2011

The 2011 vintage is not easy to handle.

Smith Haut Lafitte not only makes great white and red wine from Bordeaux in Pessac Léognan, they are also at the cutting edge of technology. They were one of the first Bordeaux wine producers to begin using optical sorting, which came in handy with the difficult 2011 Bordeaux harvest. Fabien Teitgen, long-time general manager, joined us for a long detailed conversation about what happened at Smith Haut Lafitte for the 2011 Bordeaux vintage.

“In my opinion, 2011 is balanced with a low pH and a medium alcohol level. So for those who picked at the right time, their wines will be balanced, with good concentration and good freshness. This vintage is not so easy to handle. »

Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, began its 2011 Bordeaux harvest on Monday, September 5.

Jean Guillaume Prats told us that 2011 set a modern record for an early start to their harvest at Château Cos d’Estournel. He added: “It was the second earliest harvest on record. To find an earlier date, we had to go back to 1893! » Although the precise date to begin picking was not set in stone, the original plan was not to begin their Bordeaux harvest on September 5. But due to a ferocious storm that swept through the region, the massive 2011 Bordeaux storm hit the northern Médoc, any hope of waiting has gone out the window. “We had initially planned to start around September 9, with the young vines. After the storm, we gave ourselves time over the weekend to assess the situation and make the appropriate decision: wait and see how it will evolve in the coming days depending on the weather. We are “lucky” that this vintage is extremely early. The damage in terms of phenolic maturity of the grapes should be very minor. If it was a later year, like 2008, 2009 or 2010, the effects would be much worse.

" said Prats

The day starts before sunrise

Château Haut Brion and Château La Mission Haut Brion began harvesting their young Merlot vines on August 29. It’s early for the First Growth domain. To give you an idea of when Haut Brion started picking its young Merlot vines in 2010, September 8. In this vintage, the harvest continued until October 9.

Between the two properties of Pessac Léognan, with red and white grapes to pick, they have a busy schedule. Harvesters begin their day working on the grapes for their Bordeaux white wine, often starting their day before sunrise.

Jean-Philippe Delmas explains why they harvest early in the morning: “The goal of picking white grapes early in the morning is to ensure that the fruit stays fresh. This helps the berries retain their unique, fresh flavors. This year, we picked our white grapes between 7 a.m. and noon. The reason is that at this time of the day, the skin is dry. There is nothing left of the dew of the night. »

Château Lafite Rothschild began harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon from their northernmost plots, located not far from Château Cos d’Estournel, on Friday September 2. 2011. This is one of the first harvests recorded for the property. You will read quotes from many Bordeaux wine producers that 2011 Bordeaux, for many châteaux, will be their earliest harvest on record since 1893! However, producers located in certain districts of Bordeaux have brought forward their harvest calendars even earlier than expected.

Due to the enormous deluge and rain in the northern Médoc, centered near the border of Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, to avoid possible rot problems, many châteaux in this vicinity decided to start picking sooner than they had originally planned. The most notable property is the famous Premier Cru, Château Lafite Rothschild. It is possible that the storm, which dropped half an inch of massive rain in a twenty-minute period, caused flooding in Lafite Rothschild's cellars.

“With our 2011 harvest, we harvested earlier because the cultivation of the vines was earlier than usual, due to the very hot spring. But the ripening weather conditions in summer were cool and cool, so the wine is of a cooler style than a late vintage. The pleasant weather conditions at the end of August and September were very good for phenolic maturity.” Fabien Teitgen from Château Smith Haut Lafitte.

Bordeaux 2011 /The earliest harvest recorded since 1893

Burgundy 2011

'We are beginning to get spoilt with all these fine vintages', said Lalou Bize in October 2011. 'We are very happy with our 2011s.' 'Much better than we had expected,' said Denis Bachelet. 'Lots of colour and fruit, together with good acidity and souplesse.'

Yes. It would appear that Burgundy has done it again. And if views are not quite as enthusiastic in Chablis and in the Côte Chalonnaise, at least in the Côte d'Or (and particularly in the Côte de Nuits) we have another big one to follow 2008, 2009, and 2010. Nature is smiling on the Burgundy lover.

