2009 vintage

3D's winemakers are heralding 2009 to be an excellent vintage.

Enthusiasm and optimism was high as we entered the harvest season in France.  The weather across all the major regions has been very kind and it looks like we can anticipate another 2005 style vintage across the board - perhaps even better!  Valérie Bassereau at Château de la Grave in Bordeaux reported perfect weather for picking, and grapes in excellent condition with good maturity.

Both the Chevrots and the Jacobs in Burgundy reported lovely harvesting conditions and very ripe, healthy grapes for both reds and whites.  Once again, yields and quality look really exciting.

Bernard Collonge from Domaine de Colonat in Beaujolais, claims it to be one of the ‘best of the best’ since he first started winemaking in 1973.  He said that “La nature a été très généreuse” (nature has been very generous) and they are delighted with the richness, balance and smoothness of the grapes from their very first tasting.

Harvesting at Montirius in the Rhône Valley started much later than many of their neighbours in Vacqueyras.  Christine Saurel describes 2009 as a wonderful vintage with perfectly ripe grapes having wonderful maturity but not too much potential alcohol - the results in tank, she says, are already sublime.

The good news concerning the harvest across France continued into the north-easterly region of Alsace. Harvesting continued with the Gewürztraminer grapes, well into October and although there will be no Vendanges Tardif this year (as there is no noble rot present), the grapes for all the other varieties are considered ripe and perfectly healthy, with very good sugar levels, fruit concentration and balance.  The berries are small so the quantity of juice very low. Quality will be superb in 2009, but quantities will be low.