2006

Vintage 2006 from Austria - Great Wines; Small quantities

After the tasting of young wines throughout Austria and the first verdicts, the euphoria of the 2006 harvest was not
certainly not exaggerated! However, there was a decrease in bitterness, as couloure conditions in the vineyards were responsible for significantly lower grape yields, especially with the leading grape variety of the Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) region - Grüner Veltliner. As a result, last year's small crop recorded a below-average yield of around 2.3 million hectoliters.

Crazy weather

While some wine friends prefer not to look back on this year's virtually non-existent winter, early winter conditions
of 2006 could not be ignored: icy, cold, long and unforgiving. A wet, cool spring followed, reaching its lowest point in May. No wonder budbreak and flowering started later than usual, leaving most producers counting on a late vintage. But at exactly the same time as the start of the Football World Cup, conditions changed. During the Grüner Veltliner's peak flowering period, temperatures - often accompanied by storms - rose so much that fruit set was irregular. Many of the grapes were loose on the cluster, very small, and seedless - leading to low harvests. In fact, in some regions, such as Wachau, Weinviertel and Wagram, yields were only half of what is usually harvested.

Between mid-June and the end of July, oppressive heat dominates the vines. But on August 1, a period of extremely cool and humid weather set in. This, in addition to accumulated winter humidity, led to an unanticipated water supply. Consequently, winegrowers had to carry out extensive leaf removal work. At the beginning of September, the good autumn weather brought ideal relief, which lasted until the end of October. But fortunately, despite a brief period of bad weather in early November, the remaining grapes could be harvested without difficulty. There were, however, some turbulent times, such as the heavy rains that fell around September 20. These made rapid pre-harvests necessary in the vineyards of southern Styria (Südsteiermark). But fortunately, the quality of the grapes ultimately did not suffer.

White wines of 2006 - a rare phenomenon materializes

Due to the different weather conditions recorded: “a very hot month of July”; “very wet soils plus a wet April” and “an Indian summer
rare and beautiful in September and October”, wines of phenomenal composition have been created. While their sugar levels were as high as those produced in the hot vintages of 2003 and 2000, their sugar-free extract content and acidity content were at similar levels to a very good "normal" year. This rare combination has made it possible to vinify exceptionally full and exceptional wines. With their high alcohol content balanced by the extract and fine acidity, the wines themselves slide into the mouth with a more balanced and smoother expression than one might expect. This extremely unusual construction allows these wines to be compared to those from great white wine vintages, such as 1947 and 1959 - although these comparisons require a bit of stretching due to the completely different viticulture methods and cellar techniques used during that era. .

Nevertheless, powerful, ripe botrytis-free white wines could be harvested in 2006. Not so easy, however, was the production of summer wine styles à la Steinfeder: this is because the mentioned levels increased rapidly, but “physiological” maturity required more time. Under these circumstances, however, wineries that have gone the organic viticultural route have been very lucky.

Excellent quality across the entire varietal spectrum

Even though the phenomenon occurred in all wine-growing regions of Austria and the sharp quantity reductions were concentrated mainly on Grüner Veltliner, the quality of the wide range of grape varieties is surprisingly similar across the board - on one level very high. In Lower Austria, the diversity of Grüner Veltliner proved remarkable, with very strong and balanced wines in the Kabinett category - these show deep fruit and peppery spiciness - and the supreme power of the wines in the Reserve class unchanged, whose stability and storage potential could reach legendary proportions.

2006 VINTAGE in Burgundy

The personality of Burgundy wines makes the difference

A charmer. Such is the epithet most frequently employed when Burgundy's newest vintage is evoked. Nearly two months after the grape harvest, and following a year typified by rather fantastical weather, Burgundy is finally catching its breath. The 2006 vintage, a preoccupying one which never allowed an idle moment, both in the vineyards and in the cellars, excels in its whites and surprises with its reds.

"Like the flowering of the vines which was concentrated over only a few days, the grape harvest did not follow its habitual course throughout the vineyards of Burgundy, " confided Michel Baldissini, President of the B.I.V.B. 

Indeed, organizing the grape harvest was no simple undertaking, and choosing the optimal dates was particularly challenging as September's sunshine suddenly ripened grapes which had been previously languishing throughout August. 

Even though a careful sorting of the harvest was required the result is now promising, particularly thanks to the knowledge and expertise of the winemakers. As such, even more than with other years, the choices made in the vineyard and during the vinification process were primordial for the creation of the wines of 2006. 