Weather Conditions

Burgundy suffered the worst of its winter as early as the end of November/beginning of December. It was cold and grey, and there was quite a bit of snow. It continued cold but drier in January, but a little warmer in February and March, and then in April, just as in 2007, summer arrived with a bang. In temperatures which climbed into the low 30°s bud break started early and the devemopement of the shoots was rapid. One thing was already clear: barring catastrophe the harvest would be early. This fine weather continued into May.

June was pleasant enough, without being really warm, and July cool and wet. Even August, except for the occasional pair of days, lacked heat until the middle of the month. This came just when it was required, and while there were three days of wet weather just as the harvest was due to start in the Côte d'Or (August 24-26) these were the only periods of anxiety to worry the growers. September continued dry and warm, enabling the Hautes Côtes and other late pickers to finish their collection at their ease.

Of course rarely does a summer season go by without some hail damage somewhere in Burgundy. Rully has received the worst of it this year, being blitzed on the 8th of June, and then, and more seriously, on July 12th. Decimated is frequently an over-exaggerated term, but that is certainly what parts of the vignoble looked like. There were several frost attacks in Chablis in the spring, plus hail damage there too on 29th June, which has affected the size of the harvest in Fourchaume and neighbouring grands crus. Overall, it was wetter in Chablis that in the Côte d'Or – and it seems also to have been drier in the Côte de Nuits than the Côte de Beaune. Both these factors underlie the relative success of these three areas.

The Wine

The white wine crop looks to be healthily-sized; if anything a little more plentiful than the average, growers talking about having produced 45 to 52 hectolitres per hectare in the Côte de Beaune. The fruit was healthy, pHs were around 3.10 - 3.15, and fermentations have been quite rapid. Some suggest slightly lower levels of alcohol than 2009 or 2010. Where red wines of equal reputation are made in the same cellar it seems that there is more satisfaction with the red wine results than with the white.

The red wines are even better in the Côte de Nuits. The crop is not large, there being less juice in the grapes than they promised, but this has led to added concentration. Alcohol levels are at a natural 11.5° - 12.5°, so the wines will not be too heavy. The colours are encouraging and there is plenty of fruit.

We need now (I wrote in November 2011) to wait patiently until the wines are tastable. Someone said to me long ago that you need to hold back and give the wines six weeks after the malos were complete before you can attack them with confidence. Only then, when the CO2 content has sunk to half, can you properly experience the mouth feel, the physical aspect of the wine.

One thing, though, is already clear. Two thousand and eleven Burgundy is a success.

November 2012

Twelve months on, with the wines now well post malo and ready for tasting, what do we make of the 2011s? The whites are following a pattern which seems to have arisen in previous years: very pleasant, reasonably fresh, obligingly fruity, but without real backbone, depth and staying power. Drink them soon. Don't, I suggest, be prepared to spend the high prices today asked for premier cru Puligny unless you have tasted them first and are convinced they will be better in 2020 than 2015. Go for Rully instead.

The reds, lighter than the 2010s and less exotically rich than the 2009s, are delicious. They may not have enormous backbone, but there are many which have a delightful purity of Pinot fruit – and pure Pinot is one of the world's most seductive vinous aromas. They should not take too long to come round. But while delicious then, I do believe they will last, at least in the medium to long term. Yes, at least in red, 2011 is a success.

January 2013

Prices are beginning to be released as I write. The high prices for the 2012s seen at the Hospices auction are bound to have its effect. But this seems to more evident among the already pricey, more fashionable wines and domaines. The polarization between simple (perhaps better rephrased as unpretentions) Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits grand and top premier cru is continuing. Many, particularly the white wine growers, have kept to their 2010 prices. More have raised their demands by five to eight percent, which means that British wine merchants can hold to last years prices, as the rate of exchange has improved. A few are increasing by 15 or even 20 percent as growers view the tiny amounts of 2012 in their cellars.

by Clive Coates MW:

