018 1:55:05 PM   
racerchris

 

Posts: 1622
Joined: 6/22/2015
From: Bolton, CT
Status: offline 		As of today I'm back up to 18.

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(in reply to skifree)
Post #: 12
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/12/2018 2:21:52 PM   
hankj

 

Posts: 4672
Joined: 6/26/2008
From: Seattle, WA
Status: offline 		When I read reports like this about the breadth of quality of a vintage, what I hear is that I can buy cheaper and smaller producers and the wines will be very good. Hard to hate that!

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There are those who'd call us a bunch of sots but we don't see ourselves like that. We see ourselves as hobbyists. - Kevin Barry

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Post #: 13
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/12/2018 2:49:15 PM   
Blue Shorts

 

Posts: 2782
Joined: 2/5/2008
From: Santa Cruz
Status: offline 		Evidently, when they say "Vintage of a Lifetime", the mean the lifetime of a fruit fly

The hyperbole surrounding wine has reached ridiculous levels. Every year we see more and more wine rated at 100 points....even 100+ (whatever that is)

(in reply to Joe the Critic)
Post #: 14
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/12/2018 3:01:27 PM   
Wine Grove

 

Posts: 714
Joined: 11/9/2017
From: San Clemente, CA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Blue Shorts

Evidently, when they say "Vintage of a Lifetime", the mean the lifetime of a fruit fly

The hyperbole surrounding wine has reached ridiculous levels. Every year we see more and more wine rated at 100 points....even 100+ (whatever that is)

110% !!!!!

(in reply to Blue Shorts)
Post #: 15
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/12/2018 4:36:33 PM   
KPB

 

Posts: 4670
Joined: 11/25/2012
From: Ithaca, New York
Status: offline 		All this said, if you can afford them, buy the 1st growths and Petrus. Can't be a mistake given this hype....

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Ken Birman
The Professor of Brettology

(in reply to Wine Grove)
Post #: 16
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/12/2018 8:36:49 PM   
ericindc

 

Posts: 2086
Joined: 7/6/2012
From: District of Columbia
Status: offline 		I'm 100 points on that....


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-Eric
Just waiting for my Grand Cru to age.

(in reply to KPB)
Post #: 17
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/13/2018 12:06:00 AM   
ikileo

 

Posts: 1318
Joined: 4/14/2009
From: Singapore
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: jmcmchi

So 1947 to 1982 is three lifetimes? Must be large canine species


my favourite comment.


whatever it takes to sell to consumers. there's lots of old money and nouveau rich to eat it up.
reminds me of what people said of 2005 back then: you can't make a bad wine in 05. the best since 82.

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A bottle a day keeps my money away.

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Post #: 18
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/13/2018 10:56:44 AM   
khmark7

 

Posts: 11444
Joined: 7/6/2008
From: Chicago suburbs
Status: offline 		If they didn't have to select the plots in 2018 that just means that every plot was likely over ripe. 2018 was a scorching hot summer in Europe. No thanks, i prefer my Cabernet < 14-15% alcohol.

WOTlifecycleofafruitfly


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Post #: 19
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/13/2018 11:16:52 AM   
CranBurgundy

 

Posts: 8272
Joined: 1/5/2016
From: Philly / South Joizey
Status: offline 		In my wine drinking lifetime, there are 2 or 3 vintages that come to mind where nearly all of the regions that are renown for wine ended up making very good to excellent stuff: 1990 and 2010.

Other years might have come close, but fell short. For example, 2002 was excellent in the Loire, Burgundy, and California; good in Mosel and most of the rest of Germany; but not so great in Italy (a washout) and mediocre in Bordeaux.

_____________________________

Purple Drankin' Cretin.

Vote NO on Proposition S1ct1516 "BAN the CRAN!" this Election Day.

“Let it be recorded: henceforth, December 15 shall be known as 'The Day of Dennis'.” - Prof. Ken "KPB" Birman, 12/17/23

(in reply to khmark7)
Post #: 20
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/13/2018 12:49:41 PM   
RedLoverJim

 

Posts: 273
Joined: 9/25/2008
From: Hurstville, Texas
Status: offline 		I hope it's a great year. My daughter was born in January so I'll be socking back birth year wines, and I'd love to be able to have some Bordeaux that doesn't break the bank by the case but are still good in the 2040s. Daughter #2 will make her appearance in April, so it wouldn't hurt my feelings if 2019 was a vintage of a lifetime too!

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RLJ

(in reply to CranBurgundy)
Post #: 21
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/13/2018 5:43:44 PM   
asajoseph

 

Posts: 374
Joined: 11/20/2013
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline 		Maybe a little charity for the Bordeaux vignerons...

I'm always sceptical when I hear critics or (especially) merchants extolling the virtues of a specific vintage - but is it possible that the quote in question is describing his property's fortunes only, rather than the whole region?

After all, Fronsac as a whole was one of the regions badly hit by frost in 2017, and while the ambience around that overall Bordeaux vintage is relatively positive, that won't have been the experience of every producer.