2006 is a year that has never stopped surprising us, from its metrological conditions through to the wine that has finally been obtained. This wine is still being patiently worked with, and now shows the promise of many pleasant and memorable tastings. 

The white wines
With their seductive nature, these wines promise to be excellent. Supple and fresh, they are already proving to be expressive and fruity in the mouth and boast considerable richness. Their aromas conjure up citrus fruits, white fruits and their flowers, with notes of sugared and stewed fruits at the more elevated degrees. Chablis expresses its typical minerality marvellously. We have noticed a very agreeable uniformity of quality from Chablis to Mâcon, as well as respect paid to the specificity of different wine districts. 

The red wines
Burgundy globally presents high quality wines with nevertheless more uniformity in the Côte de Nuits and in the Auxerre district.
The wine boasts beautiful, intense colours. Indeed, thanks to analyses performed on the grapes to find out their "anthocyanes" quotient (this is the molecule contained in the grapes' skin which confers its red colour) and their extractability, the winemakers benefited from valuable indications which allowed them to choose the techniques best adapted to revealing the grapes' full potential. Just before the grape harvest, the longevity of the tannins was relatively high, but regular tasting during the maceration period allowed for the adjustment of these tannins so that more balanced wines were produced. The careful sorting of the grapes at harvest time, a determining factor this year, undeniably created the parameters of the red wines' quality. 
Some are delicate and elegant, while we have found others to be robust and full-bodied, which indicated a fine capacity for ageing. Their aromas flirt equally with red fruits (raspberry, red currant) as with cherry, spices and cocoa. 

As such, we find a concrete recompense for all the efforts made in the name of quality by the entirety of the players in the Burgundian wine industry.

A cold winter and springtime frosts laid the foundations for this vintage of abundant yields (12,997 kg/ha). Uneventful flowering was followed by exceptionally hot and sunny weather, which lasted until August. A dank August left producers fearful but fortunately warm, bright conditions in September redressed the balance. Harvest commenced on September 9th, producing grapes high in sugar level but notably low on acidity. The general health of the grapes was sufficient, producing wines which excel over the preceding 2005 vintage, another warm and ample year. The year's greatest wines are supple and expressive and despite the richness they escape being overly heavy. Overt and welcoming upon launch, the best come with excellent capacity for ageing. Winey, and richly fruity characters, most Champagnes regrettably miss some tension and finesse. Wines of the vintage include Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Krug Vintage and Dom Pérignon Rosé.

Rain, rain go away

The 2006 harvest finished in early November and will go down as a “grower’s year” as Napa Valley faced a variety of challenges from New Year flooding to spring’s continued wet weather that delayed budbreak. By early June, the sun came out and vines began to bloom and set fruit. In mid-July a record-setting 10-day heat wave struck, but canopies had not yet been thinned and young clusters were shaded from the hot sun. August’s cooler weather continued throughout harvest, allowing for moderately paced and deliberate ripening and a long harvest period. Rain came in the first week of October, but the white varieties were in and the black varieties were not damaged.

New Zealand / 2006 was a third very high quality vintage in a row, following the excellent pattern established with 2004 and 2005.

The bud burst occurred about a week earlier, after a dry late winter in 2005 and warm spring conditions. By early December, the soils retained good spring moisture, which, along with the warm weather, led to uniform and healthy shoot growth. December was very dry with warm nights leading to high average temperatures and good drying of the soil. January continued with warm to hot weather and dry conditions.

This mid-summer drying out of the soil, combined with warm to hot weather, is essential for a good red vintage. The growth of the vine shoots is stopped and the plant's energies are put into ripening the fruit, which leads to small berries and good color and tannin development.

February and March brought many warm to hot days, with some rain and quickly drying soils in between.

We started picking very ripe Chardonnay about a week earlier on March 7th and had finished picking whites by March 21st. In a situation similar to that of 2005, rain caused us to take a break for about a week. We then had nearly four weeks of dry weather during which we picked the reds, starting with Merlot and Cabernet Franc and finishing with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon just before the skies opened on April 25.

We used our experience to manage the harvest period well, without pushing our luck, and were able to take full advantage of the quality presented by the growing season. We ended up getting the maximum time possible on the vine for most pickings and received the fruit at the winery in perfect condition, which is especially important for red wine.

So, in summary, the optimal early season growing conditions gave us lovely ripe white wines with good fruitiness and a rich medium palate, and the dry, hot weather of mid-vintage set the stage for reds of dark colored and well structured which are some of the best we have seen.

Vintage report of Domaine de La Romanée-Conti

Another winemaker’s challenge!

