At prices appropriate for the level of “interest”, relatively speaking? That’s the big question for me at this point.
There is nothing similar in 2021 to 1978…technology, clones, winemaking, everything is different other than weather. Everything is exceptionally more technical and able to deal with issues unlike 1978 all the way thru optical sorting and levels of press vs. free run to make better balanced wines.
For all the folks crowing about chaptalization, it’s been going on forever, you don’t see tasting notes about wines pre-1995 lamenting potential chaptalization, it’s just a snarky click bait argument in 2021 about “modern wines” to see who replies so you can argue about the detriment of chaptalization, yet no one talks about DAP, tartaric, innoculation, or all the other additions that occur depending on seasons.
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chaptalization in Bordeaux is quite common in cooler, less ripe vintages. In 2021, as a generalization, in the Left Bank the Merlots were chaptalized at many, but not all estates between .5 to 1% and in the Right Bank, at some, but not all places as a generalization the Cabernets were also chaptalized between .5 to 1%.
21 is not a bad vintage. As I said earlier, for all the AWFE fans, there are wines you will enjoy.
If you like red over black fruits and lower alcohol levels, and it’s even better for fans of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
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There’s no crowing nor snark. I’m genuinely curious about how and when estates decide to chaptalize. Presumably the only reason to chaptalize is increasing alcohol content. I think it’s perfectly legitimate to wonder when estates decide to increase alcohol content or not.
So, are most estates chaptalizing to get to ~13.5% in a “classic” modern year like 2014, or is that the level of sugar ripeness that they naturally get to? And what about estates that exceeded 14%, like Haut-Brion? Are they chaptalizing because they desire >14%? Or is that just fundamentally how much riper they got their grapes?
And presumably they’re not chaptalizing in hot years like 2015 or 2020, where Haut-Brion hit 15%… and if they are, that is interesting info as well.
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They do not chaptalize ripe grapes.
I think yours was a legitimate question about when, where, how much. The flip side is hot years, how much tartaric, RO, etc…happens. For the record I am not a fan of RO, that there are legitimate gripes against IMO.
Starting to think this will be 2017 quality level for the reds, that is a very general statement, but with such a strong string of recent vintages I don’t see why people would buy 2021.Rumours of a good white vintage would be well received since White Bordeaux is often overlooked.
Would people be happy with 2019 en premier prices? (First tranche)
No. Vastly different quality.
La mish for $250 and Rauzan Segla for $72? Sure, sign me up!!
Here is some context for where 2021 fits in in terms of rainfall and temperature at Léoville-Las Cases:
2021 temperature and rainfall at Léoville-Las Cases by WilliamGFKelley, on Flickr
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The sweetness and mid-palate amplitude contributed by alcohol is one of the factors that balances a wine. A red Bordeaux with all the alcohol removed would be exceedingly thin and bitter. In some years in cool climates, you can attain physiological ripeness of tannins before your accumulate all that much sugar. This has been the case much less often in the last decade that it was historically, but it can still happen. In that context, the additional alcohol you can supply by chaptalization can help to bring the wine into balance, “enrobing” tannins (as the French say) and fleshing out the mid-palate without deforming the style or character of the wine. There are also supplemental benefits, notably in Burgundy, such as prolonging the fermentation time. That is the good side of chaptalization. Of course, chaptalizing physiologically unripe grapes simple makes a green wine more alcoholic, which is a dubious benefit, but that is not what the top estates of Bordeaux did in 2021.
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People are still buying Bordeaux? 
Yes
No.
But then as I said in an earlier post, even at 2019 prices, nobody expects a robust futures campaign.
They will no way price it at 2019 levels, expect same as 2020, maybe 5% less if we are lucky.
It is interesting. I cannot see any pattern here predicting which vintages will be great and which not so great based on this combination of temperature and rainfall. Is there any pattern you see?
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All vintages over 15,5 C were sold en primeur.
I saw this chart before and had the same thought as you, Howard.
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For those who have tasted the wines, and hypothetically if they came in at 2019 levels, what percentage of your ‘19 purchases would you buy of 2021?