2015 Vintage

Lettres de Châteaux
Marie-Stéphane Malbec
ms.malbec@lettres-de-chateaux.com
+33 (0) 5 56 44 63 50
P r e s s P a c k
Vintage 2015

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THE 2015 VINTAGE IN BORDEAUX
« Portrait of a vintage »............................................................................ 3 - 4
Château Castera, Cru Bourgeois, Médoc.................................................. 5
Château Talbot, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Saint-Julien ......................... 6 - 9
Château Paveil de Luze, Cru Bourgeois, Margaux.................................... 10 - 12
Château Belle-Vue, Château de Gironville, Crus Bourgeois, Haut-Médoc
et Château Bolaire, Bordeaux Supérieur.................................................. 13 - 14
Château Cantemerle, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Haut-Médoc............... 15
Château Sénéjac, Cru Bourgeois, Haut-Médoc ....................................... 16 - 17
Château Malleret, Cru Bourgeois, Haut-Médoc ...................................... 18
Château Carbonnieux, Grand Cru Classé, Graves ................................... 19 - 20
Château de Pressac, Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion ............................. 21
Château Fonplégade, Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion ........................... 22 - 23
Château Chauvin, Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion ................................ 24 - 27
Château Grand Corbin, Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion......................... 28
Château Rouget, Pomerol ........................................................................ 29 - 30
THE 2015 VINTAGE IN SAUTERNES AND BARSAC
« 2015 : dense, taut, classy... A very great vintage marked by
exceptionnal botrytis » ............................................................................ 31 - 32
Château Guiraud, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Sauternes ......................... 33
THE 2015 VINTAGE IN BERGERAC
Château Monestier-La-Tour, Bergerac....................................................... 34 - 35
THE 2015 VINTAGE IN LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
Vignobles Lorgeril, Languedoc-Roussillon ............................................... 36 - 37
Château de Caraguilhes, Corbières .......................................................... 38 - 39
THE 2015 VINTAGE IN BANDOL
Domaine de La Bégude, Bandol .............................................................. 40 - 41
THE 2015 VINTAGE IN BOURGOGNE
« The 2015 Bourgogne vintage : simply sublime ! » ................................. 42 - 43
Maison Louis Jadot, Bourgogne ................................................................ 44 - 45
THE 2015 VINTAGE IN CHAMPAGNE
Champagne Philipponnat.......................................................................... 46 - 47
THE 2015 VINTAGE IN LEBANON
Château Marsyas ...................................................................................... 48
Contents

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Portrait of a vintage
The 2015 vintage, throughout the vineyards of the Gironde, has given
wines of very good quality, well structured, with good alcohol degrees and
fruity aromas. The entire sector is satisfied and everyone suggests that the
vintage will be the best in Bordeaux since the excellent 2010. Let’s look at
the detail.
First of all the weather. The fine spring favoured a rapid and mostly regular
flowering. As from the start of July, some minor heatwaves introduced a
hot summer, which was offset by the cool nights. August was typically
summery, though sometimes humid, and preceded a very fine month of
September. Sometimes heavy rain hit some terroirs around mid-September,
then the fine weather returned up until October. The harvest took place
under excellent conditions, even if it was very spread out and among the
longest-lasting of the past twenty years.
And then the wines. With satisfactory yields almost everywhere, the cellars
in Bordeaux are filled with volumes in line with the usual average. So it is
a vintage of good quantity and it is also a vintage of very good quality. This
is true for all the colours. The dry whites are concentrated, aromatic, lively,
and the dessert wines show a good balance between smoothness and
liveliness. Both are excellent.
Red wines saw equal success for the Merlot and the Cabernet. For the
latter, the Médoc has produced consistent and complex wines thanks to
the excellent ripeness of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Petit Verdot.
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux
...

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These two rather late-ripening varieties benefited from the good end to the
season, which played a decisive role here. On the right bank, the Merlot
and Cabernet France show great potential, with very ripe tannins. The only
risk is too much alcohol in certain tanks. But we have to get used to that...
Otherwise, the cellars contain a rich vintage, quite classic, not always easy
to vinify, but of a quality that we would like to see every year.
It is notable that vintages ending in 5 have a great tradition in Bordeaux : from
1945, if we leave out 1965, all the others have given magnificent wines,
and the most recent, the 2015, is no exception to the rule.
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux

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The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Castera
Château Castera
Cru Bourgeois, Haut Médoc
Jean-Pierre Darmuzey - Sales Director
The mild weather in the spring allowed for flowering under ideal
conditions. The summer with its intense heat resulted in almost
perfect ripeness. The rain at the start of September filled out the
berries and provided the volume that had been lacking in the
grapes.
So everything seemed to have come together to allow us to be
“relaxed” during the harvest.
However it wasn’t as simple as that: even if there was no particular
pressure, the tactical choices turned out to be very important, in
particular concerning the order of picking the plots, which proved
to be decisive. The first tastings indicate a promising vintage : the
Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are surprising, an advantage in
this vintage which is turning out to be a vintage of character.
November 2015
http://www.chateau-castera.com

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Some impressions of the 2015 vintage
A vintage for long ageing and precise in its definition of the grand vin, a
reflection of its terroir.
Rainfall in 2015
January : 87 mm
February : 90 mm
March : 42 mm
April : 19 mm
May : 67 mm
June : 26.5 mm
July : 10 mm
August : 65 mm
September : 97.5 mm
October : 59 mm
November : 51 mm
December : 5 mm
Or 616 mm over 12 months
End of August : wind, stormy rain : 34 mm
Harvest : Caillou Blanc
Tuesday 8 September
Wednesday 9 September
Thursday 10 September
September rain :
Saturday 12 : 38 mm in the night, storm
Sunday 13 : 20 mm in the night
Monday 14 : 8 mm
Château Talbot
Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Saint Julien
Christian Hostein - Technical Director
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Talbot
...

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Tuesday 15 : 7 mm
Wednesday 16 : 5 mm
Friday 18 : 6 mm
Saturday 19 : 8 mm
78 mm / 7 days of rain
Red harvest:
Monday 21 September : Small team : young Merlot
Tuesday 22 September : Small team
Wednesday 23 September : Small team : Lalande Merlot
Thursday 24 September : Large team : fine Merlot from the plateau
Friday 25 September : Large team
Monday 28 September : Large team
Tuesday 29 September : Large team — end of the Merlot
Wednesday 30 September
Thursday 1 October : Cabernet Sauvignon from the Talbot and Lalande belt
Friday 2 October
Saturday 3 October
Monday 5 October
Tuesday 6 October : We picked the Talbot plateau, the heart of the first wine
Wednesday 7 October : We finished at mid-day
Thursday 8 October
...

