2007

Burgundy: The winter of 2006-7 was generally mild, with temperatures rarely below freezing. The vegetation began to stir earlier than usual, with budding beginning on March 15. Growth was not entirely regular, but April was very warm, and May continued to be both hot and dry, allowing the earliest patches to start flowering from May 20. However, from this point on, cooler temperatures meant that the less precocious vines experienced long and d...

An unusually warm spring led to early flowering and initial optimism, which soon gave way to disappointment following one of the murkiest summers on record. Overall, 2007 was a difficult vintage saved by last-minute sunshine in late-August. Mildew and rot were the main culprits of the harvest, and the level of gluconic acid rocketed. The harvest began early, on August 24th, and was abundant in volume averaging 14,242 kg/ha. Pinot Meunier posed the biggest problems and Chardonnay clearly outperformed the rest. Many of the iconic prestige cuvée blanc de blancs were successfully produced, such as Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Ruinart Dom Ruinart, Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Louis and Salon Le Mesnil. Some blended prestige cuvées such as Louis Roederer Cristal and Philipponnat Clos des Goisses were also made. Champagnes from 2007 are typically high in acidity and restrainedly classic in style, but lack the spine and strength of the greatest harvest years. Even if the vintage only receives three stars, its best Chardonnays are well worth seeking and storing.

A vintage of contrasts

The 2007 vintage contrasted with previous vintages and with early predictions—yet grape growers brilliantly adapted to changing conditions. The year began dry with a warmer-than-normal winter that continued into spring, resulting in earlier budding, bloom and set. A mild-to-cool summer finished with a Labor Day heat spike that added the boost of sugar development that fruit needed to complement the excellent acid structure developed in the white varieties.

Harvest started in early to mid-August. Unseasonably cool weather and nearly an inch of rain in the second week of October did not affect the crops as Indian Summer returned with warm, clear days and vineyard crews sprang into action to finish harvest for a vintage of exceptional quality.

Germany Vintage Report 2007 / The phenomena of climate change and the resulting global warming also affected the year 2007. Once again, meteorological observations made it possible to establish record data: after a winter that was clearly too mild, the Spring weather in April and May was extremely warm. Additionally, although summer was often not very "summer", temperatures recorded during the growing season were the highest since record keeping began (1884), even breaking the record set in 2003.

Naturally, these climatic conditions had a considerable impact on the vines. A very hot April led to an extremely early explosion. Warm temperatures continued into May, so the vines flowered during the second half of the month – the earliest flowering since time immemorial. The heat lasted until early June and by mid-June the vegetation was more than three weeks ahead of schedule. The rather average weather during the rest of the summer reduced this lead. Nevertheless, the grapes began to ripen in the Rheingau on August 3 – precisely from the “record year” 2003. The difference is that the development of the grapes (after early flowering) continued more slowly and evenly , thanks to a better distribution of sunshine and precipitation than in 2003.

Due to this perfect weather regime, the vines had an optimal supply of water and nutrients, and despite the relatively early harvest (due to early flowering), the Riesling grapes could remain on the vines for a long time – an important factor for this grape variety.

Even the earliest harvested grapes had exceptionally high extract values (even higher than in 2005 and 2006) and showed perfect physiological maturity and well-developed aromas. As such, the early harvest yielded fine Kabinett and light Spätlese qualities which will be bottled as Qualitätswein (Gutsriesling).

Overall, ideal weather conditions allowed us to smoothly extend the harvest over seven weeks and selectively harvest the best grapes for the other Prädikat wines. For the 19th year in a row, we were able to harvest all Prädikat, including Trockenbeerenauslese with up to 256 degrees Oechsle, at our Grand Cru sites Kiedricher Gräfenberg and Kiedricher Turmberg.

In addition to the exceptionally high quality of the 2007 vintage, the wonderful climatic conditions of the year allowed us to obtain a higher yield. After five short years, this brings us back to our long-term average.

Port Vintage Report: November and February were particularly rainy; Above-average precipitation was again recorded in May and especially in June, mainly in Upper Douro. Between May and August, temperatures were below average, particularly in Upper Douro. Although the wine year started with vine diseases, the warm temperatures of August and a dry, hot September resulted in balanced grapes. Wines of excellent quality, elegant, with a fine structure and velvety tannins. The greatest Vintage statement yet.

Widely stated, the IVDP announced that this was the largest Vintage declaration to date. The wines produced were generally of very high quality, with excellent structure, flavor and velvety tannins.

