葡萄酒新手選

南隆河區的好年我想大家都已經麻木了，除了2002，1998年至2007都是不錯的日子，2008終於吃了鱉，雖然不像2002那麼令人避之惟恐不及，但這樣的評價也令人心痛（或心喜？）

早春開花季節太過陰雨，葡萄病霉叢生，夏天成長季也沒有足夠陽光，讓南隆河最重要的Grenache狀況欠佳，葡萄串數量偏少，八月後開始情狀終於好轉，各家酒廠都在等待葡萄能夠更為成熟，有耐心的酒莊在2008是有福的，九與十月沒有太大雨量，mistral強勁的風勢讓酒農稍微寬心，成熟度還算足夠，但整年總體雨量偏多，排水良好的石灰岩limesotne在2008年比較吃香，粘土clay多的酒莊則臉色難看，為了擇強汰弱，產量必須降低才能兼顧品質，讓原本開花情況不好的南隆河區情況更為凶險。

北隆河更顯困境，六到八月多雲陰雨，九月初來了場不小的雨勢，還好之後mistral強勁吹拂了四個禮拜，稍稍挽救了情況，『不過度的成熟，不過度的酒精，這是個古典的年份』，酒莊如是說。

Region: Rhône Valley
Grade: Southern Rhône (B); Northern Rhône (B-)

The Southern Rhône's string of outstanding vintages since 1998 (save for 2002) may have come to an end in 2008, a difficult growing season marked by cool, rainy weather and a very small crop.

"The year was quite rainy," said Louis Barruol of Château de St.-Cosme in Gigondas. "The total amount of water is close to 1992 and 2002. But the alcohol level is the same as '98, which shows clearly that ripening was not so bad."

The season proved difficult from the outset, with cool, wet weather hampering spring flowering, particularly for Grenache, the Southern Rhône's most important red variety. Summer turned humid and grey, adding to disease pressures in the vineyard.

By the time August rolled around, growers were faced with a very small crop that was struggling to ripen. As the month wore on, temperatures rose into more normal ranges and the mistral, the strong north wind that blows through the valley, helped freshen the vineyards and concentrate the berries. Harvest wound up stretching into mid-October, as vignerons waited as long as possible to achieve full maturity in their grapes.

"It was the year of the vigneron and patience," said Daniel Brunier, who owns both Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe and Domaine La Roquète in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as well as Domaine Les Pallières in Gigondas. "In the vineyard we had to take risks and wait for the good ripening."

"The balance between alcohol and acidity is very good, the degree of alcohol normal and the concentration in tannins are lower than the powerful 2007," said Claire Michel, whose family owns and runs Le Vieux Donjon in Châteauneuf.

With so much moisture during the season, better-drained sites—particularly those with limestone soils—look to be the favored vineyards in 2008.

"The pure limestone soils did really well as they [drain] the water quickly and didn't have the usual hydric stress," said Barruol. "[But] some fantastic clay terroirs gave poor results this year."

Yields are markedly lower around the region, as crop set and berry size were small and quality-conscious growers performed rigorous bunch and berry selections during harvest.

"It is exceptionally low," said Cécile Dusserre of Domaine de Montvac in Vacqueyras. "It is just 27 hectoliters per hectare [less than 2 tons per acre] at my domaine."

In the Northern Rhône, which covers the 40-mile stretch of vineyards between Vienne and Valence, growers also dealt with a difficult season, similar to 2007. Cloudy, rainy weather extended from June through August, and growers feared the worst as September approached. Grapes were fending off disease and lacked maturity.

"Coming back from our summer holidays, we were quite pessimistic," said Philippe Guigal, of E. Guigal, the region's most dominant producer, based in Côte-Rôtie. "We saw incredible rainfalls early September and we almost lost everything."

After the rain during the first week of September, the weather cleared and the mistral blew through mid-October, a four week stretch of good weather that helped save the vintage. Still, producers had to practice severe triage on their grapes to ensure quality.

"Many grapes were rotten and the potential alcohol very low," said Pierre-Jean Villa, who oversees production at Les Vins de Vienne, a top-quality micronégociant in Vienne. "We made a hard, selective picking. It looks like 2007—nice fruit but without big tannins."

Echoing the thoughts of their colleagues in the south, producers noted that those who did hard work in the vineyards were able to make some good wines, but the vintage will be a heterogeneous one. "[2008] will be very good for the best wines. But the differences between cuvées and producers will probably be much more important than the last three vintages," said Albéric Mazoyer of Domaine Alain Voge in Cornas.

While the vintage looks to be lighter-bodied in style, some producers were looking forward to the results. "It's an old-timer vintage," said Éric Texier, a négociant based in Charnay, who is known for producing elegantly styled wines. "No huge degrees [of alcohol], no over ripeness."

—J.M.

 

2008年除了隆河區相對啖賽，真的啖賽的奧地利莫屬，早春濕度高帶來疾病，八九月天氣涼爽，葡萄收成季節仍成熟度不足，雖然大家可能對奧地利沒興趣，但法國波爾多與柏跟地的臉色也好不到哪裡去，大家可能期待Parker再度發威，讓葡萄酒皇帝的一言堂再展神功。美國西岸倒是沒啥新意，總之也不差，倒是奧勒岡的Pinot可能又會風靡一陣子了。

 

United States

Region: California: Central Coast

-Grade: B-

Region: California: Napa
-Grade: B+

Region: California: Sonoma
-Grade: B

Region: New York
-Grade: Finger Lakes (A-), Long Island (B)

Region: Oregon
-Grade: A

Region: Washington
-Grade: B+

France

Region: Alsace

-Grade: A

Region: Bordeaux
-Grade: B-

Region: Burgundy
-Grade: Whites (B-); Reds (C+)

Region: Champagne
-Grade: B+

Region: Loire Valley
-Grade: B-

Region: Rhône Valley
-Grade: Southern Rhône (B); Northern Rhône (B-)

Austria

-Grade: C

Germany

-Grade: A-

Italy - Overall

-Grade: B+

Region: Tuscany
-Grade: B+

Region: Piedmont
-Grade: B+

Portugal

-Grade: B-

Spain

-Grade: B+

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資料來源：

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/2008-Vintage-Report-Card-Part-1_4492

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/2008-Vintage-Report-Card-Part-2_4495

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/2008-Vintage-Report-Card-Part-3_4497