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Silhouettes cut across the deep purple sunset, the sky is starry, the night is
quiet and rather mild as the end of the year approaches.
Ages of work has come to an end and our architects are here to perfect the
lighting, the stage design and all our working installations, as well as the entirely
renewed surrounding areas, so that we can open for visits and to the world.
In the great cathedral cellar, the part of this enchanted 2015 vintage indisputably
destined for the grand vin is already in noble French oak barrels.
We have crafted this vintage, which was born of nature, by combining sufficient
water reserves (we recall the cumulative rainfall of the past 2 years, each
g i vi n g mo re th a n 1 0 0 0 mm) with a summer that was prematurely dry
and resulted in a marked halt to growth. July was finally triumphant, with its
power and its direct sunlight, and gave us resistant grapes, with sufficiently
compact bunches after the almost simultaneous flowering around 2 June. The
skins, already thick, coped with the moderate rainfall in August and above all in
September.The rainy spell in mid-September did not result in dilution or splitting,
but just contributed to swelling the bunches with good juice. The grapes thus
accumulated richness in sugar and phenolic compounds, comparable to 2010.
Maybe the variable was in the acidity, which fluctuated from one plot to another
and resulted in different tannin profiles.
The more filtering soils of Lalande have given more slender wines, quite lively
and vigorous ; on the plateau, we picked remarkable old Merlot with powerful
tannin and rich in taste ; the Cabernet Sauvignon is sappy and has a “gamey”
flavour that this grape variety develops when it ripens on our gravel soils. The
Petit Verdot, of a venerable age, gave a record crop. Everything is there : the
degree (> 15%), the acidity, the power of the tannins and the “wild” taste of this
traditional Médoc grape variety.
The new oak fermentation vats were baptised with great ceremony with these
classic grapes.
Tuesday 1 December 2015, 9p.m. at Talbot
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The malolactic started without problem and the filling of the barrels is
therefore complete for the grand vin. Now patience must take the place of
the work of man, and in a few weeks we can start to taste how this great
year will turn out.
The first trial blends are scheduled for January 2016 and we will attempt to
get closer to the mysterious synergy that takes place between these grape
varieties when they come together to support one another.
The richness of the press fractions is notable this year, real concentrates of
great wine that will reinforce the long ageing potential of the 2015s.
The Caillou Blanc already seems to be developing towards a very high level
of quality, with a clear balance between alcohol and acidity highlighting the
exotic fragrances : mango, passion fruit, lychee.
http://chateau-talbot.com

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“Another vintage that has thrilled us”
2015, a year ending in “5” which has the weight on its shoulders of some
great past successes: 2005, 1995, 1985, 1975, 1955, 1945... A true law of
series. Wine has its share of superstition, we don’t hide it, and we were
secretly expecting a great year; we were not disappointed!
A mainly hot summer, sufficient rainfall, and a great end to the season ; no
need to perform Indian dances and invoke the sky gods ; we were spoilt in
2015 by ideal weather conditions.
A fabulous bit of help from nature
A little help from nature allowed us, at Château Paveil de Luze, to cope
with the stressful harvest period in a calm and positive manner, and to
obtain good volumes of grapes of a remarkable quality.
At the beginning of September, a little rain helped to swell the bunches! We
therefore saw an increased volume of Merlot, ideally situated on a deep
gravel terroir.
On 22 September, Stéphane Derenoncourt and Simon Blanchard came
to assess the ripeness of the grapes. After discussion, we decided to start
to pick certain parcels, little by little, day by day, so as to be able to react
as quickly as possible. An almost “made-to-measure” harvest, so as to be
able to pick the fruit at its peak.
There was thick fog in the mornings, the last traces of the cool nights that
demanded patience from our teams. We progressed slowly with the La
Coste parcel, protected by organic treatment, then we sped up to take
advantage of the perfect ripeness of the Merlot in plots 75 and 78. All
the Merlot was picked under the magnificent sun of the weekend of 28
September.
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Paveil de Luze
Château Paveil de luze
Cru Bourgeois, Margaux
Frédéric de Luze - Owner
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Concentration with quantity
With the heat in the day, the Cabernet Sauvignon became concentrated
while still keeping a good volume. A light cool east/north-east wind in the
morning led us to wait a little longer before picking these particularly large
bunches.
There remained 8 days of harvest, of which one was entirely manual
on a parcel which had been grafted from Cabernet Franc to Cabernet
Sauvignon. The countdown started! All the family, with cousins, nephews,
aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters came to swell the ranks of the pickers
and lend a helping hand to our team. This occasion brought together all the
family, for the vintage and to make a film about the property.
The final sprint
Monday 5 October : start of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Development was
very quick, there was not a moment to lose. Stéphane Fort, not without
stress, managed this home straight with calm and prudence and rallied
the final efforts from a team that had been ready to go into battle for more
than a month.
We ended up by receiving a very good crop in our cellars with natural
alcohol degrees of around 13-13.5%.
Once calm descended on our cellars, the final sprint of the harvest being
over, the vinification could begin. The naturally high density levels led to
very soft extraction.
The first tastings show very rich varietal wines with dense expression. The
very deep colours, and the powerful and subtle aromas, will surprise you
during the forthcoming tastings.
...

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The quality of a great wine leads us to the glass.
2015 should keep its promise and fulfil our hopes. The shortest route to
a great vintage is not always a straight line, but once in the glass our
Château Paveil de Luze 2015 will without doubt be precise, fine, straight,
long and intense.
Whatever the route, only the destination is important.
Harvest dates
Merlot : from 23 to 28 September.
Cabernet sauvignon : from 5 to 14 October.
http://www.chateaupaveildeluze.com

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Vineyard cycle in 2015
Despite a start to the season interrupted by showers, followed by a hot and
sunny period at the time of flowering, the growth cycle followed a classic
path, with the flowering and véraison neither particularly early or late.
The strong and difficult points
The pressure from disease at the start of the season, and the management
of botrytis and ripeness in parallel with the strong rains in September, did
not give much room for manoeuvre in deciding the date for the start of
harvest.
The dates and progress of the harvest
The harvest started on 17 September for the Merlot and lasted until 26/09,
then a 6-day break during which strong rains lashed down on the vineyard.
We started again on 2/10 with the Cabernet Sauvignon followed by the
Petit Verdot, not stopping until 9/10.
The characteristics of the year
A two-speed year: a start to the season without respite until flowering, a
calm summer and harvest at full speed and in the rain.
Château Belle-Vue & Château de Gironville
Crus Bourgeois, Haut Médoc
Château Bolaire
Bordeaux Supérieur
Jérôme Pineau - Manager
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Belle-Vue, Gironville et Bolaire
...

