On members’ forum we have been discussing the reliability of generic bodies’ vintage reports. Try this one for size.
Under the heading ‘Favourable summer weather conditions unveil
a 2007 vintage of excellent quality’ those that speak for the Rhône Valley boldly announce:
A combination of exceptional weather conditions and the care and attention of the growers, makes 2007 an exceptional vintage. The first signs of phenolic ripeness announced at the start of the harvest have now been confirmed. The 2007 vintage will be truly great! [Gosh. Early days for such confidence but let’s see…They’ve certainly got quotes from some reputable sources below. JR]
According to the growers, it is extremely rare to have such a calm and trouble-free vintage.
Tastings of the free-run juices:
For Côtes du Rhône and for other Southern Rhône appellations, the first juices are highly coloured, aromatic and expressive.The fruit character is clean and straight-forward. The rounded Grenache is developing attractive fruit notes. The whites are good and very well balanced, whilst the rosés are also highly aromatic with well-developed colour.
In the North, the whites are showing great aromatic potential, a blend of ripe and fresh fruits, and a rich roundness on the palate. The reds are showing intense colour with ripe and fresh fruit aromas. On the palate, they are well structured with elegant tannins.
Testimonials :
“It’s rare to get a great vintage in a year that ends in a 7, except of course for 1947, but as a general rule, a year ending in 7 is never going to be a great vintage. 2007 is the exception to the rule. For the Rhône Valley, this will be a very good vintage and I am not one to eulogise about a vintage unless it really deserves it.”
Jean-Pierre PERRIN / President of Perrin & Fils SA and Director of Château de Beaucastel, Courthézon.
“Exceptionally good weather in both southern and northern Côtes du Rhône allowed harvesting to start late. The grapes are very healthy, beautifully ripe, bursting with fruit and well balanced. The whites are quite remarkable. The reds are fruit-driven in style and show good colour. They have great ageing potential. We are in the presence of a truly great vintage.”
Marcel GUIGAL / President of Guigal, Ampuis
“2007 is without doubt a great quality vintage. Conditions in the vineyard are almost perfect – I haven’t seen that for 17 years! Ripening was slow and gentle, producing fruity and straight-forward wines, showing great colour.”
Jean-Jacques DOST / General Manager, Cave des Vignerons de Rasteau
And a slightly more commercial: “This is a very expressive vintage showing good concentration. The juices are delicate and aromatic, with an impressive colour intensity. The 2007 vintage will help the region increase its share in export markets, by producing modern wines, which still retain the typical Côtes du Rhône character.”
Bruno KESSLER / Member of the Managing Committee of Les Grands Chais de France and President of « AFED » (Association Française des éleveurs Embouteilleurs et Distributeurs de vins et spiritueux), the official organisation of wine and spirit bottlers and distributors in France.
The harvest seems to be greater [bigger? JR] this year, though the dry summer weather may give rise to reduced yields, and in turn, high levels of anthocyanins and polyphenols.
Total production for the 2007 vintage for AOC and Rhône Valley wines is estimated at approximately 440 million bottles, of which 240 million are regional Côtes du Rhône.
And here’s another rather more moderate report from one of the two major growers’ organisations, the Fédération des Syndicats de Producteurs de Châteauneuf-du-Pape:
A very healthy harvest following an exceptionally dry summer...
With just 35 mm of rain between the 16 Jun and 15 Sep [extraordinary when I can attest that the Languedoc just an hour or two west had quite a wet summer – JR], we can confirm that the summer of 2007 at Châteauneuf-du-Pape was an exceptionally dry one. According to the agricultural weather forecasting centre based at Carpentras, it is probably the driest for the last 20 years. The average rainfall recorded was 161 mm (The weather station at Orange).
The rainfall in the last few days (about 20 mm 16-18 Sep) was welcome. The short spell of rain did not bear any negative consequences on the course of the grape harvest which starts to draw to an end.
The summer of 2007 had more wind than usual (20 days of strong Mistral between the 1 Jul and the 15 Sep) and slightly more sunshine than usual (1.157 h against 1.145 h on average).
In spite of strong variation in temperatures, marked by 30 days when the minimum temperature laid between 10 and 15°C, and only seven days when the maximum temperature was higher than 35°C, the seasonal averages remain aligned with the norm (slightly higher in June and September but slightly lower in July and August).
The weather summary for the last few months is consistent with what was observed in the vineyards: the summer of 2007 favoured a vintage of quality, endowed with good aromatic balances and beautiful colours.
The vineyard needed minimum sorting and the grape pickers advanced with ease, thus giving the winemakers the opportunity to stop harvesting for a day or two during the week to wait for the grapes reach their perfect maturity, optimizing the potential of the 2007 vintage.
The quantity of this year’s harvest is slightly higher than the decennial average with yields that should range between 32 and 34 hl/ha, for an authorized maximum of 35 hl/ha.
The 2007 vintage is estimated to be along the same lines as the four previous ones, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003.
