A major reference book for the Bordeaux trade:

The Bordeaux brokers “Les Grands Cru”, who specialise in wine transactions between the estates and the Bordeaux wine merchants, have published a superb book, unfortunately in only 800 copies (what a pity!), to commemorate their tenth anniversary.
The authors did not fall into the trap of writing what could have been a boring collection of memories, but quoted interviews with well-known characters within the Bordeaux wine trade, managing to create a clear, intelligently constructed view of the Bordeaux market, making it easier to understand how it works, its advantages and its abuses.
This book with its texts, its design and the way it is built, reflects all the energy of these young brokers who through sheer talent, a dogged devotion to hard work and clear-sightedness, have been able to establish their key professional role as a point of reference on the market of great Bordeaux wines.

Chronicling the taste of wine

In his latest January 2009 publication (no. 57), Jean-Marc Quarin, goes beyond his usual tasting remarks, revealing a little more of his own personal perceptions regarding the taste of wine and describing a little of how he personally takes his bearings with regard to aromas and tastes, so that we might benefit.
This professional goes a great deal further than a lot of his colleagues to try to explain the differences in taste between great wines and the others, with no holds barred.
You can read it on paper or on line at www.quarin.com
There is also an English version.

The wine in 2008

The tannins that ripened slowly at the end of the season without it ever being very hot, are especially soft and elegant this year. Right after the alcoholic fermentation the sensation on the palate is delicate and rich like never before.
This vintage, which grew in such difficult weather, has produced a remarkable wine that no-body would have dreamed of, had the harvest taken place at a usual date. The measured power of the tannins that is nicely balanced by a steady level of acidity, ensures that this wine will age harmoniously. Malolactic fermentation is underway and the final taste profile will become apparent soon.

How to prepare a bottle for tasting ?

When I organise a vertical tasting at Laroze, I decant the very young wines such as the 2006 and 2005 vintages three hours before and the earlier vintages of Laroze and Lafleur Laroze, an hour and a half prior to the tasting. My carafes are not as wide as the one in the photo.

The older Lafleur Laroze vintages from 2001 to 2003 are just opened. I pour out a few centilitres from the bottle, which also enables me to taste the wine, to increase the surface area of the wine in contact with the air an hour and a half before.

It is best to serve an old vintage at a slightly cooler temperature, which will raise the aromatic freshness, whereas a temperature which is too high will accentuate the alcohol content. If you don’t allow wines any time to breathe, they will appear tight and closed for a while. Letting the air in enables the aromas to express themselves and the tannins to become silky and velvety.

What are great today:1994 to 20012003, 2002: drink now or wait.

