AS THE wine world braces itself for the pending harvest of their crops, early reports have suggested that 2009 could be as good as that of 2005.
This has certainly been the case according to the the producers in Bordeaux who, after a warm and dry season, are expecting great quality yields.
Chateau d’Issan’s wine maker, Emmanuel Cruse told Decanter that he has his fingers crossed for his Margaux property where “the Merlot grapes are already tasty” and he is expecting the harvest to be earlier this year.
A small number of Bordeaux properties have already taken to the vines to begin their harvest with some recording their first picks on Thursday August 27 last.
Chateau Haut-Brion reported their first harvests early this week, still some ten days earlier than 2008, but with “grapes with a potential alcohol of between 12.5 and 13 per cent”, Eric Perrin, director at Carbonnieux says that he is expecting his yield to have great delicacy and freshness.
In other news from the French vines, the Associated Press has reported that wine exports from the country have plunged some 25 per cent in the first half of this year as the world-wide purchases were scaled back by consumers.
Exports totalled 3.28 billion euro, down 4.35 billion euro from the same period last year.
The Federation of French Exporters of wines represents some 85 per cent of growers and exporters also said that luxury products such as Champagne and Cognac are down some 45 per cent and 27 per cent respectively.
The group has said however, that they expect sales to pick up in the second half of this year.