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The special character of 2015
Despite the rain, the vintage is characterised by good concentration of
aromas and tannins.
With which other vintage would you compare the 2015?
The 2015 vintage can be compared to the 2010, as much for the power of
its tannins as for its aromatic concentration.
“ A vintage saved from the floods. Above all, the vintage was made in
the vineyard, with the management of disease, the rain and the weeds,
the vintage seemed promising once flowering was complete under a fine
summer’s sun. A magnificent summer followed until just before the harvest
when the strong rain showers fell. Luckily the most difficult part had been
done, and ripeness had been achieved. The grapes, once in tank, showed
all the aromatic palette worthy of a 2010 vintage.”
February 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Belle-Vue, Gironville et Bolaire
http://www.chateau-belle-vue.com/fr

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The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Cantemerle
Château Cantemerle
Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Haut Médoc
Philippe Dambrine - Director
A new arrival in the “Club of 5”
No one can have missed noticing that the weather conditions for the 2015
vintage were the best for the past five years. The records prove it and, at
the same time, put the efforts of the winegrowers a bit into the background.
So 2015 was not a winegrowers’ year but rather a great vintage given by
Mother Nature !
Neither was it a “ Burgundian ” vintage, as we have heard in the recent past
to describe one of its deserving predecessors. It was a totally Bordeaux
vintage, and will be no doubt for many years !
At Cantemerle, we lived the vintage with the passion that drives us, but also
with some anxiety that gripped us, especially when the sun was intensely
hot and threatened to burn the still-green fruit in July, and also when the
skies darkened as the harvest approached, with several showers, but
finally we were saved.
This was how this superb vintage has made its mark: in our cellars where it
is quietly maturing and in our minds, to tell the story when the time is right.
This adds ten years to these special vintages ending in “ 5 ” : 1975, 1985,
1995, 2005 and now 2015 ! Enough to stimulate discussion on each finger
of this fine hand !
March 2016
http://www.cantemerle.com

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2015 was a sunny vintage and therefore a little less stressful than the
last few, throughout the growing period. Weed growth was minimal and
fungal diseases remained harmless as a result of the low rainfall. The latter
affected some of the young vines during summer, and we will be sure not
to overload them during the winter pruning.
But in the end, we find ourselves with a 2015 vintage of very high quality
and with a volume that corresponds to our expectations. It will be a vintage
with good ageing potential, certainly one of the best at Sénéjac since 2005.
The end-of-year celebrations are over, the new wine is in barrel, and the
vineyard workers are pruning the vines, and waxing them at the same
time...
The start of the year has been rainy, and the soil needs it...
Hoping that 2016 will turn out as well as the 2015.
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Sénéjac
Château Sénéjac
Damien Hostein - Technical Director
...

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2015 harvest
From 21 to 25 September : we picked the Merlot.
29 September : we picked the Cabernet Franc.
From 30 September to 8 October : we calmly harvested the Cabernet
Sauvignon.
On 3 October : we picked the Petit Verdot, of very high quality this year.
Some figures (rainfall)
January : 62 mm
February : 70 mm
March : 42 mm
April : 18.5 mm
May : 32 mm
June : 39 mm
July : 19.5 mm
August : 89 mm
September : 47 mm
October : 41 mm
November : 61 mm
December : 13.5 mm
January 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Sénéjac
http://www.chateau-senejac.com

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2015 : a great vintage at Malleret
Ideal climatic conditions : flowering was marvellous, July and August were
hot and dry, and the few showers at the end of August were welcome to
alleviate some of the water stress. The vines were perfectly healthy, with
leaf removal on both sides and disbudding. Green harvest when required.
Since 2014, with the arrival of Stéphane Derenoncourt, picking has been
by hand.
The 2015 harvest started on 17 September, early, as for the great vintages:
magnificent Merlot, good sugar levels, intense colours and moderate
yields. A rainy spell on the weekend of 3-4 October, just what was needed
to help the ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Each plot was harvested
at optimum ripeness, with the last bunches picked on 9 October. So the
harvest was spread over 3 weeks.
At the end of November, on tasting, we have very good tanks, the quality
gap is narrowed and for the first time we can appreciate the different
expressions of our terroirs, which I would say are equal.
In 2015 Paul Bordes did his 40th vintage, and he had never seen that
before.All the Gods contrived to help us create a divine beverage : Château
de Malleret 2015 !
December 2015
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Malleret
Château de Malleret
Aymar du Vivier - Communications Consultant
http://www.chateau-malleret.fr

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2015, The magic of “ 5 ” ?
The growth cycle of the vines has progressed magnificently thanks
to almost perfect weather at the right time. The generally sunny spring
resulted in a very even flowering around 2 June. This was followed by a
warm and dry July, ideal for the early summer tasks (though tiring for the
vineyard workers). Just as the plants could have started to show signs of
stress, a good quantity of rain at the beginning of August replenished the
vines and resulted in véraison between 7 and 10 August.
Beginning of the harvest on 27 August for the Sauvignon Blanc, made
more exciting by the surprise visit of Economy Minister Mr Emmanuel
Macron, followed immediately after by the Sémillon. Continuation with the
red varieties from 17 September for the Merlot interrupted by some breaks
to wait for the best possible maturity of each plot.
In the words of Eric Perrin: “ 2015 puts smiles on our faces, it is the dream
vintage in terms of quality and weather, white and red batches, in barrels
today, confirm the promise we had already predicted during the harvest.
However, the heat of July prevented the growth of certain berries and the
yields are lower than expected. The tastings of the blends we have just
finished suggest a beautiful vintage worthy of the best years finishing in 5 :
2005, 95, 85, 75... As for the structure of the reds, they are also reminiscent
of the 2010s ”.
Château Carbonnieux
Cru Classé de Graves
Eric et Philibert Perrin - Owners
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Carbonnieux
...

