© 2003-2010 I.Litwar

WELCOME TO MY BORDEAUX HOMEPAGE!

Pretty ladies welcome you at Domaine de Chevalier - Ban des Vendanges in September 2003

Christine Valette, charming proprietor of Troplong Mondot, april 2006

A very charming and eloquent Sabrina Pernet (technical director at Palmer since May 2007) explains about 2007 vintage at Palmer

ANGELIC TREAT FOR EYES AND EARS

Pictures from 2006

New look and new sound. Soundcheck on the 31st. December 2009  ©walmart.com

There's a very good reason to include pictures of this beautiful young woman on my webpage, because it's natural to compare her to great Bordeaux wine(s). She's got the look, beauty, finesse, charisma, grace and style. We often associate some of these things with wine.

No, she's not a chateau-owner from Bordeaux, not even a daughter of a chateau-owner from Bordeaux! This is California woman and a stunningly beautiful one. Her name is Katharine McPhee, a 23 years old runner-up at American Idol 5, an incredible singing talent and coming Brodway star. Check out her songs at youtube.com

I'm sure she likes Bordeaux wines!

                                   ©  klavs.net  AC/DC live in Copenhagen on 19th June 2009

©  klavs.net  AC/DC live in Copenhagen on 19th June 2009

Instead of beautiful women, I put here some energetic guys in their '50s - Angus Young (up) and Brian Johnson (below) from the legendary rockband AC/DC. AC/DC delivered magnificent two hours of bluesy rock in Stockholm (20th February 2009) in the front of 14.000 impressed fans, and in Copenhagen too, where they thrilled 48.000 enthusiastic spectators. Yes, AC/DC are like excellent wines - have a very long ageing potential!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2YzYCdEqck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkHd9uAlTyU

NEWS!

31.12.2009 - more tasting notes added to section "Additional tasting notes", general update of entire website and profile of Pichon Comtesse added.

12.11.2009 - chapters Climens, Margaux, Nairac and Raymond Lafon updated with new tasting notes and new pictures (harvest 2009).

02.11.2009 - concerning harvest 2009 - check out this link  - HARVEST IN BORDEAUX AS IT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER 2009

07.10.2009 - 16.10.2009 - I was present during harvest 2009 in Bordeaux.

28.09.2009 - I've just talked to one of my friends who's lived in Bordeaux for many years. He's not experienced before such an excellent summer and period up to and during the harvest. Weather still is excellent in all Bordeaux and Merlot beautiful all places.
If other grape varietes like Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot follow the pattern and get perfect ripeness, then I'm pretty sure we'll have a real vintage of the century or maybe a legendary one! This pink foam appearing in vats on the top of crushed grapes and liquid, is always hallmark of an outstanding vintage.

24.09.2009 - I've received this message from Troplong Mondot today -"2009 has been a year in which the weather could hardly have been better for the vineyard. The grapes have rarely tasted so extraordinary. With our vines in perfectly healthy shape, this harvest promises a magnificent vintage."

21.09.2009 - Talked to Francois Mitjavile this morning. He told me that Right Bank in Bordeaux got around 55 millimeters of rain during the weekend, which was badly needed as ripeness stopped many places due to too dry soil. He'll start harvest at TR probably next Monday. Jean-Pierre Meslier from Raymond Lafon told me that this weekend-rain (over 10 mm) was very beneficial for botrytis fungus, who might spread through vines at Formel 1 speed. Grapes are perfectly ripe and begging for botrytis to come!

18.09.2009 - Talked to Jean-Philippe Janoueix (La Croix St.Georges, Croix Mouton, Le Conseiller and La Confession/Haut Pontet) this morning. Starting with 2009 vintage he will conduct harvest at his father's La Croix, but with no commercial involvement in sale of it. He starts harvesting at La Croix St.Georges on Monday the 21st September. Jean-Christophe Meyrou, manager of Le Gay, La Violette and Montviel, says that vintage 2009 looks like 2005, but with higher acidity and thicker skins. The quality is astonishing and the quantity is remarkably higher than in 2008. Rain during this weekend will do vines, soil and particulary C.Sauvignon a very great favour. C. Sauvignon needs water to ripe perfectly but can hang on vines as long as it takes, since it can't be overripe. Harvest will start/continue many places on coming Monday, as warm weather and sunshine will come back and probably last until the 2nd October.

03.09.2009 - Had spoken to several owners yesterday in Copenhagen as they visited the town with 2008 and older vintage(s). Actually, they think 2009 will challenge 2005 because of warm days with weak wind which means cool nights. It was fantastic August with only 14 mms of rain compared to 100-140 mm last year in same month. The whole summer was utterly fabulous concerning weather. Sugar levels are high, polyphenols in skins are in big quantities and waiting to be ripe. The only thing they need now is water to finish ripening. In Pomerol they expect to start harvest in one week's time and in Saint Emilion in 2/½ weeks time (Angelus). Some days later, they will start on the Left Bank.

