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« …you won't believe your tastebuds ... »*
A small reminder of the events that characterised this vintage:
The months of April, May and June were decidedly wet.
July was hot and dry.
August was in fact better than we may remember, with 19 days where the temperature reached 26 °C!
And as you know, September then ushered in an Indian Summer that lasted throughout September and even more amazingly throughout October also.
The meticulous care that we gave to our vineyards, together with the weather conditions, meant that we produced low yields of grapes that reached perfect maturity.
In a typical year, there is 110 days between mid-flowering and harvesting fully ripe grapes, but in 2008, thanks to the Indian Summer, we could wait over 130 days!
Slowly but surely, the skins of our grapes ripened and sweetened, and in the end were perfect examples of a great Bordeaux vintage.
(And a little secret only for you :
In 2005, the cumulative temperature from bud break to harvest was 3256 degrees; in 2008 the same time frame saw cumulative temperatures of 3321 degrees! Pretty surprising, hey?)
And the wine after all that? The little miracle that we were all waiting for arrived in 2008, with all the signatures of a 'Great Classic', the kind of wines that forged Bordeaux's reputation. The colour is deep and intense, the nose still discreet at this stage but marked by a rich concentration with notes of fresh black fruits. On the mouth, the tannins are well structured, and given definition by a great freshness and balance that is already displaying real length on the finish. Ageing in oak barrels will further allow the wine to perfect this elegance.
But words are never enough to really describe pleasure, so we invite you to come to taste the 2008 Expression of Fronsac wines this spring. We can't wait to share with you our enthusiasm for this most surprising of vintages!
• Read an extract of the first reports from Jean-Marc QUARIN on Bordeaux 2008. www.quarin.com
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