Rhône Vintage Report by Jaboulet + Germany by Wilhelm Weil

From North to South, our Côtes du Rhône vineyards benefited from excellent climatic conditions which allowed our grapes to ripen well. After an exceptionally warm spring, which meant that the buds opened early, the weather became less clement during the summer of 2007. A series of rainy periods allowed us to replenish water reserves for the vines. In order to achieve sustainable agriculture status, we have achieved our goal of avoiding the use of herbicides. Careful work was done to ventilate the grapes by thinning the clusters and leaves to ensure the vines remained in excellent health.

The first white grapes were picked on September 4. The sugar/acidity balance was easily achieved. The rigorous selection of grapes on the vine has allowed us to only put grapes of exceptional quality in the presses. This vintage will be distinguished by the exceptional freshness of Saint Péray, the aromatic richness and extraordinary fleshiness of Condrieu and the marvelous aromatic intensity of Hermitage. Crozes and Saint Joseph seem to have great potential as wines that will keep very well.

We had to be very patient to produce our 2007 reds, but the harvest allowed us to wait until we had very healthy grapes that had reached perfect maturity. The red harvest began with the Cornas on September 21. Domaine de Thalabert followed on September 28. We started at l'Hermitage on October 3 and only finished this work on the 9th, the last day of the harvest, when the grapes from Domaine de Roure and Domaine de Saint Pierre had to be picked simultaneously.
The 2007 vintage will be remarkable for the spread of the harvest over 5 weeks. This risk paid off with the finesse of the wines: magnificently grainy textures coated in silky tannins that melt in the mouth, all with a very intense dark color.

Champagne 2007 by Richard Juhlin - An exceptional one in terms of weather. The very mild winter and spring led to early acquisition. The summer that followed was rainy and several regions were affected by hail. The cold, wet weather caused a lot of downy mildew, but the crop was still small. It has far too much apple skin flavor to be properly rated at this time.

Otherwise, we have the impression that we are dealing with a satisfactory vintage but one that will hardly create goosebumps. The big ones will probably take several years before they start showing up, but many of the eco-focused producers seem to have very good 2007s. The eccentric Jérôme Prévost has done sensationally well with Bérèche et Fils, David Léclapart and J-L Vergnon.

BORDEAUX Vintage Report by Château Haut-Bailly / Flowering took place more than three weeks earlier than usual thanks to an early spring and a very warm April. However, above-average precipitation in May led to a high risk of downy mildew. This required constant attention and rapid reactions from vineyard workers.

In addition, the cool, overcast weather during the summer slowed the growth of the grapes and caused the vines to lose their initial lead. Fortunately, however, the weather in September and October was ideal, with beautiful sunny days and cool nights.

A late harvest

The harvest began on September 21 with the picking of a plot of young vines. Then come the magnificent Merlot grape varieties between September 27 and October 2. Our best Cabernet Sauvignon waited until the second week of October before reaching optimal maturity.
Thanks to a series of anticyclones in late summer, the grapes had a total of 130 days to ripen after flowering instead of the usual 100. This long growing season made up for an exceptionally cold August.

Magnificent Cabernets

Thanks to careful vinification and gentle extraction, wines of great balance and structure, with an excellent polyphenol content, have been produced. At the end of malolactic fermentation, the wines were very smooth and round.
Deeply colored, concentrated and powerful Cabernet Sauvignon wines form the backbone of this year's wine. With the sweetness of Merlots, they are sure to form a very balanced and elegant blend.

Napa Valley Vintage Report By Colgin: The 2007 vintage was defined by an exceptionally good growing season from start to finish. Napa Valley received only 60% of normal precipitation, encouraging our vines to begin bud break a week earlier than expected. A mild spring followed, with several light rains which helped the vines cope with the slight drought. Good sunny weather during flowering resulted in fruitful clusters of uniform size and maturity.

A wonderfully moderate summer followed, with cooler than average temperatures, allowing slow and even berry development. By the end of August, the berries were intensely pigmented and showed signs of exceptional quality. A short heatwave around Labor Day resulted in our first Merlot picking in Colgin. But cool weather soon followed, allowing the Cabernet to hold up longer and develop ripe tannins, at lower sugar levels, with great natural acidity. Overall, the 2007 vintage was truly a winemaker’s dream. The wines are defined by their intense color, their deep aromatics, their coating and their supple tannins.

Period report by TB

It was a vintage of contrasts: contrasts with previous vintages, contrasts between early predictions and the final result, but the winemakers adapted to changing conditions along the way to finish with an exceptional vintage.

The year started dry with some very cold days and single-digit nighttime temperatures around the New Year holiday, and continued dry, with about 60% of normal precipitation throughout the appellation. Temperatures were warmer than normal as winter continued into spring, leading to earlier budding, flowering and establishment in vineyards of all varieties.

