2021 white harvest at Bauduc – September review and photo journal

September 30 2021

Not so much of a ‘long read’, more of a lengthy scroll. Our photo journal this month not surprisingly covers our harvest – or rather, the white half. The theme of ‘Clarkson’s farm’ from our August missive continues.

It’s a gorgeous day today and perfect for bringing in the reds for making rosé: Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, in our case. Below is the latest on our Crémant, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon 2021.

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August 2021 photo journal – Clarkson’s Farm

August 31 2021

August is supposed to be when everyone goes on holiday in France. It hasn’t quite worked out that way, and soon we’ll have the harvest. Forgive the long photo journal but if we don’t post the pictures now we probably won’t ever get round to it.

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July 2021 review and photo journal

July 31 2021

The summer holidays have arrived. Or rather, all four children have, as of later today when Bugs flies in from Montreal. We’re among the lucky ones: Georgie flew in this week from London and her ladyship (granny) is here for what appears to be a six-week stint. Though you never can tell with travel to and from the UK these days.

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June review, le Tour de France and a photo journal

June 29 2021

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through 2021. June is a hectic month in the vineyard (no, really) and we’ll try and give you a flavour of that with a photo journal below.

In this missive:

  • Tour de France passes Bauduc, 16 July
  • Bordeaux Hot 50
  • Carry on Rosé
  • Weddings at last
  • Crémant with a new coiffe
  • June in the vineyard – a photo journal
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May review – new toys, old vines and 2020 Bordeaux

May 29 2021

Much work to do in the vineyard this month and tastings at some of the leading châteaux for the 2020 Bordeaux ‘en primeur’ assessment, with a semi-journalistic, critical hat on.

In this missive:

  • Our new tractor and sprayer
  • Same vines, same date, different years
  • The Chateau Bauduc Fantasy Premier League
  • Bordeaux 2020 en primeur
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Bordeaux 2020 en primeur

Is 2020 another top Bordeaux vintage and what are the chances of a strong ‘en primeur’ campaign after the success of the 2019s?

(A shorter version of this post forms the basis of my article on the primeurs for Harpers Wine & Spirit, June issue. I’ll be updating the recommended wines below as I continue to taste at the leading châteaux.)

A little over a year ago I was speaking to Ronan Laborde, the new President of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux. Would the top châteaux still try to sell their new vintage a year before it was bottled, when all the tastings had been put on hold and the world was in lockdown? Why the rush when the wines have another 12 months in barrel, and was it the right thing to do during a pandemic?

‘Gavin,’ he replied, ‘it is in the DNA of the grands crus of Bordeaux to sell en primeur.’ And that was that, really. I duly received my invitation for a properly distanced press tasting of 2019 barrel samples from the UGCB – an association of 131 leading estates – at the Grand Hotel in the city for the first week of June. A week before that event, Château Pontet Canet announced that their price for the 2019 was 31% less than for the 2018. The 2016 had been released at €108 per bottle, ex-Bordeaux negociant, and the 2018 at €84. The 2019 – an excellent vintage as far as I could tell – was to be €58. Game on.

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April 2021 news review – a photo journal

April 30 2021

An extraordinary month, and not what we had in mind when we sent out our photo journal ‘Preparing for Spring’ at the end of March.

Two main events this month – the frost in the first half of April and the Bordeaux en primeur tastings in the second. Here’s a series of images to give you a sense of both, and an update on the impact of the frost.

In this missive:

  • Rick Stein at Bauduc video
  • Update on the frost – April photo journal part 1
  • En primeur tastings – April photo journal part 2
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The frost at Bauduc 2021 – a photo journal

April 09 2021

There have been some devastating frosts across France this week, in Bordeaux, Burgundy and beyond. Here’s a photo journal of what’s been happening at Château Bauduc, preceded by a look at some of the preparations being made nearby in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion at the start of the week, as of Easter Monday. I’ll be taking a look at the damage across Bordeaux in the near future – it’s significant, I’m afraid – but here is an update from our home patch.

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Preparing for spring – photo journal and March review

March 31 2021

Phew, it’s a scorcher here too, and it’s only the end of March. Record temperatures were felt across France yesterday afternoon, including on the coast here at Cap Ferret apparently, which is a tempting thought. An average max of 23.6ºC across France is the highest since at least 1947. The previous record was 23.2ºC on 30 March 2017 – but within a month much of the Bordeaux vineyard was devastated by one morning’s biting frost, so you never can tell. (And it looks to be pretty chilly one morning here next week.)

Spring has arrived with a bang, and the buds are breaking out from the branches of the vines. We’re almost ready for another full-on growing season and as there won’t be many visitors for a while just yet, we thought we’d bring the vineyard to you with a somewhat lengthy photo journal. We haven’t posted one since February and our ‘bottling of our 2020s’, and one just before that of the vineyard at the end of January, so there’s a fair bit to cover.

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