Champagne Vintage 2011  / Pinot noir especially stood out this year, while pinot meunier was a ected partly by attacks. The winter came unusually early, in November of the previous year, but a mild late spring still led to a owering in May. The blending wines still have a fairly thin structure and a disturbing tone of bubblegum. Actually, this was one of the few autumns I have been present at harvest. I went around and made unannounced visits here and there. The strongest impression and question mark was actually the huge amount of invasive ladybugs that were caught in the presses and left a nasty, urine-saturated stabbing scent in the press houses. Will this leave an impression? I fail to see it disappear given how strong it was. Apart from that, I will never forget it was 86°F and the autumn sun radiant, when we celebrated with a magnum and reworks into the wee hours in Moulin de Verzenay. 

by Richard Juhlin

Napa Valley Vintage Report / Challenging year in the vineyard reaps rewards in the cellar

What began with a wet winter and spring continued with rainfall into mid-June that delayed bloom and disrupted fruit set resulting in shatter in parts of the region set the stage for a long, cooler-than-average growing season with a later-than-average harvest beset with autumn rain storms. The precipitation measuring season ending on June 30 found the region more than a third above normal in rainfall. While this is good news for water resources, the cloud cover and cool temperatures delayed vine development by several weeks at the onset of the growing season.

This timetable continued through the somewhat cool summer season where harvest for the first varieties for sparkling wines found the latest harvest start in anyone’s memory, beginning August 29. Few high heat events occurred at any point this year, but growers managed more open vine canopies to ensure sunlight, warmth and good air circulation around the grape clusters. The shatter resulting from the rain events in June was variable by vineyard location hitting some locations harder with projected crop diminished by more than 30% while leaving other sites nearly untouched with near-normal crop.

After a consistently cool summer season, significant mid-October rain pushed the vintage even later. But growers were rewarded with weeks of fantastic weather, a prolonged Indian summer that provided needed ripening time.

Most waited through the first two rains of this year to pick Chardonnay in October, and that patience paid off. Yields were generally consistent with 2010 — down by 10%. Quality looks very good with lower alcohols, good structure and length on the palate.

Most agreed that Merlot was a success story for 2011. While it can tended to be on the greener side, the cool weather helped the vines work more efficiently and produced a beautiful vintage of this varietal with black cherry and plum, not any pruney character.

Mold, rot, and botrytis were challenges to the grapes that were not harvested, and had a major impact on the quantity of the harvest, but not the quality. The commitment to quality runs so deep and strong in this valley that systems for effective sorting were already set-up, both in the field and at the wineries. While quantity was low, the fruit this year will make for well-balanced wines with good intensity, structure and texture with a brightness of flavor.

PIEDMONT – Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, Langhe & Roero

The 2011 vintage will be remembered as unconventional with its very early harvest and not overly high yields in the vineyard.

The winter was par for the course in terms of both temperatures and rainfall, with the latter intensifying above-all in March (an average for the month of 176 mm, compared to approx. 90 mm in 2010), providing a good early supply of water in the soil.

High temperatures in April – with maximums of over 20°C and an average for the month of 16°C compared to 13°C in the previous year – brought the start of the growth season forward. In the Langa and Roero the first stages in the vegetative development occurred at least two weeks earlier than usual. Between the end of June and the beginning of July average daily temperatures were not particularly high (22°C), though this did not slow down the physiological development of the vine.

In short, in terms of climatic indices no significant differences are to be noted with respect to the norm, whereas the heat pattern was unquestionably particular, distinguished as it was by periods of high temperatures and others which were cooler. Healthwise the vintage can certainly be said to have been very positive, requiring no particular intervention by growers and producing healthy grapes with just a few prudent treatments. Worth mentioning is flavescence dorée, which was encountered more this year than in previous vintages. Very high average daily temperatures were recorded during August (as much as 30°C and above). Although this was not an issue for the physiological development of the vine, partly thanks to the water reserves resulting from late spring and early summer rainfall, it did have repercussions on the quantity of the grapes approaching véraison, causing a loss in weight. This was most evident in the early-ripening varieties and on slopes facing south-southwest.