As I write these lines, the vines, stripped of their fruit, have begun to change color. The gentle October sun caresses the red and golden hills. The villages are calm again after the hubbub of the harvest. The streets are filled with generous perfumes coming from the cellars where the fermentations take place. The birth of this new vintage is a real pleasure for the senses!

The weather conditions of 2006 were a bit crazy and initially such a source of anxiety before, against all odds, we regained our optimism and confidence, that they deserve to be described in detail.
In short, what did we see?

- a long, totally unusual heatwave in July which had the effect of stopping the vegetative cycle of certain vines, even if most of them showed their astonishing capacity to withstand stress.
- the coolest and rainiest month of August since 1986, favorable to botrytis which took hold very early.

- In this strange scenario, what was the behavior of the vines?
Indeed, after these extremes of heat, cold and humidity which followed one another in a scattered order in reverse, a decisive factor appeared which brought the vintage towards a happy ending: warm weather, without any rain , which from September 1 lasted the entire month, with the exception of a short stormy episode on September 23 and 24. These ideal conditions allowed the vines to efficiently use the water retained in the soil thanks to the rains in August and therefore to accelerate the ripening of the grapes in a completely exceptional way. In September, sugar levels sometimes increased by almost 2 degrees in a week, especially during the third week.

Finally, the grapes that we picked were as ripe as in 2005. Of course, the botrytis which had set in with the August rains, but which had stopped developing when the good weather returned, was still present . On the lookout, he reappeared during the harvest on the bad stormy day of Sunday September 24. Fortunately, it was too late and the episode was too short to cause any real damage.

The year was therefore difficult, but it gave the winegrower the opportunity to make great wines, provided that the right means were used to harvest the ripe grapes before botrytis did too much harm. First, performance monitoring was essential. The fine “Pinot Noir fin” which bears small clusters with small berries showed how important its predominant presence is in our vineyards, even if it was also necessary to thin out the young vines at the time of veraison. In such climatic conditions, only low yields were able to first allow the vines to fight against the heat and later the attacks of botrytis, then to obtain the early maturity necessary to allow us to harvest before the return of the rain .

The “philosophy” of the harvest itself was a major factor in the quality of the grapes we brought in. Ultra-meticulous sorting was crucial in order to eliminate botrytis. Our experienced team of pickers did an excellent job. Day after day, the work was done to perfection. In the vineyards, Gérard Marlot, our vineyard manager, who is preparing to retire, and his successor, Nicolas Jacob, have admirably succeeded in maintaining the vigilance of the harvesters. Then in the cellar, Bernard Noblet’s team once again made a “haute couture” selection on the sorting table and put the final touches to the work of the pickers.

In summary, conditions were certainly difficult, but excellent at the end of the growing season, which gave us the opportunity to bring in ripe grapes rich in sugar.

We ourselves have the impression of adjusting everything as correctly as possible. First of all, regarding the harvest date, it was necessary to wait until the grapes were completely ripe, but keep in mind that rot was spreading. Then, the yields had to be quite low and it was essential to have a final selection by sorting the grapes.

Bordeaux Vintage Report by Château Haut-Bailly:

The exceptionally dry weather of 2005 continued into early winter, and although it rained in March, the spring was one of the driest on record. Flowering began with Merlot from May 29 to June 2, followed closely by Cabernet Sauvignon. High temperatures and almost no rain in June favored pollination and the formation of fine clusters of small grapes, promising a magnificent harvest.

A heatwave in July interrupted the growth of the vines but arrived at just the right time. The overcast sky and cool temperatures of August allowed the grapes to ripen and maintain a satisfactory level of acidity and good aromatic potential. Two weeks of good weather in early September (37-38○C) were extremely beneficial, and tests in the vineyard indicated alcoholic and polyphenolic levels identical to those of 2004 and 2005.

The harvest began on September 13 with the picking of a superb plot of young Merlot. The remaining Merlot was picked between the 18th and 23rd, followed by Cabernet Franc on the 25th and Cabernet Sauvignon from September 27 to October 5. Thanks to the careful work of each vineyard throughout the year, all the fruits picked were healthy, aromatic and perfectly ripe.

Traditional cultivation methods such as plowing between each row of vines are used every year in Haut-Bailly. This encourages deep rooting and is a crucial factor in preventing skin splitting and subsequent rotting of the grapes if rain arrives late in the season. These techniques proved particularly critical in 2006.

