Reviews

In expectation...
(fine)Wines №1 summer 2007

2007 is awash of surprises for wine lovers.

One can find both very good and outstanding millesimes of the European wines which have been recently released or will hit the markets in the coming months. The key is to know where to look. To help you make the right choice, we offer a review of the major European winemaking zones and the New World countries.

Bordeaux. After the overheated En Primeur-2005 campaign last year when the wines of the top chateaux were selling for the unheard of prices, the market cautiously reacted to the futures sales of 2006 wines. The optimistic forecasts for the second vintage of the century did not come true. Ideal weather conditions witnessed before September were darkened by a period of coolness and prolonged rains after a week’s break at the beginning of September. As a result wines-2006 are already being compared with average vintages of 1999 and 2001, but instead of the expected prices on par with 2004 vintage, they nearly reached the 2005 benchmark. That caused a serious stir among the market players.
In the meantime, white and red Bordeaux wines-2004 are coming to the market. Squeezed between two extraordinary — 2003 and 2005 — the vintage didn’t get much keen appraisal from the critics. Still, many Bordeaux estates made classic wines which are sold for reasonable prices. Lovers of traditional clarets should take notice.

Burgundy. Burgundy wines of 2005 vintage were under fewer spotlights than those from Bordeaux, which is not fair. The year was brilliant both for the reds and the whites. The weather was favourable to the winegrowers during the whole season. The red wines in the Cote d’Or achieved outstanding results, especially in Cote de Nuits. The wines have deep colour, but retain a typical red fruit bouquet and refreshing minerality. As for the whites, their success was slightly less universal, as some vineyards suffered from the drought. Yet, most winemakers made the best white wines in their career — fruit-driven and with a lovely balancing acidity. Wonderful examples can be found across the board from Macon to Chablis. The Burgundy domaines are not going to impose improbable prices like they did in Bordeaux and deserve extra applause. Ready wines of the 2005 will get on the market in the second half of the year.

The Rhone Valley. At the beginning of 2007 we continued to open the bottles of the Rhone wines-2004. The examples of the next, 2005 vintage will appear closer to the end of the year. The experts call millesime 2004 wonderful both in the Northern and the Southern Rhone, with a slight advantage in the south. The season developed along a classic scenario. Spring and summer were warm, there was a right amount of rain in August, and the autumn had a long, dry, cool period. Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines in 2004 were made in the European style with fresh acidity and average alcohol levels, and an especially attractive quality of tannins. The prices for the vintage are quite reasonable.
In the meantime, the Rhone wines of 2005 vintage look very promising, like in other parts of France. They are compared to 1998 thanks to excellent fruit ripeness, sturdy structure and general balance. In its time the 1998 vintage was the first in the string of the quartet of the outstanding Rhone vintages. One shouldn’t be in a rush to open the 2005 wines, though. They are made for a long run and will only gain from aging.

Piedmont. Barolo, Piedmont’s major wine, comes on the markets without a bang. It is so because of the problematic 2003 vintage that was too hot for capricious Nebbiolo. After catastrophic 2002 when production volumes were two times lower than the current, the winemakers are eager to sell the wine of 2003 as soon as possible to overcome financial difficulties. Consumers, though, should be careful as many wines feature baked fruit and aggressive tannins. Luckily, Barbaresco offers a better solution. Ready for sale vintage 2004 brings a high quality level, and the wines have nice freshness.

Tuscany. Prestigious Tuscan Brunello di Montalcino wines are awaiting nearly the same reception as the Barolo wines. Many estates refused to release Brunello 2002 and declassified the wine to the second rank Rosso di Montalcino. The only consolation is that the reserves of the splendid Brunello 2001 are not yet depleted.
In the meantime, professionals were not disappointed in the preview tasting of Chianti Classico 2006. The vintage is likely to enter the list of the best harvests in this renowned Tuscan region. In 2007 Chianti Classico-2005 will be released. In some estates the year was not easy because of the cool weather in the end of summer and unstable conditions during the harvest.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano production zone, a neighbour of Chianti Classico, is sending the wines of classic 2004 vintage to the market. The year was rated with four stars out of five in the region.
The wines from the Tuscan coast (Bolgheri, Maremma and other vineyards from Lucca to Grosseto) of two good years — 2004 and 2005 are ready to hit the market. Various aging periods in different estates mean that wines of two vintages come to the market at the same time.

The North-East. 2006 white wines from the north-eastern regions of Italy are the first proof of an excellent vintage, universally declared in Italy. Two dry and hot summer months were followed by a cool and rainy August, but the ripening period in autumn enjoyed warm sunny days and fresh nights. The result is healthy grapes with good aromatics which helped make elegant wines in Lombardy. In Trentino and Alto Adige the wines have good acidity and structure. In Friuli the vintage is likely to get a five star rating. Amarone wines from Veneto also promise superb quality.

Sicily. This year the attention goes to red and white Sicilian wines of 2005. The island’s winemakers consider them of the most successful in the past 30 years, and some Italian critics talk about the “vintage of the century” in Sicily. Plenty of sun and favourable weather conditions meant that vines bore quality grapes. Fruit and tannic ripeness and adequate acidity level in red wines will give pleasure of drinking from the moment the bottles arrive to consumers.

Rioja. Crianza wines of 2004 will come first. Formally recognised as excellent, 2004 became part of the so called historic vintages in Rioja. Thanks to good sanitary conditions and high polyphenolic content the bodegas made wines suitable for long aging. Reserva-2003 and Gran Reserva2001 will be released slightly later. The much spoken about vintage 2001 is also one of the best in the region in the past fifty years.

Ribera-del-Duero. Ribera offers the first wines of 2004 which like in Rioja are recognised as excellent. Spanish wines from the two renowned regions are not to be missed this year.

Dry red wines. Europe is increasingly more interested in dry red wines of Portugal where a new generation of dynamic winemakers is not afraid to experiment with different grapes and styles. The new interest has not been picked up in Russia yet, but, perhaps, the situation will change in 2007?

Mosel/Rheingau/Nahe. Another must-do purchase is white wines of 2005 vintage from these German regions. The harvest was of exceptional quality. It is confirmed by all categories of wine from Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese. 2005 combined the best features of the two previous vintages. It features good fruitiness of 2003 and fresh acidity of 2004. The vintage will undoubtedly enter the history of great sweet wines of Mosel, Saar and Ruwer.

Lower Austria. Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal, the three leading production areas in this part of the country, continue to release white wines of the 2006 vintage. In Wachau the winemakers poetically compared autumn-2006 with pure gold. In Kamptal the words “vintage of the century” were not unheard of. Positive reports also came from Kremstal and other parts of the Lower Austria. The 2007 wine season should definitely be spiced with the peppery Gruner Veltliner wines from Austria.