Home | News | Features | Diary | Clubs | Presenters | Contact Us

BORDEAUX CRU BOURGEOIS BACK FROM THE DEAD

Just before the new year, it was announced that the French courts have agreed a new system for awarding the Cru Bourgeois to Médoc estates. According to the Decanter.com, chateaux will be able to apply for the designation each year, and it will be awarded after a tasting test. This is similar to the St Emilion Grand Cru system.

The original Cru Bourgeois sytem was set up in 1932 by the Bordeaux merchants, who wished to highlight the best wines not included in the 1855 Classification. There were several levels of membership, rising to Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. In 2007, they attempted a review of the list, which involved a few promotions and several demotions. A number of growers whose wines were reduced in status took the issue to the courts, which ruled both the original lists and the changes unfair, because the testing methods had been shown to be biased.

A number of the top-rated estates have refused to take part in the new system, but about 190 are believed to be entering their wines for assessment. If the new arrangement works, and particularly if higher level ratings are restored, they may well be tempted in.

Presumably the Médoc authorities are trying to avoid the problems caused by the last decennial revue of the St Emilion Grand and Premier Grand Cru awards which also fell foul of the French legal system. A truly independent blind tasting competition will be needed to restore confidence in higher awards, and enable the wines to be properly ranked. In the mean time, the totally arbitrary 1855 classification remains effectively unchallenged.

The way is now open to introduce regular ratings of other Bordeaux appellations – only Graves and Sauternes have any sort of rating system at present, both arbitrary and unchanged for many years.

SPURRIER SLAMS 2007 CRU BOURGEOIS VINTAGE

On a less encouraging note for the Bordelais, Decanter magazine editor Steven Spurrier calls the 2007 vintage ‘lean, mean and turgid’.

A panel of experts tasted 164 wines for a report in the current (February) issue. Most thought that
the wines were not spectacular, but were charming and drinkable. Referring to the wines' lightness, Peppercorn quipped, 'I didn't realise it was possible to make Beaujolais in the Médoc', and Hulme thought there were 'some very attractive and appealing wines'. Rand considered them 'nice little luncheon wines'.

But Spurrier exploded. 'I think I must be on another planet,' he said. 'This is probably the most disappointing tasting I've ever been to at Decanter. They lack freshness of fruit, character and expression. They lack life and they lack lift.'

He accused his fellow panellists of giving Bordeaux the benefit of the doubt, asking, 'Why are we excusing Bordeaux? They are hugely rich and they should be making better wines.' The rest of the panel responded with gusto. While admitting that she was tasting 'within the context of Bordeaux', she insisted many of the wines were enjoyable, and offered value for money.

Simon Staples, wine director for Berry Brothers, who was not at the tasting, told decanter.com the 2007 vintage would always suffer 'because the prices were wrong and not for the quality'. He added, 'It really will be a very soft and upfront vintage to quaff, reasonably simple but generous. I have only tasted a handful … but have enjoyed what I've tasted.'