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In Philibert Perrin’s words : “ Since the death of our father Antony, we are
tripling our efforts with my brother and my sister to bring a new impetus to
Carbonnieux. We are very proud because 2015 has been the result of this
work in all areas. In addition to this very promising vintage, we received
two great rewards: we have been accepted in the first ISO 14001 certified
Bordeaux EMS (Environmental Management System) association. This
integration officially confirms our will to practise the most accurate and
sustainable possible agriculture while ensuring the safety of our employees
and confirming the identity of our wines. And on a completely different
level, we have also been winners of the Best of Wine Tourism and even
won gold in the ‘architecture and landscape’ category. It is a bit like an
Oscar for wine and it is also a way to tell our visitors how much we enjoy
welcoming them at Carbonnieux.”
Technical news in 2015 :
• During the winter, training of the pruners and setting up a new pruning
system (GUYOT POUSSART) for the cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon
blanc varieties to make the vines more durable, reduce mortality (from
esca disease) and improve production quality.
• Installation of a weather station in the château vineyards so as to
refine analyses and forecasts and put in place even more integrated and
personalised agriculture for each parcel.
• A third new press using inert gas for the processing of the white grapes.
December 2015
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Carbonnieux
http://www.carbonnieux.com

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The 2015 vintage was marked by very favourable conditions, in
particular a quick and even flowering, a dry month of July, and a hot
month of August with satisfactory rainfall.
Apart from some major black rot and mildew in spring, which required
great vigilance, the weather conditions were excellent.
At the end of summer, the grapes seemed to be ripe.The skins however
were still thick and hard. Everyone made the same observation, but
did not necessarily draw the same conclusions. Each had their own
point of view :
- Some maintained that this was due to the weather conditions in
July, that the skins would not develop further, that there would be no
point in waiting longer to harvest, and this would just result in flabby,
jammy musts. There was a risk of losing the fruit.
- Others thought, on the other hand, that picking these thick-skinned
grapes too early would give hard, tannic wines, lacking in charm.
This was the dilemma. The discussions went on forever, but no side
could convince the other.
At Château de Pressac we waited, but not too long, and finally dragged
out the harvest a little.
The limestone soils gave us wines which have good acidity and quite
low pH, so good freshness and balance, without any hardness.
In the end, everyone was right but the answer was in the soil!
2015 at Pressac has turned out to be a great vintage !
January 2016
Château de Pressac
Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion
Jean-François Quenin - Owner
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Pressac
http://chateaudepressac.com/fr/

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Vineyard cycle in 2015
Spring, summer and autumn were very dry.
Flowering is the vital stage, and it took place under exceptional conditions
(hot and sunny weather).
Fruit set followed under the same very fine conditions.
Véraison was very even thanks to the rain at the beginning of August.
The fine weather in August, September and October allowed for harvesting
of each plot when ripe and under optimum conditions.
The strong and difficult points
The strong points : optimum weather conditions for flowering, ripening and
harvesting. The very even character of the harvest.
The difficult points : pressure from black rot at the start of the season, but
finally it was very well controlled.
The dates and progress of the harvest
From 18 September (for young vines in the first year of production) to 6
October (for the Cabernet Franc).
These were optimum conditions for the harvest, as were had the privilege
of being able to harvest on the days we wanted.
The characteristics of the year
A sunny, dry and calm year.
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Fonplégade
Château Fonplégade
Eloi Jacob - Director
...

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The special character of 2015
Optimum ripeness, very good balance in the wine because there is both
power from the tannins and also finesse and elegance with very good
freshness on the finish from the clay and clay-limestone soils
With which other vintage would you compare the 2015 ?
2010 for the power, finesse and balance.
It is the sort of vintage we would like to see every year, as there was
complete calm throughout the season.
As the weather conditions were so fine, we were able to take our time to
go deeper into plot selection for the harvest.
February 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Fonplégade
http://www.fonplegade.com

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Château Chauvin 2015 – the promise of a great wine
Sylvie Cazes and her children took over the fine property of Château
Chauvin at the beginning of May 2014. 2015 is the second vintage under
their management.
Since taking over the vineyard, Philippe Moureau and his team have
performed soil studies and changed growing methods, including working
the soil under the rows and controlled grassing, which allow each bunch
of grapes to give of its best while still preserving the environment. Special
and meticulous care has been given to each plant, as a function of its
growth. Vinification has also been improved, both at the technical level and
regarding equipment. A new state-of-the-art destemmer allows for optimal
separation of the berries and the stems, and a cold room is used to better
control the temperature of the grapes before fermentation.
With precision and rigour, with respect for the terroir of Saint-Emilion and
the conditions specific to each vintage, Sylvie Cazes and her team are now
creating elegant, balanced, feminine and classy wines with the potential
for ageing.
This 2015 vintage bears witness to the exceptional work by the team
at Château Chauvin. The optimal climatic conditions allowed for a calm
approach to the harvest, with each parcel brought to ripeness. The result
in this context is a great vintage, with good ageing potential.
Ideal climatic conditions
Bordeaux winegrowers will remember the weather in 2015 as being
historically hot and dry from May to July, bringing ideal conditions for the
development of the berries but also certain challenges.
After a cold and dry winter, the mild weather in spring allowed for early
and regular bud burst at the beginning of April, and then a rapid and even
flowering at the end of May under hot and dry conditions.
The water stress caused by this weather slowed down vegetative growth
at the end of July, then some welcome rainfall allowed for a rapid véraison
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Chauvin
Château Chauvin
Sylvie Cazes - Owner
...

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at the beginning of August.
September and October were warm and dry, with rainfall well below
average (616 mm compared with the average 932 mm) but sufficient. The
sunny days and cool nights allowed for optimum conditions up to the full
ripening of the berries, and with a high phenolic potential and therefore
promising levels of anthocyanins and tannins.
The vineyard was managed with great prudence, in particular with
controlled leaf removal and thinning adapted to each vine so as to optimise
the microclimate of the bunches, taking account of the summer heat and
the great water stress which needed to be managed to avoid excess.
The height of the canopy was significantly increased so as to better absorb
the water from the soil and to allow optimum ripening of the grapes.
These unique weather conditions allowed for an even growth cycle and a
calm approach to the harvest, though always with careful attention being
paid.
A calm harvest
The harvest took place under exceptional conditions. Picking at Château
Chauvin is by hand, with small-capacity holed crates, to save the crop from
crushing, optimise sorting in the vineyard, accurately weigh the quantity
from each parcel and equally to drain the grapes. Comprehensive plot
selection was put in place to refine the quality of the macerations. Each
plot was harvested at optimum ripeness, to reveal the best expression of
the terroir and the specific characters of each grape variety.
At Chauvin the Merlot was exceptionally rich in phenolic compounds
(tannins and anthocyanins), and in a perfect state of health. This foretold
the richness of the grapes, which were picked from 28 September to 2
October.
The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon were picked at the peak of
maturity, from 5 to 8 October.
The perfect state of health allowed ripening of the berries to go all the way;
they were small in size, with greater concentration and therefore better
aromatic potential.
The grapes this year had very good balance between sugar and acidity,
with alcohol levels of the order of 13.5% to 14% as well as exceptional
phenolic ripeness.
...