In this climatic context, the ripening of the grapes was fairly uneven, and in some areas there was an overlap in the ideal time for harvesting different varieties. This meant that the skill of growers in identifying the right moment for picking each single vineyard became fundamental. The picking of the white varieties started as early as the beginning of August with the Chardonnay for the base for sparkling wine, and extended through until late September with the Arneis. The result was wines of considerable structure showing surprising bouquets. Dolcetto was generally the variety that found it harder to cope with the summer heat, especially in the more wellexposed positions where the grapes began to dry out, considerably reducing yields. In higher, cooler areas these symptoms had less effect, and though the yields were lower the quality was unquestionably excellent, producing wines with balance and body, and packed with colour.

For the varieties with a longer life cycle, such as Barbera and above-all Nebbiolo, the rain which fell during the first week of September (approx. 20mm) was truly providential, and combined with the lowering of night-time temperatures this allowed for the reaching of excellent balance in the phenolic components of the grapes, facilitating their ripening and resulting in good balance with technological maturity. And it is this balance between the various components which is the most interesting and difficult aspect of this vintage to interpret: the balance between the sugars and acids, without forgetting the critical phenolic component, especially in the medium-long ageing wines. For Barbera, the vintage was very positive: thanks to the heat at the end of August and September, there was a reduction in the variety’s typical acidity, while the sugar content increased slightly along with the phenolic substances which provide excellent structure and balance. Without question, the variety that adapted best to the vintage was, once again, Nebbiolo. The grapes arrived in the winery with all the properties sought after in this area’s great wines: low yields in the vineyard, and an excellent amount of tannins and good colour, as well as a truly interesting aromatic profile. This vintage was certainly very challenging for growers from an agronomical point of view. Choosing the best practices to follow to achieve the right balance between vine, soil and climate was fundamental, as was adapting to the climatic situation and taking action accordingly. Excellent results were achieved where this balance was found, and great wines can justifiably be expected.

2011 Vintage Port Declaration: All of the major port houses have now declared the 2011 vintage as being of exceptional quality. For many shippers this is the first declaration since 2007. The avalanche of declarations started with Sogrape, owners of Sandeman and Ferriera. This has been followed by Symington, the company that owns Dows, Graham Warre and Cockburn and Taylor Fladgate owners of the Fonseca and Taylors brands

Rioja: Hot, dry weather throughout the summer set the stage for ripe, deeply flavored wines that tend to be low-acid and fruit-forward, with round tannins that will ensure positive aging over at least the coming decade.

Vintage 2011 by Domaine de La Romanée Conti

2011: “Never more than this year - despite the approximately forty-six harvests that I have experienced since my beginnings as a winemaker in Burgundy - have I felt and understood the importance of luck and gamble in success or success. “failure in the face of a vintage”.

As I begin to write this traditional report, trying to describe the broad outlines of the vintage just after the harvest, the North wind that we have been waiting for since May has returned, bringing full sun and cool nights, offering a wonderful end of the season, enhancing the autumn colors of the vineyards and intensifying the scents coming out of the cellars where the wines ferment. When the winegrower wakes up today on these blessed mornings, he cannot help but think of what the 2011 harvest would have been like if April had not been warmer than July and had not led the vines to an ultra-early vegetative cycle in which they were permanently ahead of the seasons.

2011 indeed seems to give credence to those who speak of climate change or at least of climate disorder.

The growing cycle of the vines was marked by exceptional precocity due to very high temperatures at the beginning of April. These unusual temperatures were associated with dry conditions that were also unusual in the spring.

Vineyards love heat and drought. They thrived until flowering, without any attack from their usual enemies: downy mildew and powdery mildew - and progressed quickly and smoothly. There was only one drawback: the sudden effect of a few very hot days, quite a few berries “roasted” in the sun.

At very early bloom - mid-bloom was on May 20, around the same time as 2003 or 2007 - we saw a complete change in weather with prevailing west and south winds bringing rain and storms. The north wind, which is usually accompanied by fine dry weather, was never there, although it blew on Palm Sunday, April 17, and should have been the dominant wind of the year, if we trust the old adage.