THE 2008 WINEGROWING YEAR AND HARVEST

2008 featured a fine summer that followed a wet spring. It was back to usual weather patterns after an atypical 2007. The vegetation began growing relatively slowly in the cool, damp conditions making this year no earlier than average. However every year has its own excesses and 2008 brought abundant rain in May and June, practically three times the average for May.This wet weather at flowering time led to poor fruit set then ‘hens and chickens’, which significantly affected the potential of the harvest.July was dry with three consecutive weeks without rain and became hot in the second week with temperatures higher than 30°C and cool nights of around 15°C. The strength of this vintage is that the grapes took on size in bright light and with a lot of heat, so the skins are thick and rich in tannin. There was a lot of water in the ground, so the vines were well irrigated. Only the young vines showed signs of ‘thirst’ before 15 mm of rain fell on 28 July unfortunately in the form of a violent storm with large hailstones. Quite marked damage appeared irregularly across the various plots with fruit losses ranging between 5 and 30%. The very hot weather in August helped to heal the wounds. By 6 August, groundwater reserves had diminished considerably, highlighted by mid-August by a situation of hydric stress that set in for the benefit of fruit quality. The initial colour change heralding the onset of ripening became apparent on 30 July, reaching its mid-point at around the middle of August in the Merlots.The first three weeks in August were lacking in overall warmth with cool nights of 11°C and residual humidity with the result that the estate gardens remained green all summer. This significantly slowed down the onset of ripening, which was very spread out in the Merlots, taking a full month. Only in the last week of August did we return to real summer heat. Rainfall in August turned out to be average for the season. The hail damage on the grapes stopped them from turning colour. They remained hard and round and will doubtlessly go into the lowest quality fruit. This led us to make an unplanned investment and change our grape sorting machine acquired in 2002. We replaced it with the more recent model, which can also be used to sort the round grapes according to density and thus isolate the least ripe fruit that had been hit by the hail. This was also a good time to change the machine, which had an exchange value of €18,000. We spent an extra €85,000 on the quality of our 2008 vintage, which is decidedly a lot, especially since we will be expected to bring our sales prices down. However, it was the only solution this year to make a great wine at Laroze after the hail. So this is money well spent to ensure the quality of our brand.At the beginning of September, the skies covered over and temperatures did not go over 26°C. We removed leaves on the second side of the vines facing south and west. We also removed small sections of bunches that were late in changing colour and would never be ripe for the harvest.The first fortnight in September had regular, average rainfall that maintained ongoing humidity and cool temperatures, which did nothing to speed up ripening. By 15 September, we calculated that we would need three more weeks for the fruit to ripen adequately. The full moon in mid-September brought us an anticyclone with higher temperatures around 25°C and fine weather. We took advantage of this to lime the fruit and dry all those skins that had been damaged by the hail and had been dampened again. We needed more warmth to burn off the acids in the grapes and make them ripen.The anticyclone set in for the duration and the Merlots finally ripened. We picked a few on Thursday 9 October, then left them for the beautiful weekend on 11th and 12th which contributed significantly to quality. This was the point at which the grapes tipped over and became perfectly ripe. They remained clean and disease-free, and we harvested all the Merlots and Cabernets between 13 and 20 October. There was no need to wait any longer; now we had to work fast, because the grapes were ripe.We harvested in the Indian summer, enjoying fine weather and temperatures up to 23°C on certain days.However, on Sunday 19 it froze in the morning!This was the first year that we harvested when the Autumn colours had arrived, which gave us a powerful shot of nostalgia.The Cabernets Francs were as sweet as a treat and their tannin had lost all astringency. Who would have thought it possible back in the middle of September?This difficult year ended on a note of Nature’s generosity as if She wanted to beg forgiveness by giving us an exceptional autumn.The sorting machine with the density facility did a fantastic job ruling out all the grapes that were not sufficiently ripe. It was the right investment to make this year; compared to a uniformly ripe vintage, the machine will give us, I think, that little extra that could make the difference.The grapes are fermenting at the moment and it is still early to talk of the wine.The tannins are ripe and since more sun is required to ripen tannins than to make sugars, the content of the latter ranges from 12.8 to 13.8°.Yields are low, around 30 hectolitres per hectare of the top quality must.

2008 so far

A gorgeous Summer with a wet Spring before it.We are back to normal weather patterns compared to 2007. Growth started slowly in cool, wet conditions, so the year was not early in that respect.

Since every year something has to be excessive, 2008 had abundant rain in May and June, almost three times the average quantity for May. July was dry with three consecutive weeks without rain and the warmth arrived in the second week with daytime temperatures in the thirties, while temperatures remained cool at night around 15°C.

The positive point about this vintage is that the grapes got bigger in July, stimulated by all the light and heat, which I hope will bring us thick fruit skins, full of tannin. Water reserves in the ground were high, so the vines found all they needed, with only the young vines showing signs of “thirst”, before 15 mm of rain fell on 28 July, unfortunately during a bad storm, which also brought large hailstones. Quite marked damage appeared irregularly in the different plots with losses of between 5 and 30% of the harvest. The hot weather at the beginning of August healed the wounds.

By 6 August ground water reserves had diminished significantly and we are hoping to see hydric stress setting in by mid-August, which will be good for grape quality. The grapes started to change colour on 30 July and the mid-point should occur around 10 or 12 August amongst the Merlots.

The website

11,700 visits to the Laroze website in the accounting period from 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008 from 85 countries, the main ones being: France 8,970, Belgium 562, Germany 461, USA 298, the Netherlands 248, Canada 169, UK 164, Switzerland 162, Ireland 64 and Italy 45.

I notice that even if absolute numbers of visitors are not very high, the number of countries is clearly increasing, which raises the international profile of our brand. This strengthens our efforts to develop export sales together with our merchant partners.

Flowering

Flowering started a week late at the end of May and beginning of June. It was fast, uniform and took place at the same time for all varieties. With the new moon on Tuesday 3 June, we were expecting the fine weather to settle in and the return of the anticyclone was announced, but it is dragging its feet and the storms and showers are still prevalent!

Despite this, flowering of the vines continues and we will have a better idea, two to three weeks from now, of the potential harvest this vintage will have, depending on how well the flowers are fertilised.