30.08.2009 -  HB/LMHB starts white harvest tomorrow. Talked to Turid Alcaras (director of PR at both estates) last Friday and she told me everything looks extremely promising in white and red varietes. Just checked very reliable weather site - www.wetterzentrale.de and apart from some showers in the next week there's sunshine and warm weather until middle of September. If weather keeps this way through harvesting Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, then everything is set up for an excellent vintage á la mix of 2005 and 1989/1990. It can be that red harvest already starts in the middle of September.

14.08.2009 - The prospects for excellent 2009 vintage are still very much alive. Fine warm sunny weather with ocassionally rain when needed, not windy and with cool nights, this is the status up to today. Change of colour of grapes took place in the end of July which means one week earlier than normal, was quick and homogenuos and went without any problems.

21.07.2009 - Vintage 2009 development looks excellent for the moment. This is what I heard from Olivier Bernard (Domaine de Chevalier) and Francois Mitjavile (Tertre Roteboeuf/Roc de Cambes). After pretty cold start for the spring, the weather acted both rainy and warm, which allowed wegetation to simply explode without any diseases to spot. Flowering finished without any problems and in excellent conditions. Summer until now has been pretty dry and wintners like very much what they see. If weather behaves itself the next two months without some severe weather and weeklong rain, then everything is set up for another excellent vintage. Yields will be higher than last year and harvest should start in the 3rd week of September, which is normal harvest time in Bordeaux.

21.05.2009 - Profile of Château Margaux added.

20.05.2009 - The nightmare for Saint-Emilion is over! French government has made a clever move and approved by law, that Pavie Macquin and Troplong Mondot are PGCCs now and 6 other properties are now PCCs (as decided in 2006 classification), but the 1996 classification stands with these changes.

19.05.2009 - Climens vertical 2007-1964 TNs added - look it up in chapter "Sauternes and Barsac".

08.05.2009 - general update of entire website.

05.05.2009 - my 2008 vintage report with text behind ratings is available here. TNs on older vintages if tasted in March/April 2009, have been updated in respective profiles. More tasting notes added to chapter "Additional tasting notes".

19.04.2009 - ratings of app. 256 wines in vintage 2008 added - "BORDEAUX 2008" chapter.

16.04.2009 - first impressions of 2008 vintage added - "PRIMEUR 2008".

16.10.2008 - impressions from visits/harvest in Bordeaux (October 2008) added.

26.09.2008 -  text and pictures from page  "An exciting week in Bordeaux - October 2007" moved to page "Archive".

07.09.2008 - profile of Beychevelle updated and chapter "Bordeaux 2004" updated too, with recent TNs from tasting in Copenhagen on 3rd September 2008.

06.09.2008 - more tasting notes added to section "Additional tasting notes", plus La Mission 1998 and Palmer 1966 to their respective profiles.

23.06.2008 - TNs from tasting of 22 wines in vintage 2005 from Sauternes & Barsac in April 2008 added. Click here.

06.05.2008 - my 2007 vintage report is available here. 

30.03.2008 - first tasting notes of 2007 vintage added - "PRIMEUR 2007 AND EXTRAS".

06.01.2008 - several tasting notes added to section "Additional tasting notes", including Montrose 1952. Major update of section "Restaurants" completed.

18.10.2007 - profiles of La Mission Haut Brion/Haut Brion, Lafleur, Latour, Nairac, Palmer and Tertre Roteboeuf/Roc des Cambes has been updated with tasting notes on wines tasted at these properties in October 2007.

18.10.2007 - two new chapters added; Bordeaux 2007 and Additional tasting notes. The latter chapter contains only tasting notes starting with vintage 2002 vintage and covers also older vintages.  New tasting notes (mainly Le Gay and Valandraud) of 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003 wines have been added to the respective chapters.

16.09.2007 - profile of Château Latour added.

11.09.2007 -  profile of Château Palmer added.

17.08.2007 - update of chapter concerning La Mission Haut Brion/Haut Brion (adding TNs for vintages from 1975 to 1920 and recently tasted vintages in red and white) has been completed.

27.03.2007 - tasting of Sauternes & Barsac 2003 and Tns on some vintages of La Tour Blanche added in Sauternes & Barsac chapter.

19.09.2006 - complete tasting notes on Bordeaux 2005 (barrel samples) and older vintages plus pictures from tasting in Copenhagen last month have been added. Please click here.

IMPORTANT!