Decanter magazine, a great source of information for people who have a genuine interest in wine has produced some interesting articles recently including this article on the 2009 Bordeaux vintage and this article on the Burgundy 2009 vintage.
There are claims that both regions are experiencing the same great conditions to those of the 2005 vintage which as everyone knows who is into En Primeur or Robert Parker, was one of the best vintages of late. In fact some Châteaux can’t wait and have started the harvest already! “Pessac Léognan estate Château Carbonnieux has kicked off the 2009 Bordeaux vintage” (Decanter). They have picked the Sauvignon Blanc grapes and the first growth Château Haut-Brion is looking to follow suit very soon! “The earlier harvest is as a result of the warmer growing season, with a largely dry and sunny summer.” (Decanter)
However these claims come around every year, and although the 2008 vintage was great for Bordeaux, though the prices of the first tranche didn’t always display this due to the financial state of many countries presently the vintage was not a let down. So should we believe all that we read? Especially when there was the horrendous hail storms in May which strongly effected the St Emillion region and caused many to lose large areas. This could mean a strong hike in prices for the 2009 vintages. So grab yourself a bargain with some of the 2008 Bordeaux vintage still available at Majestic Wine