Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux - 2005 Vintage Tasting

One of the most common responses when I tell people what I do is a sarcastic, “that must be tough.” They are, of course, referring to the fact that I get to try so many new and interesting wines, and I certainly feel fortunate. Each tasting is an opportunity to try new wines, to gain experience tasting and, in some extremely lucky instances, to taste some of the world’s best wines.

These tastings are, however, not without their challenges, and a perfect example is the tasting I went to yesterday, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux’s 2005 Vintage Tasting. This tasting, like the Gambero Rosso tasting later in the spring, offers probably the highest proportion of fantastic wines – pretty much all of them. With a list of Châteaux that includes: Angélus, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Berliquet, Canon-la-Gaffelière, Kirwan, Léoville barton, Baraire-Ducru, Beychevelle, Lynch-Bages, and Pichon-Longueville to name a few, it is easy to see why this event is so popular.

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2007 French harvest part II

As promised, here is the second half of my report.  Again, if you would prefer to read it in the original French, you can do so by reading Vitisphere’s Dossier Vendanges.

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2007 French harvest part I

I have been following the 2007 vintage in France all year, and it has reached a crucial moment as harvest has just begun or is about to begin.  One of my favorite sources for information is vitisphere.com, unfortunately they do not offer an English translation.  Therefore, I have  translated most of their regional harvest content.  Here is the first half, with the second half to follow.  If you would prefer to read it in the original French, you can do so by reading their Dossier Vendanges.

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