But it is well known that the gods do everything possible to deceive us, humans - Homer repeats this throughout the Odyssey - and the winegrowers, like poor Odysseus shaken by the elements, had to face these conditions chaotic which lasted in May, July and August in the form of sudden alternations of cold, rain, heat, sometimes torrid, followed each time by violent storms.

In this general context, the Côte de Nuits was spared. The rains were not as frequent as in Côte de Beaune. For example, Nicolas Jacob, our vineyard manager, and his young team managed to protect the vines from downy mildew and powdery mildew throughout the spring without too much difficulty. They did the plowing and organized all the vineyard work in time, while sticking exclusively to organic treatments. In 2011, knowledge, experience and tenacity were put to the test for months to win the challenge.

But the ultimate enemy was lying in wait: botrytis did not take long to appear. The rains had caused abnormally large berries and at veraison (which lasted three weeks) micro-cracks and even bursts had formed in the loose skins.

Fortunately, the low temperatures in July slowed down the vegetative cycle and the development of botrytis. Botrytis actually likes humid heat, but stops its action as soon as it gets cold. This cold phase was favorable because it strengthened and thickened the skins of the grapes.

August 15 was a complete “change of scenery”: hot and stormy weather set in with very high, almost scorching temperatures, and the ripening of the grapes accelerated. Thanks to the water reserves retained in the soil and the light favored by the still long days, photosynthesis was operating at full speed and sugar production increased very quickly while acidity decreased, both spectacularly.

The vintage took a totally different direction, much more qualitative. This was a relief for us.

Of course, the storms, which regularly accompanied the return of the heat, caused anxiety. Some places in Burgundy were hit by deadly hailstorms, but the Vosne region was spared. We should have seen a spectacular progression of botrytis, but this did not happen thanks to the thickness of the grape skins and the rapid return of the sun after each storm.

Napa Valley Vintage Report by Colgin: There is enormous beauty to be found in the 2011 vintage! The experiences of the season are what help set the pedigree of Colgin Vineyard sites apart from others. The 2011 growing season in Napa Valley only seems to be known for its challenges, but a large site can take challenges down the road. With a wet start to the season, we have a significant advantage in that each of our sites are planted on hillsides with well-drained rocky soils. Given the wet spring, we experienced one of our last recorded blooms in June. Summer followed with relatively mild temperatures during which we worked diligently in the vineyard to reduce the canopy and balance the vines. During veraison at the end of August, we removed enough bunches to ensure constant and uniform ripening. We started our harvest the last week of September and picked virtually all of our Merlot and Syrah during this time.

Two small rainy spells in the first week of October accelerated the progress of the harvest, but what followed was altruistic, sunny weather that remained until the end of the harvest season. We picked the Cabernet Sauvignon in the second half of October and our conscientious team ensured that only the most virgin berries were sorted into the fermentation tanks. The wines were made with a slightly more delicate hand in order to capture their freshness and respect the fruit. The wines of the 2011 vintage are brilliantly aromatic. They have a deliciously round tannin and are enhanced by a bright, balanced acidity level. The flavors of each site really stand out in this vintage, and the quality of the wines is a testament to the quality of the terroirs on which they are grown.

South Africa: A very uneven growing season that started with a cold and rainy bloom, but also saw prolonged drought and heat in January and February, which sapped many wines of natural acidity. The harvest was generally early and rushed, with many varieties ripening simultaneously. Wines from Bordeaux grape varieties are often high in alcohol and relatively low in acidity, due to warmer-than-usual nights during the weeks leading up to harvest.

China 2011 Vintage Report by Grace Vineyards / Spring 2011 has been good to us this year with a normal weather pattern which has seen soil temperatures reach an average of 10°C for bud burst in mid-April. The vines accelerated smoothly towards flowering at the end of April.

Beautiful sunny days are necessary for uniform flowering. At the beginning of May, our vineyard staff were able, in the first of their three harvest estimates for the year, to predict a better than average harvest.