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Vinification and ageing
The bunches were sorted in the vineyard, and double sorting was performed
at grape reception (before and after destemming) so as to keep only the
perfect berries.
Because of the summery temperatures during harvest, a cold room was
used to reduce the temperature of the grapes and allow for cold soaking
before gently starting the fermentation.
The resulting berries were put in temperature-controlled stainless-steel
tanks, according to the plot selection. This procedure allowed for individual
management of the production of each plot, which had seen different
conditions of development and therefore required individual vinification.
The must was left in contact with the skins, for a pre-fermentation cold
soaking in tank for 2 to 5 days at around 8°C, before the start of the
alcoholic fermentations. The extraction of anthocyanins and tannins was
therefore softer and slower, resulting in wines that are more elegant while
still being concentrated.
The good ripeness allowed us to make fruity wines without any green
character, with notes of fresh and ripe fruit. The vinifications took place
under very good conditions. The grapes were left in tank sufficiently long
to attain the best balance for each tank (around 25 days).
The highest-quality lots were put in barrel early, to carry out the malolactic
fermentation and give good balance, bringing suppleness and roundness
to the wine. As from December, ageing proceeded on the lees, so that the
wine has preserved all its fruit. The wine from this 2015 vintage is being
aged in 60% new barrels, allowing for balance between the oak influence
and respect for the fruit.
In January 2016, Jérémie Gravier, a young agricultural engineer, took
over the technical management of the property, following on from Philippe
Moureau. Now he is taking the greatest care over the ageing of this
magnificent vintage.
...

27
2015 : tasting
2015 allowed us to obtain a wine with very good maturity and great
concentration. The Merlot is fleshy, powerful and indulgent. The Cabernet
Franc expresses itself marvellously, a sign of the property’s great terroir,
with lots of elegance, fruit and depth. The Cabernet Sauvignon has played
its cards right, to give its spicy notes and subtlety to the blend for the First
Wine.
2015 : visual identity
2015 will be the second vintage to feature the new visual identity of
Château Chauvin, expressing the commitment and values dear to Sylvie
Cazes, her children and their team. Working from a 1929 label found in the
cellars of the property, a new label has been created. The meaning of the
word “ chauvin ” led to the creation of an emblem expressing love and pride
for the land : Cupid, the symbol of love, is represented with a lion, present
on the coat of arms of Saint-Emilion. As from the 2014 vintage, this emblem
features on the label of Château Chauvin, to represent the attachment of the
château to the land of Saint-Emilion.
February 2016
http://www.chateauchauvin.com

28
2015 vintage : warm and welcome
With an even and complete bud burst, the 2015 vintage started well at
Château Grand-Corbin. Despite that, the perpetual battle against mildew
began early and required the utmost vigilance from when the first shoots
appeared.
The particularly fine spring, with high temperatures, was beneficial for the
vine and favoured a good flowering while considerably limiting the intensity
of the mildew. This long hot and dry period favoured the build-up of tannins
in the skins and the breakdown of the green aromas. Some young vines
planted on well-filtered parcels suffered the effect of this strong, early heat.
It was only as from August that the temperatures became cooler than
normal, during the grape ripening phase. This low temperature variation
allowed all the freshness of the aromas to be preserved.
The harvest took place under excellent climatic conditions, allowing the
picking date to be adapted to each parcel... A tailor-made harvest !
Finally in tank, the vintage is showing all its complexity and expresses
generous notes of ripe fruits.
Since November, barrel ageing is slowly but surely providing support to the
structure of this vintage, which remains without any doubt a great success
at Château Grand-Corbin.
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Grand Corbin
Château Grand Corbin
Antoine Couthures - Stage Manager
http://grand-corbin.com

29
Château Rouget 2015 : And if this vintage has reached a form of
perfection?
Behind this eye-catching title, there is a reality that has brought us out of
our traditional reserve at Rouget.
After the abundant winter rains, which allowed the soil to store sufficient
water for the entire growth cycle, we had one of the driest and hottest
springs in recent decades. The vine was therefore able to grow without
incident, flowering went smoothly, and there was little or even no disease.
In the memory of Pomerol, it is very long since the stars have been so well
aligned.
There was concern from the end of July up to mid-August, because the
heat and the absence of rain subjected our vineyard to important water
stress.
Luckily we took a gamble at Rouget, by limiting the leaf removal in a hot
year so as to protect the grapes from the sun’s intense rays.
Blessed from the start, this vintage saw fine and effective rain rehydrate
our vineyard as from mid-August up to mid-September. Growth got going
again, the natural sugar in our Merlot rose smoothly up to 14 degrees while
preserving perfect balance between acidity and ripeness. We saw that our
pH levels were better balanced than in 2009, and even than in 2010 !
As from 18 September, we picked our first grapes, with thick skins, flavourful
juice but without excess, and colours that were just asking to come out.
Because we have a treasure in our hands, we wanted to be even more
precise than usual in our harvesting. Now at Rouget we do not talk about
harvesting by plot but rather within plots, and even within rows. This has
been made possible by our new policy of complete vinification in barrel.
Château Rouget
Pomerol
Edouard Labruyère - Owner
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Rouget
...