The 2006 vintage has a very deep color, an intense fruity character and, to our greatest pleasure, an impressive tannin structure. The Merlot is smooth and the Cabernet Sauvignon is powerful. This vintage will undoubtedly be balanced, silky and elegant. In short: a great wine and a credit to its terroir.

Champagne 2006 Vintage by Richard Juhlin / The summer started well with plenty of sunshine and heat in June and July. August, however, came with low temperatures and twice as much rain. The harvest period was stretched over an unusually long time in the district. Here is a completely di erent balance from the one in 2005. The scent is grand and inviting but with an elevating element present and a completely di erent three-dimensional mouth-feel. The acidity lifts a mature and nice vintage very high. The next few years will make a series of cellar-friendly 2006s pop up. Vouette & Sorbée, GH Mumm, and Louis Roederer have already shown what to expect. 

Napa Valley Vintage Report / The 2006 harvest finished in early November and will go down as a 'grower's year' as vintners were faced with a variety of challenges from New Year flooding to wet weather that continued late into spring delaying budbreak. By early June, the sun came out and vines began to bloom and set fruit. Mid-July presented a record-setting ten day heat wave, but the canopy had not yet been thinned because of the delayed season and young clusters were shaded from the hot sun. Most growers agreed that the heat helped catch the vines up to a "normal" place in the growing season. Somewhat cooler weather arrived in August and continued throughout harvest, allowing for moderately paced and deliberate ripening and a long harvest period. Cool weather dominated early October, with rain coming in the first week, but the white varieties were in and this presented no damage to the black varieties still on the vine.

Germany Vintage Report by Wilhelm Weil:  / For today, suffice it to say that we were equally challenged and blessed by Mother Nature in 2006.

Global warming, change of climate, and the possibility of concomitant extreme weather circumstances are increasingly topics of discussion, not least among wine-growers, who must consider the influence of these phenomena on viticulture. In 2006, record weather conditions were recorded once again. In assessing the temperature increases during the last twenty years, one can generally say that the Rheingau has benefited from this phenomenon. In the future, despite higher temperatures, it will still be possible to produce wines with an ideal Riesling profile – finesse, mineral character, and fine acidity – particularly in the stony soils in the higher sites in the foothills of the Taunus Hills.

Budburst occurred on schedule, followed by a slightly early blossoming. Despite a light deficit in rainfall, the grapes went through the next stages of development very quickly, not least due to the weather in the month of July, during which temperatures were the highest recorded since 1885, when Geisenheim began keeping track of meteorological data. In August, the weather had its ups and downs – as in 2005 – but conditions in general enabled the grapes to ripen to perfection. In the distant past, it was quite more a challenge for growers to wait for their grapes to reach the stage of complete ripeness. Thanks to above-average temperatures during the past two decades, however, grapes have ripened earlier and earlier. Today’s growers face the challenges of harvesting their crop earlier and at higher temperatures. As such, there is a shorter time frame in which to achieve the optimal quality of a selective harvest. This was the case in 2006. The challenge in 2006 was to start the selective harvest for grapes with a perfect ripeness in good time and to use the chance for a longer hang time through November. Therefore we harvested our Estate-wines by mid-October. The grapes were not only physiologically very ripe, but also very healthy, thanks to selective harvesting. We also left bunches on the vine for additional ripening well into November. During this stage of the harvest, we and our 80 pickers had sufficient time to bring in grapes of every Prädikat level, including Trockenbeerenauslese with 223° Oe, from our Grand Cru site – Kiedricher Gräfenberg – for the 18th consecutive year.
 

It is already clear today that general there will be a broad spectrum of qualities of vintage 2006 wines. Dealing with the general weather extremes during vegetation and the rainfall in the first half of October, in particular, left us facing an exceptional strategic challenge in harvest management. At Weingut Robert Weil, we harvested for seven weeks nonstop, often from 14 to 18 hours per day. So we could be more than satisfied with the quality of the 2006 vintage. With regard to quantity, the volume of our crop was just a little less than the long-term average, and thus, also satisfactory.

That we were able to fully take advantage of the opportunities of this vintage is also thanks to our vineyards. Their location in the Taunus foothills enables Riesling grapes to benefit from warmer temperatures. Circulation in our sites helps ensure that our small, loose clusters remain healthy – an all-important prerequisite for high-quality wines. It’s too soon to baptize the new vintage, but qualitatively it will nicely complement its recent forerunners: 2003 “Baroque Vintage”; 2004 “Classic Vintage of the Highest Standing”; and 2005 “Synthesis of 2003 and 2004.” For today, suffice it to say that we were equally challenged and blessed by Mother Nature in 2006.