Roger Brun - Cuvée des Sires Grand Cru 2018

fter de traumatiska åren 2016 och 2017 fick champagneodlarna le igen 2018. Säsongen var dock inte heller problemfri med hagel i maj och en rekordvarm sommar (den näst varmaste någonsin efter 2003). Skörden gav rikedom både i mängd och i koncentrerad juice.

Sockermängden och den potentiella alkoholhalten slog i taket. Förvånande nog var syran betydligt högre än väntat, vilket kommer att ge välstrukturerade och mäktiga viner av hög klass. Som vanligt ska man dock ta odlarnas euforiska hyllningar till årgången med en nypa salt. Stilmässigt skulle jag tippa att vi har att göra med någonting mitt emellan 1964 och 1982, och det vore ju inte det sämsta. Maillarts Les Loges är redan fantastisk. 

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2018 by Curtis Joseph

★★★★

• Harvest: August 20th
• Total Sales: 301,856,265 btl
• Yield: 12,361 kg/ha (10,800 kg/ha AC)
• France: 147,023,258 btl
• Area under vine: 33,843 ha
• Export: 154,833,007 btl
• Average potential alcohol: 10.2%
• Prix Constaté: €6.20/kg
• Average total acidity: 5.9 g/l
• Average gluconic acid: 0.03 g/l

Overview: A new record for heat and sun 2018 was a year of generous yields, lots of alcohol, and unfortunately little acidity.

The vintage is popularly considered a success, and doubtless, some excellent vintage wines will be produced. At this early juncture, however, it is impossible to´judge well, since exposure to the vins clairs has been brief, and there are no finished wines yet. However, it may well prove the case for the connoisseur that wines from 2018 may lack tension and structure. The winter of 2017 – 2018 was uncommonly warm and wet, becoming both cooler and drier in February and March. Budbreak was in April, followed by rapidly advancing vegetation due to warm weather and a full complement of water in the soil from the prior winter. Although there were some´localized storms in the late spring, little damage was done. Flowering was early and thorough. By mid-July, the weather was scorching hot and dry. 2018 is the hottest summer on record since measurements began, breaking the record set by 2003.

Fortunately, it lacked the severe heatwave of 2003, and the vines never shut down due to water stress. Harvest began in beautiful if hot, conditions. Eric Rodez delivered a surprisingly elegant Chardonnay vin clair from Les Jeunettes: “Ripe – loads of tropical fruit here, but there is still enough acidity to balance it. and his Pinot Noir from Les Beurrys was also ravishing: “Lovely expression of red fruits; exquisite, full-bodied but not heavy at all.”

On the north face of the Montagne, the Bérèche brothers have conserved the liveliness of the fruit from Le Cran: “Lovely freshness and concentration, with floral notes and a well-developed fruit character but enough structure to balance the richness.” Equally enticing was Pinot Noir from Mailly: “This has an accessible, forward red berry fruit on the attack, but there is plenty of freshness and structure on the palate to deliver a lively wine.”

Given these encouraging results, I hope that there will be other surprising successes when the 2018 vintage begins to reach the market.