30
We place our grapes (sometimes with a few stems, because we are caught
up with our Burgundian origins) directly in the barrels selected for their
oak and their light toast. The marriage between the oak and the wine is
therefore more harmonious and allows for extraction that is more respectful
of the tannins.
Ageing has started in our cellars and will continue for at least 18 months, so
as to highlight the freshness, the delicate tannic structure and the aromatic
complexity of a vintage that we, at Rouget, don’t hesitate to classify as
exceptional.
February 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Bordeaux - Rouget
http://www.chateau-rouget.com

31
The 2015 Vintage in Sauternes and Barsac
2015 : dense, taut, classy...
A very great vintage marked by exceptional botrytis
On Wednesday 9 March, most of the owners and technical managers of
the CCSB met at Château Climens for a first internal tasting of the 2015
vintage.
As is often the case, the atmosphere was contemplative and studious. It
is always a serious business to discover, together, the personality of the
vintage that for 12 months has carried everyone’s hopes, doubts, stress
and passion...
So here more than elsewhere, when the wine producers can finally relax
because they are especially proud of their wines, their neighbours and
their appellation, we are happy for them.
It is certainly the case this year.
The 2015 is undoubtedly to be ranked among the great vintages.
The quality is very regular, something that should be emphasised in such a
demanding appellation, even if it has increasingly been the case over the
past decade.
The wines are dense but taut, particularly classy, marked by clean and
pure botrytis which brings very good aromatic definition, and sweetness of
great elegance supported by a delicate liveliness.
The harvest took place between the first week of September and the last
week of October.
On average, four passes through the vineyard were needed, the noble rot
developing easily and regularly, allowing for a smooth harvest and a crop
with young and fresh botrytis, which is without doubt one of the keys to the
success of this vintage.
...

32
The 2015 Vintage in Sauternes and Barsac
Despite some heatwaves at the beginning of summer, freshness was
retained and the wines have remarkable balance. A hallmark of great
years, all producers have expressed their terroir in a very natural way ; the
wines are easily identifiable, each one marked by its own style.
The average yield is 17hl/ha, which is largely adequate for Sauternes, and
good news because it will allow for greater selection and more possibilities.
On tasting, the wines show notes of candied fruit and roasted apricot, a
sign of the strong influence of botrytis, completed with citrus and floral
aromas bringing great elegance, a bit like in 2005.
This vintage shows all the signs of wines with great ageing potential:
fullness, purity, length and class.
It should delight serious lovers of Sauternes and Barsac, and be added
to the 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 vintages in the cellars of these
demanding collectors.

33
2015, the magic year
After three years of relatively cold temperatures, the heat finally arrived
in 2015 ! From springtime onwards, we had a beautiful run of weather,
with higher than average temperatures allowing the vines to blossom
week early, at the end of May.
Temperatures in June and July peaked at over 40°C, meaning that
grapes could ripen early. Slightly cooler weather and sporadic rain
provided the perfect conditions for « liquid gold ».
Our organic methods allowed us to begin harvesting botrytis-affected
grapes from the 7th September ! Wind, humidity provided by the
Ciron, and afternoon heat… A perfect cocktail of conditions allowing
for optimal, even concentration. At the beginning of October, just as
the first rains began to fall, the last of the grapes were harvested…
Everything went perfectly smoothly. This vintage is one for the history
books.
February 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Sauternes - Guiraud
Château Guiraud
Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Sauternes
Xavier Planty - Director
http://www.chateauguiraud.fr

34
2015 left a lasting mark on the recent history of Château Monestier-la-
Tour ; it was as if many factors came together at the same time, resulting
in a major change.
The most important element was certainly the application of biodynamic
viticulture to the entire estate, and for the first time to the whole growing
season. This new direction was deliberate on the part of the owners.
But it was a renewed team that was responsible for applying this new
approach in the field.
In such human adventures there is always a moment of doubt when the
stakes are so high.
Motivation won through, because it was a question of bringing out the
potential of the vineyard while respecting the environment and the rhythm
of nature.
On a day-to-day basis, each terroir needed to be discovered through long
and meticulous work of observation and understanding. Only a sensitive
link with the land allows such knowledge to be acquired. Each plant must
be cared for so that it can give a balanced expression of the very essence
of the terroir in which it is planted.
This work on the land also allowed for changes in the proportions of each
grape variety, for a better expression of the different terroirs. This long-
term desire for perfection, the real hallmark of the owners, will speak with
all its strength and relevance in the future. But already this year it allowed
for a real and positive impact on the wines.
The estate team quickly adopted the biodynamic preparations and herbal
infusions. The vines remained fine and strong throughout the season, to
everyone’s pride.
The 2015 Vintage in Bergerac - Monestier la Tour
Château Monestier la Tour
Bergerac
Corinne Comme - Technical Director
...

35
The arrival of the first flowers on 21 May saw the beginning of a hot and
dry period of two consecutive months. This is rare in our region, and
also the first step in the production of a great vintage. The only doubt
came on 11 June, when we had a worrying storm, but luckily it was of no
consequence.
The clay-limestone soils played their role perfectly in gently and
continuously providing water for the vines.
After such a fine summer, early ripening allowed harvest of the white
grapes as from 8 September.
Then on 21 September it was the turn of the Merlot. The other red grape
varieties followed, benefiting from the lasting fine sunny weather in this
fortunate region.
Ourfineharvestwasdeliveredtoabrandnewtankroom,builtwithabsolute
respect for local architectural traditions. It is fitted with winemaking tanks
that are sized to allow for the full expression of this magnificent terroir.
A new barrel cellar furthers the attention given to the wine by offering
optimum ageing conditions. So the wines of Monestier-la-Tour now
benefit from a setting worthy of their quality.
Balance is the watchword of this project, as it seems dedicated to the
well-being of the wine and its integration into the landscape.
In this last perspective, and from a wider point of view, the year also saw
the introduction of numerous plants destined to improve biodiversity on
the estate.
It only remains now to appreciate the wines of this year, which bring with
them the wishes of a family and the daily work of a motivated team.
Today, while the work in the cellar continues, the vine has already started
on a new cycle.
November 2015
The 2015 Vintage in Bergerac - Monestier la Tour
http://www.chateaumonestierlatour.com

36
An end to a harvest with record early ripening,
and for which the quality promises to be exceptional !
Nicolas de Lorgeril, who with the teams of the various Lorgeril family
properties (Château de Pennautier in Cabardès, Château de Ciffre in
Faugères and Saint-Chinian, Domaine de la Borie Blanche in Minervois
and Livinière, Mas des Montagnes in Côtes du Roussillon Villages),
celebrated his 29th harvest, tells of a vintage remarkable for its evenness
and its early ripening.
The conditions were perfectly adapted to very even ripening, the result
of an early and regular flowering ; the temperatures in July maintained
the 10-day lead that marked the entire season and the latest-ripening
Mediterranean varieties benefited from the rains in August.
• The harvest was quick : 28 days without interruption between 7
September and 2 October 2015, a record since it usually lasts for 5 weeks.
• Healthy grapes and a remarkable quality of mechanical and
manual sorting allowed for vatting of a real “caviar” of perfectly ripe berries
(skins, pulp, tannin and pips) without any damage.
• Temperatures remained cool (5 to 10°C at night) on the family
estates which are all located at altitude, in the search for a balance
between coolness and the sun’s heat. This slowed down the ripening to
give remarkably elegant tannins and aromas.
• The quantity is somewhat below average, due to the drought in
July.
The 2015 Vintage in Languedoc-Roussillon - Lorgeril
Vignobles Lorgeriil
Languedoc-Roussillon
Miren de Lorgeril - Owner
...

