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… 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 2006 was first and foremost a viticulturalist’s year, when great skill was required. The way we worked the land in our vineyards and our rigorous treatment of the vines made all the difference in this vintage. Severe pruning, high topping, thinning out of the leaves and green harvesting all had a major impact on the state of the crop. Therefore it is to our viticulturalists that we owe the very healthy state of our vineyards in 2006. We started harvesting on 18th September and we managed to complete the harvest without suffering any bad weather. As is the case each year, the grapes were picked by hand into small shallow trays to avoid any crushing or damage to the fruit. The yields of the whites were normal. The red yields were only slightly affected by the weather as the Pinots Noirs in the Bouchard Domaine remained very healthy. 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. De hvide vine Our Chardonnays were perfectly healthy and very ripe with exceptionally high sugar levels. Since the grapes had rich pulp and thick skins, they were pressed for longer than usual in order to make the best of their aromatic potential. After pressing, the musts showed a good level of acidity and interesting aromatic richness, which remained after the alcoholic fermentation. At the moment, the white wines are developing flavours of citrus with hints of peach and white fruit. They all show strong aromatic identity with great purity and freshness. Indgangen til Bouchard’s Montrachet. 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.