As spring moved into summer with air temperatures reaching the mid 30s C, vine growth continued and leaf removal began. This technique removes the leaves around the bunches of grapes to allow greater penetration of sunlight and allows air circulation in the plant cover.

Several periods of rain in July kept our team busy keeping the mold at bay. At the same time, we monitored the enlargement of the bays. We received enough rain to ensure the vines had sufficient humidity for the rest of the season. The end of July marked the end of the summer heat and conditions became milder for the rest of the season - 25-28°C day after day and 18°C nights.

A long period of slow ripening ensured grapes with finesse and structure. All varieties responded well. The Chardonnay was exceptional and we processed grapes for our third Methode Champenoise sparkling wine with an excellent wine for the barrel fermented Chardonnay. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc harvests began at the end of September with pleasant sugar levels of up to 23.5 Brix (13.0 Baume). The pH of the grapes was also low at around 3.2, which led to wines with good depth of color. The Cabernet Sauvignon was picked in good weather during the second week of October. All the grapes have retained good acidity thanks to the mild autumn climate and will be bottled at around 6 grams/litre.

Our Ningxia grapes had no rain problems and produced grapes in perfect condition. The wines have good color and enough alcohol to give them strength. Although Cabernet Sauvignon has been the dominant grape variety, we also have some nice Merlot from this province. The climate in Ningxia is interesting. While receiving almost identical amounts of sunshine and heat as Grace Vineyard, it receives an average of 175 mm of rain per year compared to the 450 mm received at Grace Vineyard. Water, when the vines need it, is supplied by the Yellow River. Ningxia wines are full and fleshy and I believe they are the perfect blending partner for Grace Vineyard wines. I expect the fullness and suppleness of Ningxia wines to be balanced by the elegance and tannic structure of Grace Vineyard wines. An interesting mixing time awaits us.

Burgundy Vintage Report by BBR

Burgundy, despite the chaotic weather, which is explained in more detail below, gave us intriguing wines for delicious consumption in the short to medium term. Flowering was less successful for the red vines and the after-effects of the big frost of December 2009 continue to affect yields in Côte de Nuits. In general, the harvest was the same, or very slightly higher than that of the 2010 vintage, which was well below the average itself.

The grapes were ripe to taste but had lower sugar levels than in recent years, generating a welcome freshness. Although the growing season may have been similar to the 2007 vintage, the wines are quite different as the grapes had much thicker skins, providing greater fruit density and more structure. No vintage comparison is entirely correct, but there are some parallels with the fine, fresh red wines of the 2002 vintage.

Vintage report on Burgundy white wines.

The weather
A moderately harsh winter, although without the deep frost of the previous year, ended early and a fine spring was ushered in from mid-March. The winds were unusual, blowing mainly from the north (the benchmark Palm Sunday wind), cool and dry – or veering right to the south, hot and dry.

The first flowers were seen on May 10, almost exactly the same as in 2007, and the properly maintained vineyards were brimming with health. However, there were fears in the long term of worsening drought problems, especially if the season were to develop along the lines of 1976.

But, as in 2007, May was a little cooler than April and with a few more showers, sometimes thunderstorms. The village elders spoke of a hot and stormy summer – apparently the magpies were nesting near the houses, which is what they do when storms are brewing! Helpful rains followed in early June, quickly followed by a hose ban that immediately brought more rain and questions about whether it might be the same deteriorating trend as in 2007.

The sun returned with a vengeance at the end of June, flirting with 40°C, causing some toasting of the grapes. The first week of July was also dry, bringing thoughts of 1976 back to mind. When it rained, solidly and evenly without stormy side effects on Thursday July 7, growers were delighted, but further rain over the next few days was less welcome and the whole month of July proved cooler and wetter than usual.

Overall, the season was less stormy than expected, with the exception of minor hail at Corton-Charlemagne (May 20), Gevrey-Chambertin (July 23), and Puligny-Montrachet, as well as a truly devastating storm at Rully on July 12 following a more minor attack in June.