37
2015 is a balanced vintage benefiting from the Atlantic grape varieties
(Cabernet, Merlot) and the Chardonnay in their aromatic expression
and their structure, and allowing the Mediterranean varieties (Grenache,
Syrah) to ripen perfectly and express spicy and peppery aromas that are
very promising.
February 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Languedoc-Roussillon - Lorgeril
http://www.lorgeril.com

38
Here you are immersed in the Mediterranean, with this enchanting nose of
black olives, ripe raspberries, pepper and the garrique. It is a treat on the
palate, with generous fruitiness, supple tannins and a long liquorice finish.
A fine Corbières wine... The 2015 vintage keeps up the Mediterranean
personality of our wines, with Carignan, Grenache and Mourvèdre
expressing themselves with all their class. The Syrah, picked before in this
rather early vintage, brings a nice touch of charm to the blends. Otherwise,
the whites are starting to give real personality to our site at Caraguilhes, as
the vintage seems to have had little influence over the past 4 years.
2015 was therefore a vintage characterised by a hot and dry summer, but
the vines never suffered under these conditions. The winter and spring, with
plenty of rain, allowed for the build up of good quantities of water in the soils,
which allowed the vineyard to easily survive the lack of water linked to the
intense heat between early June and early August. This good performance
by the vines, associated with rather higher temperatures, encouraged earlier
picking dates, and at the very least a greater concentration in the harvest.
While the harvest usually takes almost a month, this year we picked the large
majority of the grapes over a fortnight : it required vigilance, and we needed
to be prepared to take in the grapes without them becoming over-ripe. We
have learnt from previous vintages that there is nothing to be gained from
waiting too long. We prefer to keep maximum freshness in our wines and
avoid unnecessary over-ripeness...
The 2015 Vintage in Languedoc-Roussillon - Caraguilhes
Château de Caraguilhes
Corbières
Etienne Besancenot - Technical Director
...

39
By 1 October everything was in the cellar, including the Mourvèdre, with
ripeness that had never been seen before.
The soft “ northerly ” character of the 2014s was appealing and we are
equally charmed by the Mediterranean ardour, without heaviness, of the
2015s.
February 2015
The 2015 Vintage in Languedoc-Roussillon - Caraguilhes
http://www.caraguilhes.fr

40
This 2015 vintage proved to be “ providential ”. It all started well and we
feared that the end of the season might let us down again, like in 2014, but
it didn’t happen.
Dry and very healthy grapes, ripeness achieved for all the grape varieties
and the different parcels.The increase in sugar levels was briefly interrupted
by some slight dilution at the middle of September, but the sun continued
to shine, the phenols to increase and the tannins to become finer, allowing
us to pick at the end of September 2015.
At La Bégude, harvesting ripe Mourvèdre allowed it to be used for both our
reds and our rosés.
Light sorting took place on the table, to salve our conscience, but we
couldn’t help noticing that Nature had really spoilt us.
2015 has broken a cycle of three cold and rainy years, 2012, 2013 and
2014, which were certainly favourable for the whites and the rosés,
although those that we will bottle at the beginning of March are fleshy and
have a pleasant freshness which makes them aromatic and easy to drink.
The mineral content of the soils and the favourable temperature variations
resulting from the altitude of our vineyard make all the difference here,
especially in hot years like 2015. The reds will now stay in cask until spring-
summer 2018. This year it is certain that they will be able to face up to oak
ageing without any problem. The tannins are powerful and fine.
The balance is there. Good character which gives aromatic intensity. Of
course, like all the wines made at la Bégude, it needs at least a year in
bottle for them to settle down and regain their strength.
Domaine de la Bégude
Bandol
Guillaume Tari - Owner
The 2015 Vintage in Bandol - Bégude
...

41
It is always difficult to judge a red or rosé from la Bégude when the proportion
of Mourvèdre is so high (90% for the reds and 95% for the rosés). Bottling,
while giving an important dose of oxygen, pandering to those who are
impatient and want to taste the wine as from the first summer, shakes up
and disturbs the wine to a certain extent. One should therefore be patient
and let the wine find its place in the bottle.
We wrote last year that natural factors remain unpredictable and
uncontrollable. This is still true, but this time round it worked to our
advantage.
Let us be humble, and know that while one vintage follows another, they
are probably not going to be similar... We have to adapt.
February 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Bandol - Bégude
http://www.domainedelabegude.fr

42
MILLESIME 2015 EN BOURGOGNE
Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne
The 2015 Vintage in Bourgogne
The 2015 Bourgogne vintage : simply sublime !
The grapes harvested in the Bourgogne wine region in 2015 were simply
perfect. They were in tip-top health, and at optimal ripeness, a double
whammy that will make this year one to remember. The wines have
wonderful balance, and the vintage is characterized by abundant aromatic
depth. The upbeat mood felt across the region during harvesting has
been transformed into pure delight as vinification progressed and the first
tastings revealed the promise of the future wines. The overall quality and
exceptional concentration observed from the north of the region to the
south suggest this may well go down as a legendary vintage.
Flowering started in early June, with veraison occuring in mid-July and
the first grapes picked in late August, meaning everything went at quite
a lick as the hot, dry weather dictated the tempo. Winemakers managed
to adapt to this sustained pace and unusual conditions, bringing in some
magnificient fruit which promises a great vintage. This idyllic picture is,
however, tempered by the relatively low volumes of red harvested which,
at times, fell below expectations.
White wines
The white wines are already very expressive, with lovely notes of summer
fruits, and great aromatic purity, balanced by an impressive crispness and
richness in the mouth. This harmony will please those who don’t want to
wait too long before uncorking, but will undoubtely improve with ageing.
...

