Question: Would you please update us on how the harvest in Bordeaux is looking for 2025?

Answer: Early days but reports are coming in about the heat and reduced yields but optimistic on the thick skins phenolic ripeness of the grapes. Even Sauternes has finished picking with favourable botrytis. It probably will be somewhat variable from property to property but 2025 in Bordeaux is showing great promise. Historically every 5th year starting with 1985 has resulted in excellent vintages. Will 2025 join that roster? Kim Mead the wine advisor for the Vancouver Branch of The International Wine & Food Society (with Alvin Nirenberg CellarMaster of Commanderie de Bordeaux in Vancouver) have just returned from Bordeaux and filed today this detailed report of first impressions here on My VanCity at https://myvancity.ca/ Check out this excellent update and stay tuned in for more developments.

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Fortunate to compare Left Bank red Bordeaux horizontals of 1990 and 1996 on consecutive evenings. Two excellent vintages with the 1990 displaying continued variable development at 35 years of age as posted here on October 27.

The vintage twin 1995 (both large crops) achieved wonderful ripening Merlot but in 1996 September/October provided excellent weather allowing superb ripening of the later picked Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon. Perhaps 1996 can be compared to 1986. On October 21, 2025 the Vancouver Group of Eight held Event #136 at Blue Water Cafe featuring nine top 1996 Left Bank red Bordeaux approaching 30 years of age. Delighted to have with us again for this event Nicolas Glumineau, Directeur General of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.

We commenced with 2002 PLOYEZ-JACQUEMART LIESSE D’HARBONVILLE BRUT CHAMPAGNE a magnificent long lees aging of 17+ years complex structured beauty. From this outstanding Champagne vintage they utilized primary fermentation in used oak casks with no malo resulting in outstanding fresh balance.

The final wine was 2001 CHATEAU DOISY-VEDRINES BARSAC well paired with roasted pear and nuts plus honey. Great year in Sauternes harvested September 27 to October 30 fermented in 60% new oak providing ginger marmalade with quince notes plus refreshing acidity.

The nine 1996 Left Bank red Bordeaux in two flights with a few comments:

1996 CHÂTEAU BRANAIRE-DUCRU, SAINT-JULIEN: Fourth Growth has the lightest edge with open floral herbal notes. Not a classic St. Julien bouquet. This bottle is quite leafy as if the Cab Sauv could have been picked later. Drink currently. Not the best bottle. Prefer the 2000.

1996 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER, PESSAC-LÉOGNAN: Similar grape blend with majority 65% Cab Sauv but darker with lovely tertiary sweet tobacco highlights. A tad coarse and less refined but enjoyable drinking. Often surprised by the longer aging ability of these older wines tasted at the property with Olivier Bernard. Prefer the subtle more textured integrated tannins this century under Stephane Derenoncourt consulting and consistency now with Diam closures. Shows better with the delicious two way duck course.

1996 CHÂTEAU PALMER, MARGAUX: Amber rim with a rather earthy vegetal nose. Missing the usual dramatic complex flowery bouquet with elegant finesse. Seems big and reluctant here with the 55CS/40M/5PV blend. More difficult appellation for them in 1996 with earlier picked Merlot than further north on the Left Bank for later picked Cab Sauv. Some 5% Petit Verdot but not the large amounts as in the three classics of 1970 and 1966 at 16% and the legendary 1961 at 13%. 1996 not my favourite Palmer – prefer the exciting 1989.

1996 CHÂTEAU LEOVILLE POYFERRE, SAINT-JULIEN: Darkest but a bit dank and mushroomy initially. Cleared somewhat for some of that signature cedar cigar statement but not singing. It does have jammy ripe full bodied fruit. Your scribe has had better cleaner bottles. Opened as aired and warmed. Slightly disappointing underwhelming First Flight.

1996 CHÂTEAU LEOVILLE-LAS CASES, SAINT-JULIEN: Very dark with dense concentrated perfect fruit. Impressive indeed. Still so young but structured with a great future ahead of it. Admire the cassis cigar box textbook St. Julien exploding definition! No Petit Verdot (compared to 7% in 1990) but pure 70CS/14M/16CF blend. Backward but amazing top quality shows through. Powerful yet classic. One of their all time best. Cellar this treasure. My fav.

1996 CHÂTEAU D’ISSAN, MARGAUX: Deep with a paler edge with big ripe fruit is less Margaux-like from 75/25 CS/M for this Third Growth. In very tough company but shows well. Prefer over Palmer in this vintage. Nicolas Glumineau found “red strawberry fruits but the Cab Sauv is not quite ripe”.

