葡萄酒新手選

2009隆河區與其他區收成簡述。評價等待中。

南隆河的六月到八月降雨極少，八月甚至有兩週熱浪，夜晚溫度也很高，讓果實快速的成熟，酸度足夠且滋味集中，但體積較小，熱浪對葡萄果實造成了些脫水效果，也稍微抑制成長，幸好九月中適時降雨，讓葡萄能繼續生長，酒莊普遍都能採收成熟度佳且顏色深黑的葡萄果實，單寧也因熱浪與及時雨而十分成熟柔軟。看來會是個甜美集中的年份，但很可能有酒精度過高的問題，有偏向2003的感覺。

北隆河也同樣擁有溫暖乾燥的氣候，Condrieu與Cote-Rotie都非常早採收，其他地方也比平常偏早，生產三La的Guigal酒莊表示他們採收到高酒精度，果實成熟且低酸度的葡萄。Equis酒莊代表則表示，他本來擔心酸度不足，另外雨量偏少也造成單寧可能成熟狀況不佳，但他說收成結果非常令人滿意（這...）。基本上北隆河收成量正常，也是不差的年份，酒莊又開始不免俗的跟偉大的1961還有1978，2003相比美了。

Region: Rhône Valley

The good news just keeps on coming for France's Rhône Valley, which appears by all accounts to have enjoyed a scintillating harvest in 2009.

"The easiest year I've ever seen," said Éric Texier, a small Beaujolais-based négociant who produces both Southern and Northern Rhône wines. "You could harvest early with bright acidities and very good phenolic ripeness, or harvest late and get huge concentration, alcohol levels and dark as hell wines."

In the Southern Rhône, which has had a string of remarkable vintages since 1998 (save only for 2002 and 2008), growers were extremely pleased, though yields were low, with some growers reporting a crop 30 percent below normal.

"What can I say?" said Isabel Ferrando of Domaine St.-Préfert and Domaine Ferrando. "This is a vintage that was tailored for Châteauneuf-du-Pape."

Winter and spring were cold and wet, allowing for the vines to store energy and water reserves to build up. This proved critical, as the growing season was very dry, with no measurable rainfall from June through August. A two-week blast of August heat was accompanied by warm evenings as well, which resulted in some shriveled canopies and smaller, concentrated berries.

"The key was that the heat wave came after veraison," said Philippe Cambie, an influential consultant who works with dozens of producers throughout the Southern Rhône, including St.-Préfert, Tardieu-Laurent and others. "So the maturity was not blocked, the grapes were concentrated and the acidity and structure was balanced."

"Due to the high temperatures, the ripening of the grapes was accelerated," said Marc Perrin of Château de Beaucastel and Perrin & Fils, which own 600 acres of vines throughout the Southern Rhône. "Not because of phenolic maturity, but because of dehydration." Luckily, a freshening rain fell in mid-September, giving the vines a needed respite from the heat and allowing them to continue ripening their fruit through harvest.

Growers reported extremely healthy conditions in the vineyards, thanks to the dry conditions, along with dark color, ripe expressive fruit and soft, but substantial tannins. Comparisons to other great vintages were common among growers. "Since 1974, we have never seen such beautiful grapes at the end of the season," said Frédéric Coulon of Domaine de Beaurenard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

"2009 in Vinsobres is big, nice color, good balance, great acidity, great body," said Hubert Valayer of Domaine de Deurre. "Some talk [about comparing to] 1978."

Harvest in the northern stretch of the valley was just as promising. The warm and dry conditions persisted in the north as well, resulting in an early harvest of very ripe grapes.

"We were fortunate to have a rain around the 15th of August which helped with the continuation of ripening," said Philippe Guigal of E. Guigal, located in Ampuis. "The result was very early harvests for Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie, followed soon after by Hermitage, St.-Joseph and Crozes. I don't believe a late harvest was necessary—we had high alcohols, superb phenolic ripeness and low acidity."

"I knew that it could be great, but I had two worries," said Maxime Graillot of Equis in Crozes-Hermitage. "Will we have enough acidity and how will the tannins ripen with the lack of water? I got my answer at the end of the alcoholic fermentation: The tannins are beautiful; the acidity great."

Others were even more effusive in their praise. "The first feelings give us shivers," said an ecstatic Jean-Michel Gerin, one of the top small producers in Côte-Rôtie. "For our part, we have a wine with balance we haven't seen since 1961."

In addition to the quality, Northern Rhône growers didn't have the small yields that were more common in the south. "Quality and quantity," said Michel Tardieu, whose Tardieu-Laurent négociant operation produces wines from throughout the valley. "The fruit is ripe like 2003, but with good pH, abundant tannins and great freshness."

—J.M.

2009的波爾多看來也是個令人滿意的年份，柏根地雖然不是特別好，但只要成長期順利的酒莊，可以避開十月中大雨，都會有不差的成績；義大利則是越往北收成越另酒莊滿意，北部Piedmont基本上都有不錯成績，中部Tuscany因熱浪侵襲又缺水，品質狀況不一。