After a wet spring, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux winegrowers had every reason to be concerned about the 2012 vintage. But thanks to a hot and dry summer, it will be of high quality. “In the end, 2012 will be a very good year”, rejoices Bruno Martin, winegrower at Château Roland La Garde since 1990. “We have good colour, lovely fruit, interesting tannins and great balance.” The summer sunshine made up for the adverse effects of excessive rainfall in May and June. The heat ensured that the Merlot grapes, which make up 70% of Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux reds, developed ideal sugar levels. The style of the 2012 wines depends very much on their terroir.

For Karl Pommeraud, winegrower at Château La Raz Caman, “2012 is a very fresh and round vintage with lots of fruit”. His wines will have a lower alcohol content than 2009 or 2010; they will be less tannic and hence ready for drinking sooner. At Château Roland La Garde, “the strength of the tannins will ensure wines with ageing potential”, says Bruno Martin. Sun, soil, wind, rain, geology, topography: every detail had to be taken into account when making wines in 2012.

There are considerable differences from one vineyard to another but one overriding impression: 2012 is an excellent vintage. And the winegrowers agree on one fact: reduced flowering in spring means that fewer grapes were harvested than in previous years but the quality is very high. “We had a smaller crop than in previous years, but the berries are of very high quality, so the 2012 vintage will be small but good”, explains Bruno Martin. In other words, 2012 wines will be much sought-after…

Late harvest

To achieve such a fine result, the winegrowers worked tirelessly among their vines. “30 years ago we didn’t have the technology we have now and we could never have achieved such high quality after such a difficult flowering period”, confides Bruno Martin from Château Roland La Garde. Close monitoring, regular sampling… “Nowadays we are much closer to the vine than we used to be. It’s a year in which the grower has had to be on the ball”, he says. And without chemical products. “We just thinned the leaves so that the grapes could dry out naturally in the wind”, explains Karl Pommeraud. Rain in late September meant that the harvest was late but quick. Picking took place at breakneck speed in a single week in order to ensure a crop of the highest possible quality.

Supple, round and underpinned by tannins that hold up pleasantly over time, the 2012 vintage can indisputably rank among the better years for Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux wines. It should be drunk sooner than usual, though: “Seven years would be ideal”, advises Karl Pommeraud from Château La Raz Caman. Rendez-vous in 2019!