Wine 2003

Our view on the 2003 vintage

Hot year for Bordeaux in 2003, coupled with a severe drought until August 20^th. The lightest soils (2003 Graves, 2003 Margaux) underwent some grape maturity blockages. Other sectors such as 2003 Saint Estephe produced a great vintage. The harvest was more important in Bordeaux than in the rest of France, but the best properties produced less of their great wines (because of a rigorous grape selection) and more of their second wines. The 2003 dry white Bordeaux wines from the greatest terroirs produced very beautiful bottles. The 2003 vintage produced very good sweet wines, very rich but less complex than the 2001. In Burgundy, the 2003 vintage experienced identical weather conditions with 40°C temperatures for several consecutive days, and a lower harvest of almost 35% compared to 2002. In 2003 burgundy red wines there are, however, notable successes such as the 2003 Corton, rich and opulent. The 2003 white Bourgogne wines had a harder time because of the drought, and the wines will have less aging potential as they may lack of acidity. In Champagne, 2003 was a weak year. In the Rhone Valley, the lack of rain in the 2003 vintage affected the vineyards of the North (2003 Cote Rotie). The sectors with old vines produced beautiful wines such as 2003 Hermitage and 2003 Cornas and in 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape, that were fairly warm but well concentrated. In the Loire Valley, 2003 was the year of Cabernet Franc, which offered depth and sustained substance with southern aromas; the 2003 Loire white wines suffered of a more extreme heat. In Alsace, the 2003 vintage is atypical: good in Pinot Noir, but the whites lack of freshness and present high alcoholic degrees and some residual sugars. Very small amount of sweet late harvest and SGN wines in 2003 (because almost no botrytis).