43
http://www.vins-bourgogne.fr
The 2015 Vintage in Bourgogne
Red wines
These are showing some intense, bright colors. The wines are bursting
with aromas of incomparable complexity, with notes of red berries, and are
ripe and full-flavored. The tannins are silky and rounded, a reflection of
perfect maturity, giving the wines balance and elegance. 2015 promises to
be an outstanding vintage that is already delicious, but which will reveal its
full splendor in years to come.
November 2015

44
2015 Vintage Report
A cold, damp end to winter hardly hastened budbreak, which took place
towards the end of March/beginning of April.
The first fortnight in April saw lots of bright sunshine, but the cool weather
retarded growth somewhat. At this stage, we were looking at an annual
cycle that appeared to be more or less average, possibly with a bit of delay.
The second half of April and all of May were warm and dry, and growth
accelerated as a result. The first flowers put in an appearance around the
end of May and start of June. The soil held plenty of water reserves thanks
to the rainy winter.
In certain areas, particularly those that had suffered hail damage in recent
years, it was already apparent that yields were going to be low.
June was very hot and the growth cycle accelerated further. Flowering only
took a week, and it only took three weeks to go from the end of flowering to
bunch closure (half the time that this process usually takes in an average
vintage).
At this stage we began to talk about the possibility of an early harvest
because some of the vineyards with reduced yields were ripening so fast
that it looked as if they would be ready to pick before September.
At the end of June rain fell copiously on the Côte d’Or, and this helped
swell the grapes. The start of July saw temperatures that were 4°C higher
than usual, bright sunshine and rainfall that was down 60 mm on the July
average.
Maison Louis Jadot
Bourgogne
Frédéric Barnier - Technical Director
The 2015 Vintage in Bourgogne - Louis Jadot
...

45
Growth slowed as the plants protected themselves from the hot, dry
climate, and some bunches got a little hot. In Beaujolais and the south of
the Mâconnais, vines suffered some hydric stress as they hadn’t had any
water since winter. Some vines lost a few leaves and véraison was delayed
due to the lack of rainfall. Come the end of July, come the rainclouds, and
the vineyards got between 5 and 30 mm of rain (the level varied area by
area).
It was hot in August but there was also some rainfall (notably on 8 August),
which was more than welcome. The grapes began to ripen and the ideal
climatic conditions persisted right up to the end of the growing season: the
speed of ripening varied hugely depending on yield and the availability of
water in each parcel. We started picking some of the whites in August, as
well as some of the riper Gamay parcels (some of which achieved potential
alcohol levels of 15%!).
At Louis Jadot, we began picking our white grapes on 1 September, then
the red harvest started on the 7th.
Yields are about average for whites but rather low for the reds.
The hail that hit Chablis on the eve of picking had little impact on overall
yields in the region, and the fact that harvest was early and fast helped to
ensure that quality was maintained.
We have been pleasantly surprised by the balance of the grapes, particularly
in terms of the extraordinary levels of acidity seen in the whites. The warm
wind that swept through the vineyards towards the end of August may well
have concentrated the levels of acidity in the grapes.
2015 is set to be a great vintage for both reds and whites.
November, 14th
2015
The 2015 Vintage in Bourgogne - Louis Jadot
http://www.louisjadot.com/fr/

46
The 2015 Vintage in Champagne - Philipponnat
It was already clear in the summer that 2015 was going to be an exceptional
vintage, in the sense that it would be different from classic vintages.
The spring, relatively cool, indicated a harvest at the usual time, in the third
week of September, and this in fact turned out to be the case.
However nothing predicted an extremely dry summer, the driest in decades,
accompanied by sunshine which was itself exceptional.
The average temperatures were certainly high, but without the spells of
extreme heat experienced in 2003, for example.
Somewhat unusually for Champagne, the vines were in severe water
stress up to the start of September, when some welcome rains revived the
metabolism of the plants and ensured good ripening.
In Mareuil sur Ay, Ay and Avenay, the harvest then took place under
completely dry conditions, with the rain at the end of September affecting
only the evening of the last day.
In our hillside vineyards, mostly with southern exposure, the yields were
moderate to low, ensuring optimum concentration.
The ripeness of the grapes was considerably higher than the usual
average, but without reaching excessive extremes: between 11 and 12%
potential alcohol in the Clos des Goisses, and 10.5 to 11% elsewhere.
Outside of our own vineyards, the ripeness was also excellent though with
lower figures for the later-ripening growths affected by the rain at the end
of harvest, especially when the yields were higher.
On tasting, the prominent character of the vintage is one of great density,
in particular a tannic but supple character, which coats the cheeks, rarely
experienced in Champagne.
Champagne Philipponnat
Charles Philipponnat - Director
...

47
The fear that this character might give slightly bitter or green notes,
especially where the ripeness is a bit less in the Chardonnay, totally
disappeared during the natural racking of the “vins clairs”, which we only
started to taste and evaluate at the beginning of March.
The wines are brilliant, with not much colour despite the ripeness, aromatic
but without a tendency to oxidise, and above all showing an additional silky
character on the palate which promises an unusual vintage, but one of
high quality and good ageing potential.
They are taking up the oak very well, when they have been fermented and
aged in cask.
The acidity is average but good for a ripe vintage, and mostly made up
of malic acid. This is an advantage for a House like Philipponnat, which
blends its wines with and without malolactic fermentation, to preserve the
freshness.
For this vintage we decided to avoid the malo, not only for Clos des Goisses
as usual but also for all our premiers crus and grands crus, in other words
most of our supply, and in particular that destined for our vintage cuvées.
The analytical criteria, as witnessed by our oldest winegrowers and cellar
masters, tell us that we have to look back to vintages like 1959 (still hotter)
or even 1947 to find similar balance, and convince us that the exceptional
character of this year will be not only in its style but also in its high quality.
We will find out in the future, and we will have to wait 10 years before
enjoying Clos des Goisses 2015, but we have great confidence that we will
be able to create some magnificent cuvées.
March 2016
The 2015 Vintage in Champagne - Philipponnat
http://www.philipponnat.com/fr/

The growth cycle of the vine was disturbed by spring frosts, with production
reduced by 30% as a result. The remainder of the season was normal
with rather cool temperatures, even in summer. There was no intense heat
until mid-August. From then on there was a minor heatwave, which was
worsened by a sand storm that hit the region for 1 week. There was a halt
to ripening and a slight dehydration of the berries. The harvest started on
19 August with the Chardonnay and finished 1 October with the Mourvèdre.
In spite of a very difficult year, the quality of the wines is good.
November 2015
The 2015 Vintage in Lebanon - Marsyas
Château Marsyas
Liban
Karim et Sandro Saade - Owners
48
http://chateaumarsyas.com

2015 Vintage

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