Bordeaux claims ‘high hopes’ for 2020 vintage

Published: 13 October, 2020

Coming off the back of an extraordinary year, the CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council) has declared 2020 as a vintage with “excellent wines in prospect”.

Describing the challenges of vineyard work though lockdown and beyond as a “severe test”, the year nonetheless delivered an “ideal climate” for ripening the grapes, with an Indian Summer delivering hot days and cool nights thRough early September.

This “favoured a good state of health and provided optimum conditions for achieving good levels of oenological ripeness before picking … giving high hopes for the 2020 vintage”.

The collective 2020 crop was slightly below the 10-year average of 5 million hl, with an early harvest taking place under “exceptional sunshine”.

Grapes for Crémant and Sauvignons Gris and Blanc began to come in from 15 August, with the reds for rosés harvested before the end of August.

Picking of Merlot began around 5 September, with Cabernet coming on stream during the week of 14 September, with a majority of winegrowers having finished picking before 30 September.

“Wide day-night temperature variations allowed for good phenolic ripeness and thus guaranteed the development of aromas,” reported the CIVB.

“The glorious sunshine favoured full ripening of the berries and hence good development of anthocyanins. The result is good balance between alcohol, acidity and tannins.”

The CIVB added that, “without doubt, this new vintage will go down in the history of Bordeaux wines”.

Bordeaux Wines UK recently unveiled a new Christmas campaign aimed at independent wine merchants, designed to promote the diversity and value of wines to new and modern customers.

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