The summer growing season continued on the mild to cool side, with a few days topping 100 degrees even in the hottest parts of the appellation. There were also significantly fewer days in the 90s, and the harvest followed a traditional, even relaxed pace. There was a brief period of heat that increased around Labor Day, but temperatures cooled after several days. This heat spike added the boost to sugar development that growers were looking for to complement the excellent acid structure developed in white varieties. The clusters, as well as the individual berries on the clusters, although set at a normal quantity, were significantly smaller in all varieties due to the dry season.

Chardonnay harvest began in early to mid-August in Carneros and southern Napa, followed by Pinot Noir. The timing was just a little ahead of normal. The first series of thinner-skinned white grape varieties such as Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and then Chardonnay for still wines began at the end of August and continued until mid-September. In September, the region experienced some brief periods of precipitation. Almost all the white varieties have already been picked and the thicker-skinned black varieties like Cabernet and Merlot have not been affected by the rain.

The valley floor crop, including most of the black varieties, was almost entirely harvested when unusually cool, wet weather arrived in the second week of October, with nearly an inch of rain falling in parts of the appellation. Hillside and higher elevation vineyards still had between 25 and 50% of their harvest on the vine, but while the rain was just enough to penetrate several inches into the soil, not enough to reach the root zone of the most vineyards. Indian summer has returned with warm, clear days and wine crews have sprung into action to complete the harvest of what appears to be a vintage of exceptional quality from all points of the Napa Valley.

Alsace Vintage 2007 - This vintage has a very interesting climatic profile, and has shaped surprising and varied styles of wines.

Budburst started very early at the end of March in most regions. By mid-April, all vineyards had small green leaves and were about 2-3 weeks ahead. April and May were very hot and dry, causing exceptionally early flowering, similar to 2003. Flowering proceeded quickly, producing large, even clusters. In June, July and especially August, hot periods alternate with cooler and more humid days. In mid-July, the harvest was scheduled for the end of August, but, gradually, as the grapes took longer to ripen in cooler August conditions, the start of the harvest was pushed back to early September.

Constant humidity and heavy rainfall created difficult working conditions in the vineyards throughout the summer. It was a challenge to be able to use each dry period to spray the vines. Biodynamic preparations and herbal decoctions helped us not to increase the amount of spraying products and their frequency. Sure, there was a little mold on the young top leaves, but nothing that would interfere with the quality. By the end of August, the weather became much drier and warmer, allowing the grapes to reach good concentration while maintaining fierce acidity and excellent health.

We started the harvest on our estate in Zind-humbrecht very early on September 7 and the dry climate allowed us to spread the harvest until mid-October, in order to take advantage of the potential of this extraordinary vintage. Noble rot began to spread on the grapes towards the end of September, particularly on Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.

In 2007, the grapes were allowed a very long growing season without heat or draft stress in summer, and enjoyed cool, sunny days in September/October. How much better can it be? The grapes remained healthy, packed with high acidity levels, ripening slowly, developing complex aromatics. Yes, 2007 is a great vintage!

More than any other vintage, it was important to adapt to the specific climatic conditions. The vines were plowed early, to avoid too much competition with the growing grass during the dry periods of April and May, but with the rainfall becoming increasingly heavy, we allowed the grass to grow in the vineyards, so that we could enter the vineyards in all weathers. Investments in previous years in smaller, lighter tracked tractors were very useful in 2007. They do not create compaction and we can enter the vineyards even if the soils are very slippery and fragile. The fight against diseases (especially late blight) was crucial. This fungus grows at night, with 100% humidity and above a certain temperature. All of these conditions were met almost every day in the summer of 2007. Problems arose when there was a break in the spraying cadence, due to the fact that sometimes this involved working weekends, early or late in the day and sometimes when heavier machines could not get into the vineyards after heavy rain. In organic/biodynamic cultivation, we use highly diluted Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate). As we do not want to spray too much copper, it is often mixed with other decoctions or plant preparations in order to make the vines more resistant and able to defend themselves. However, using only a light dosage, we sometimes had to spray as often as weekly!

The fact that the grapes remained healthy with high acidity allowed us to produce very dry wines in 2007, particularly for the Riesling wines. Anything harvested around mid-September has usually been found to be fermenting very dry or almost very dry (less than 5 g/l RS). We had almost considered labeling certain wines with an index 0 (generally it goes from 1 to 5, 1 being the driest). The harvest is slightly larger than usual, but due to the exceptional quality we won't complain. Our AOC Alsace wines reached an average of 47hl/ha, and our Grand Cru 31hl/ha.