Judgement on 2018 Bordeaux vintage arrives at a mixed time for wine
Bordeaux En Primeur 2018 tastings are underway but the market has some very mixed messages.
En Primeur is when Bordeaux producers pre-sell their wine before it is finished being made. The wines then arrive in bottle a couple of years later.
Before the wines go on sale and prices are set, many key buyers and journalists taste their way through the wines in Bordeaux to assess the vintage. This is drawing to a close this week.
Key points:
• Overall harvest size was about average.
• Mildew and hail where significant problems in some areas.
• It was a long harvest for red wine makers with good quality potential.
• Hot weather from August to October meant that alcohol levels presented a potential challenge in the cellar.