Weather report

Spring is being strongly influenced by ocean weather systems with patterns of westerly winds and alternating rainy and warm periods.
As soon as the fine weather arrives, temperatures go up and it gets stormy in the evenings.
May was tropical, like we rarely experience it here with exceptionally high rainfall of 200 mm (20 litres per sq. m) compared to the ten-year average of 70 mm. This is ideal weather for growing bananas and is also very favourable for vine diseases such as mildew.
It took nobody by surprise this year, being so early and the risk was obvious for everyone.

We experienced what felt to me like a real winter this year, which lasted a proper length of time with cold weather and rain.
February was dry and the budburst was delayed by about a week. Just one really warm week was enough to kick-start the vines, then it got colder again. The traditional “giboulées” windy sleet showers in March came as usual and the frost on 7 April, when temperatures went down to -2°C, was fortunately isolated and had no impact at Laroze.

Wine and alcohol

1) China, like Russia, are in favour of importing wines into their countries to reduce the level of alcoholism that results from the traditional consumption of strong spirits (rice alcohol, vodka, etc.). Replacing 45° or more by 12 to 14° is a good thing.
2) France, the ancestral producer and consumer of wine, under pressure from anti-alcoholic, fundamentalist or puritanical lobbyists, is trying to reduce overall levels of alcohol being consumed by discouraging all promotion of wines. Young people no longer learn how to progressively find their feet with alcohol by getting to know wine and enjoying it in all its moderation. Having no measure of their own limits, they try strong spirits with no reference point to judge by.
And the consequence: hard alcoholism is on the increase amongst young people in France.
Is this the right way to prepare their future? I don’t think so. It is pathetic.

Imports open up in Hong Kong

This morning’s newspaper reported that since Hong Kong has eliminated customs duty on imported wines, in the last two months, volumes coming into the country increased by 120% while the value of wine imports rose by 200%, compared to the same two months last year. The floodgates are opening to quench the big neighbour’s thirst...

Bordeaux wine merchants and China

At Vinexpo Hong Kong I get the impression that I took part in this major group educational effort organised for the Chinese on wine. Today they are hungry for contact with producers and business cards. Tomorrow, some of them will be buyers. But trying to get them to understand how wine distribution is organised around Bordeaux merchants is not easy!
It means explaining the classifications and how grands crus and crus classes are all distributed by the Bordeaux trade.
The value in restricting the number of suppliers, of grouping wines in small quantities to test a market is not yet appreciated by all. But the Chinese are learning fast and they will be able to comprehend the esoteric peculiarities of the Bordeaux wine market quicker than I will ever be able to read their writing!

The Chinese and wine

At Vinexpo, I was pleasantly surprised to see as many women as men attending the tasting held by the Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés. In France it took almost 2,000 years for women to come to wine (sometimes having to overturn disapproval from men).
In Hong Kong, wine is new. It isn’t made into something sacred nor weighed down by a cultural straightjacket. The Chinese approach wine without hang-ups, naturally and spontaneously. This is so refreshing!
We must be careful not to convince them otherwise by educating them about wine as if they were learning some sort of divine knowledge. Dragons breathe fire!
Anyway, they emptied 14 of my bottles in two hours!
They are enthusiastic, thirsty (for knowledge) … and there are a lot of them around!

Blackcurrant, raspberry, powerful bouquet, vigorous palate, nicely balanced, good length, raspy on the finish. 14.5 (J.Dupont).

Vinexpo Hong-Kong

We are attending Vinexpo Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong from 27 to 29 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on stand EF 44 10.

You will be able to taste Laroze and Lafleur Laroze vines in the 2003, 2005 and 2006 vintages.
Only our partner merchants, who are attending the exhibition will negotiate prices on these wines.
They will offer Laroze 2005 for tasting (Veyret Latour will have 2006).

These are:
- Ballande et Meneret and Sovex-Woltner: stand DE 47
- CVBG: stand D 58
- Grands Vins de Gironde: stand E 42
- Veyret Latour: stand BC 38

On Tuesday 27 May in the afternoon the Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés tasting will take place at Vinexpo Asia-Pacific with the 2004 and 2005 vintages, followed by the “Grands Crus Classés Challenge” which will highlight the outsiders in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages.
This should be great fun!
I will not be on my stand on Thursday afternoon (29th), since I will be travelling to Tokyo where, with members of the Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés Association, we will be presenting wines on Friday (30th) at the Joël Robuchon Château Restaurant from midday to 9.0 p.m. to professionals and VIPs.
Back to Bordeaux on Saturday…

