Bouchard Père & Fils om årgang 2006
Årgang 2006 på Côte d'Or
A viticulturist vintage, skriver Philippe Prost, vinmager for Bouchard Père & Fils.
Året og vejret:
I 2006 oplevede vi meget varieret vejr hele vejen op til høsten...
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A long, hard winter resulted in late budding. June was dry and very sunny with temperatures that steadily built up and helped the flowering take place in ideal conditions. July was also dry, very sunny, exceptionally hot, and at times scorching. Then abruptly at the beginning of August the weather changed and became unsettled and cool with scattered showers throughout the month. Happily, fine weather returned in September and the grapes reached good ripeness. |
Året og høsten
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2006 was first and foremost a viticulturalist’s year, when great skill was required. |
Hus i Volnay ejet af Bouchard Père & Fils. |
De røde vine:
In order to set the ideal date to harvest each parcel, we had to take into account on a daily basis, both the maturity and the sanitary state of the grapes. This year the sorting team was strengthened, especially for the bought in grapes and this enabledus to eliminate any poor fruit.
The Pinots Noirs had thick and firm skins and exceptional richness, with sugar maturity ahead of phenolic maturity. After destemming, the grapes were put into oak and stainless steel vats using gravity with no pumping, so as not to damage the fruit. We choose to punch the cap rather than pump over in order to keep freshness. Vatting lasted three to four weeks, after which the wines were transferred into oak barrels for further ageing.
At the moment, most of the reds have finished their malolactic fermentation and they are showing excellent colour and pleasant flesh. The malolactic fermentation has perfectly revealed their purity and aromatic expression. They also have good structure with present, though supple tannins and great intensity. Their softness leads us to predict that they will be well balanced and enjoyable.
Konklusion
Although it is too early to pass judgement on the quality and the future of this new vintage, the successful outcome would not have been possible without the efforts of the viticulturalists. The work throughout the year had a determining factor at the harvest, particularly with the good quality of the Pinots Noirs. Once again, this year, the choice of the date of harvesting of each parcel was crucial.
As is the case every year, the barrel ageing proves essential to develop the characteristics and nuances of each terroir.
