A superb vintage right across Sauternes that has produced lively, pure, well-defined wines with power and exceptional balance.

1. THE 2014 VINTAGE IN SAUTERNES AND
BARSAC
A superb vintage right across Sauternes that
has produced lively, pure, well-defined wines
with power and exceptional balance.
There was an upbeat mood at Château Coutet on Tuesday, February
17th, when the owners and technical directors of the Conseil des
Crus de Sauternes et Barsac (CCSB) met for the first internal tasting
of the 2014 vintage.
The reason for their satisfaction: a range of wines of remarkably even
quality throughout the AOC, with stunning freshness and finesse,
combining power and elegance.
Chateaux owners had particular praise for the work of their vineyard
teams, who had certainly not had an easy ride in 2014. Most years
bring challenges for winegrowers but 2014 was particularly complicated,
requiring fastidious and meticulous vineyard management to cope with
the unpredictable weather that beleaguered Bordeaux all year long. More
than ever, the making of these wines verge on haute-couture handicraft.
So what did growers have to contend with?
Spring, as they say, sprung, from nowhere, in March, when temperatures
climbed to unseasonal highs of 20oC – 21oC. April, too, was warm and
dry and then came May – mainly cold and mainly damp. Fortunately, June
was a warm month and flowering was even across the region: thanks to
the very mild spring, the vines were a full two weeks in advance of the
normal cycle.
Press Release - February 2015
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2. July brought frequent spells of light rain and August, though less rainy,
was a chilly, cloudy and frustrating month.
Fine weather did finally return at the end of August but, as so often, it was
all too much, too soon.
September saw vineyards suffering serious drought conditions that
delayed the onset of Botrytis.
Growers were able to pick a few botrytised berries in localised, mini-
sortings or tries but it was arduous, finicky and costly work.
It wasn’t until the rain finally came on October 9th that the botrytis really
spread. From then on the region basked in an indian summer with warm
days but very cool nights.
Most growers brought in the majority of what was by now a very fine
harvest after October 15th, in two or three tries.
If the vintage had its happy ending, yields, once again, were tiny (around
12 hl/ha). The damage done by the drosophila-type flies (also known as
fruit or wine flies) and the drastic sorting that had to be done to remove
the damaged grapes, further reduced volumes.
2014 will be a rare vintage in every sense of the word and also an
intriguing one.
The cool start to the year and the long, slow ripening-period has given
the wines liveliness and vitality, while harvesting in two phases produced
complementary styles that have come together beautifully in the final
blends.
But behind the immediate charm of the 2014s, beyond their vivacity and
flamboyancy, lie an underlying power, complexity and elegance that will
allow them to age for decades to come… and bring smiles of satisfaction
to the people who enjoy them as to those who made them.
Contact presse
Lettres de Châteaux
Marie-Stéphane Malbec
am.berny@lettres-de-chateaux.com
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