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Post #: 22
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/13/2018 7:25:30 PM   
CranBurgundy

 

Posts: 8272
Joined: 1/5/2016
From: Philly / South Joizey
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: jmcmchi

So 1947 to 1982 is three lifetimes? Must be large canine species



quote:

ORIGINAL: Blue Shorts

Evidently, when they say "Vintage of a Lifetime", the mean the lifetime of a fruit fly


Youze guyz all have it wrong - these claims are based on the Feline Scale.








....that's 9 lives for every two-is decades in case you didn't get that reference.

_____________________________

Purple Drankin' Cretin.

Vote NO on Proposition S1ct1516 "BAN the CRAN!" this Election Day.

“Let it be recorded: henceforth, December 15 shall be known as 'The Day of Dennis'.” - Prof. Ken "KPB" Birman, 12/17/23

(in reply to jmcmchi)
Post #: 23
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/13/2018 9:27:33 PM   
jmcmchi

 

Posts: 3226
Joined: 8/6/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: CranBurgundy


quote:

ORIGINAL: jmcmchi

So 1947 to 1982 is three lifetimes? Must be large canine species



quote:

ORIGINAL: Blue Shorts

Evidently, when they say "Vintage of a Lifetime", the mean the lifetime of a fruit fly


Youze guyz all have it wrong - these claims are based on the Feline Scale.








....that's 9 lives for every two-is decades in case you didn't get that reference.


I'm easily confused because when my youngest daughter offered her sisters three preferences to influence her in her choice of dog, the eldest came up with (as her third option) "a feline dog". You don't want to know her first two preferences

(in reply to CranBurgundy)
Post #: 24
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/14/2018 4:27:56 AM   
Eddie

 

Posts: 6242
Joined: 12/17/2012
From: central Kentucky
Status: offline

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Post #: 25
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/14/2018 9:11:25 AM   
hankj

 

Posts: 4672
Joined: 6/26/2008
From: Seattle, WA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

If they didn't have to select the plots in 2018 that just means that every plot was likely over ripe. 2018 was a scorching hot summer in Europe. No thanks, i prefer my Cabernet < 14-15% alcohol.

WOTlifecycleofafruitfly



I don't doubt your claim, but am surprised by it. Granted we were only in Europe for a few days less than 3 week in late August/early September, but the weather seemed just pleasantly summery, not scorching.

Summer 2015 in Europe - that was insanely hot, miserably so.

Do you have data to back the claim? Again not calling it out, just find it interesting that it was a hot summer when the part of it I experienced didn't seem much different that 2016 annd 2017 ....

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There are those who'd call us a bunch of sots but we don't see ourselves like that. We see ourselves as hobbyists. - Kevin Barry

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Post #: 26
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/14/2018 10:40:09 AM   
ROEL

 

Posts: 972
Joined: 4/18/2007
From: Linsmeau, Belgium
Status: offline 		Summer 2018 was scorching hot in Europe, I can confirm from first hand experience

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Post #: 27
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/14/2018 8:24:47 PM   
jmcmchi

 

Posts: 3226
Joined: 8/6/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: ROEL

Summer 2018 was scorching hot in Europe, I can confirm from first hand experience


Ties in with my family's comments all through the summer, and their thoughts about considering a/c

(in reply to ROEL)
Post #: 28
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/15/2018 5:51:51 AM   
KPB

 

Posts: 4670
Joined: 11/25/2012
From: Ithaca, New York
Status: offline 		All true -- I was there as well. But even so, for cabernet to give good results, you need to consider a number of factors and heat per-se isn't always bad. You need to know whether the vines had their roots in a dependable water supply, subsurface, and how densely the vines are planted and how the canopy for each vine was trained relative to the grape clusters they allowed to ripen (does the canopy give adequate shade for those specific grapes, in this specific location and orientation, etc?)

We all have lots of examples of overripe Napa and Sonoma reds, but also some examples of wines that are really elegant and balanced -- even though the summer in France wasn't remotely as hot as the normal summers in Northern California (to say nothing of southern California).

So I wouldn't overgeneralize here. It will be a wine by wine question, very dependent on things we can't easily know because subsurface water table maps aren't common, and canopy training varies very widely.

_____________________________

Ken Birman
The Professor of Brettology

(in reply to jmcmchi)
Post #: 29
RE: "a vintage like this comes only once a lifetim... - 11/18/2018 8:32:23 AM   
Tanatastic

 

Posts: 645
Joined: 7/7/2011
From: UK
Status: offline 		I know it's not quite Bordeaux, but I was in Cahors recently. One of the proprietors (who I consistently buy off, I'm not exactly a tough sell and I trust him as l don't think he'd even know how to to construct a hard sell...) was reflecting on the run of vintages '14, '15, '16, '18 (with 17 'actually not that bad'). All, in his opinion, were excellent or above, yet with significantly different facets (and alcohol percentages, I think he said a 1.5% spread).

So, I'm not as sceptical as some. Whether you like the style of each vintage is, I suppose, a matter of taste, but I think qualitatively wine lovers have a lot of quality on the market at the moment. Can we hope this might suppress prices in Bordeaux? Probably unlikely, but I don't think Bordeaux is really about us wine drinkers anymore.

(in reply to KPB)
Post #: 30
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