The investments in communication

€20,000 of promotional spending in publications is a big sum for us and the 2008 budget is the same as in 2007. It has been two years now that we have invested in support for the new Laroze and Lafleur Laroze labels to help our merchants garner recognition for them in their sales networks.
The magazines we have decided to advertise in are:

- Revue des Vins de France
- Decanter
- Revue du Sommelier International
- In Vino Veritas
- Tasted

Robert Parker 2007 and 2005

Laroze 2007: not scored. I don’t know why, but perhaps he was put off by the 20% of Cabernet Franc in our sample, which will nevertheless contribute aromatic freshness and a feeling of youth during ageing.We shall see the score he will give when he tastes it again in a year’s time. Shame, a good score would have given us the boost we need. Having said that, we have never built nor benefited from our reputation due to Mr Parker’s score. Today, Laroze is a wine that sells well and is enjoyed and excels because of its remarkable value for money.

Laroze 2005: 89 Disappointing for this wine that other journalists have liked a lot. The 60% of new wood is not very salient because of the very light barrel toast, the aim being to highlight the wine: was this found to be a negative point compared to the ideal American profile?

The merchants recover their true role

The good thing about this 2007 vintage is that it enables the merchants to recover genuine credibility by playing their role as advisors for their customers. Especially in view of the wide differences and sometimes even contradictions between two journalists’ comments on the same wine, buyers are confused and turn to the merchants, who supply them to obtain real advice. Should they buy this or that chateau wine that has just been offered “en primeur”? There are probably no miraculous scores or at least precious few (Mr Parker has not given his final word as I write) to sell a vintage, whose quality alone is not enough to attract buyers. So we return to the fundamentals (quality, price, reputation, brand history, the work invested by the estate, etc.) and in this field, who better than your merchant supplier to give you the real guidance you need?

2007 Bettane/Desseauve - RVF.

BETTANE & DESSEAUVE
CHATEAU LAROZE 2007 - 15/20
Good colour, fresh bouquet with its palette of red fruit and hints of green pepper; a mature, balanced wine.

REVUE DU VIN DE FRANCE
CHATEAU LAROZE 2007 - No score
This classed growth always has difficulty distinguishing itself as a future. The sample tasted had taken on a lot of wood and had hints of unripe greenness. It was tight and constrained, yet was not lacking in substance. Needs to be tasted again to give it a reliable score.

Jean-Marc Quarin commented: “blackcurrant bud”, B&D: “hints of green pepper”, Ph. Maurange (RVF): “unripe greenness”, Jancis Robinson: “Almost overripe nose”, J. Lawther (Decanter): “fresh and elegant in style”.All these people tasted the same wine at different times describing their own sensations.I have three comments to make:- These olfactory comments underline the 20% proportion of Cabernet Franc in the sample, which will be the same in the final blend. This is, of course, a lot for a Saint-Emilion and sets us off against the others in comparative terms. We will come back to this in the mid- and long-term and I am confident about the quality of the vintage, how long it will keep and its ripe fruit aromas that almost everyone identified on the palate.- When Ph. Maurange (RVF) tasted the wines it was stormy with blustery rain. The wines were closed and displayed nothing, a little like a good pupil on the day of the oral exam, who knows all the answers, but cannot bring out a single word.- In April, there are so many changes in atmospheric pressure from one day to the next that this can have an effect on the taste of wines when they are in the middle of taking on wood. Both phenomena can combine, which can explain why the comments vary so. Of course, I tend to lend credence only to the best – J.M. Quarin and J. Robinson – but that goes without saying…

jean-Marc Quarin

Château LAROZE St-Emilion Grand Cru 2007 15,75 - 16
Dark robe, purple with normal intensity. Fresh, fruity bouquet that includes a hint of blackcurrant bud. Quite complex. Lovely initial sensations – the wine caresses the palate, then develops to deliver lots of fruit. It is silky and tasty with a subtle feel on the palate. Subsequently, rich, the palate slowly reveals taste, density and depth. Nice smooth, subtle tannins. More great work by Guy Meslin. Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc.

Watch carefully! Jean-Marc Quarin has become increasingly better known, recognised and read as an attentive observer of Bordeaux wines and how they develop. He assiduously does a lot of remarkable spade-work with the result that today few wine writers have such accurate and recent knowledge of Bordeaux wines as he. The Bordeaux trade has picked him out. On his website he is the only commentator to go further and address subjects such as value for money, which is of real interest for final consumers of the wines as well as for speculators. Go to his site.