Wine 2014

Our view on the 2014 vintage

The 2014 vintage in Bordeaux offers wines with a fairly classic profile, with wines that appears to be very good after being bottle-aged for few years (compared to the primeurs tasting). Medoc red wines are slightly advantaged by a quite ripe Cabernet Sauvignon that has been harvested in very good conditions. If the Merlots seem less complex, they offer a more accessible and round profile. It is the case of the 2014 Saint Emilion wines for instance, which may include a bigger proportion of Cabernet Franc than usual, in order to bring more complexity and ageing potential. The Grands Crus Classes of Pauillac and Saint Julien are very good, as well as those of Saint Estephe (only the Margaux designation seems a little bit under). The Graves including Pessac Leognan wines are very successful in both red and white wine. In Sauternes, 2014 is a good vintage with some magnificent wines not to be missed. In Burgundy, the Burgundy red wines are of a good overall level and the best 1er Crus and Grands Crus of the Cote de Nuits stand out as usual. However, we can legitimately state that the quality level of the 2014 Burgundy white wines is still higher and deserves the attention of wine lovers. The 2014 Meursault and 2014 Puligny Montrachet are superb. In the Rhone Valley, despite the sometimes capricious weather, the 2014 Cote Rotie, 2014 Hermitage and 2014 Cornas stand out and dominated the rest of the production of the Northern Rhone. In the Southern Rhone, the rain periods of September have led to a complex situation, and the 2014 vintage may show the signs of a weaker maturity and a certain lack of complexity. The 2014 Rhone white wines are generally more regular. In Alsace, the 2014 vintage produced small crops. The 2014 Alsace Rieslings are however of a great level. In Loire wines, the 2014 vintage is very good and of a consistent level. The 2014 Loire reds are excellent almost everywhere, and the 2014 Loire whites from Montlouis, Vouvray and Sancerre are magnificent. Only the sweet whites could be a bit weaker. The 2014 vintage is of high quality in Languedoc Roussillon (South of France) and for Corsican red wines as well.