1996 CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE, PAUILLAC: Deep dark super fruit that had been tight early on is now opening near 30 years. 75CS/15M/5CF/5PV and only 50% crop selection added into the Grand Vin. The 1995 is also outstanding. Wonderful mocha espresso cedar is drinking beautifully tonight. Ian Mottershead admired “both power & finesse”. Nicolas stated “noble & elegant – more in the style I am producing today.” His favourites in this tasting were “Pichon & LLC in different styles”. A keen music lover, he suggests listening to “Beethoven’s 7th Symphony” for a heightened sensory experience. I really like his Led Zeppelin No Quarter recommendation for 2010. A celebratory congratulatory salute to May de Lencquesaing for this great wine!

1996 CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD, PAUILLAC: Good dark colour but less of the attractive big cedar cigar Mouton bouquet. Like the Gu Gan “Modern Calligraphy” heart label. 77CS/13M/10CF was picked September 27 to October 9. A little atypical tending to a more California-like eucalyptus menthol mint nose. Forwardly opulent smooth and round but 1995 is fuller bodied.. Less weight than expected but delicious now. Nicolas said “tannins but not as good as PL & LLC though improved in the glass in a mellow forward manner.”

1996 CHÂTEAU HAUT-BRION, PESSAC-LEOGNAN: Deep dark again with strict clean grape selection obviously for 50M/39CS/11CF blend and 60% chosen for the Grand Vin. More Merlot with excellent balance this is clearly the most elegant of the nine wines. Prefer their 1995 – but of course the legendary 1989! Admire the wonderful balance here. Nicolas commented “so elegant!”. Some of his fav wines beside Pichon Comtesse include “like Haut-Brion, Trotanoy, Figeac, and Lafite – when it is good.”

All five wines in this second flight are very good indeed and sublime served with the local partridge. Lower alcohols at only 12.5/13 abv. provides cooler fruit. They are young and still very fresh at nearly 30 years of age – with developing complexity. Shows the great quality wines that Bordeaux is capable of producing. Congrats.

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Question: How many different grape varieties are permitted for use in Champagne?

Answer: NINE. This question was answered back on June 6, 2018 linked here as 6 varieties. However the authorization has expanded to 9 varieties with the inclusion of PINOT GRIS (FROMENTEAU), VOLTIS, & CHARDONNAY ROSE. The three key classic main grapes usually used continue to be CHARDONNAY, PINOT NOIR, & PINOT MEUNIER but presently very minor roles are played for ARBANNE, PETIT MESLIER & PINOT BLANC as well as the three new inclusions.

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The hot dry twin Bordeaux vintages of 1990 & 1989 still elicit opinionated responses as they mature. We did a 25 year comparison of them reported on February 22, 2016 linked here. Preferably you have to go by your individual property assessments in those two vintages. Your scribe through his wine experiences prefers 1989 over 1990 for Pichon Lalande & Mouton and leans to the perfection of both Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion as well. The opposite preference of mine is for 1990 in Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Barton, Lafite, Latour, and Margaux – except that 1989 Palmer is a super star. Many properties produced excellent wines in both vintages like Montrose, Pichon Baron, and Lynch Bages. La Commanderie de Bordeaux Vancouver helpfully organized an update on October 20, 2025 at Boulevard Restaurant for a dinner featuring 1990 Left Bank red Bordeaux.

A key exciting attraction was the attendance of NIcolas Glumineau Directeur General of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande providing valuable insights. Lots of your Blog postings on Pichon Comtesse back to June 18, 2013 here plus June 15, 2020 and February 14, 2022 for further detailed background.

Our recent 1990 Bordeaux event commenced with an unusual sweet aperitif of the quality 2009 PHILIPPONNAT SUBLIME RESERVE SEC of 100% Chardonnay using only first press of all Premier & Grand Cru vineyards with degorgement January 2022 (12+ years on lees) adding a high 30 grams/liter dosage.

Limited production of this Blanc de Blancs of only 7500 bottles makes a statement of honeyed apricot/peach and candied mandarin with a round leesy creamy butterscotch flavour. Interesting opener but would show better IMHO with a foie gras course or light fruity dessert.

The finale was Wine of the Night with the memorable 1990 CHATEAU D’YQUEM SAUTERNES LUR-SALUCES as the sweetest most powerful last one of that historic trio. Amazing blockbuster with so much complex flavour length already but what a future of ever more developing nuances of complexity! Wow.

Two vintages 2019 & 2015 of CHÂTEAU CARBONNIEUX BLANC Grand Cru Classé de Graves from the Perrin Family in Pessac-Leognan worked marvellously with the exquisite Lobster/Burrata first course. Like how this blend of 65/35 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with wood aging at only 13 abv shows bright acidity being so serviceable and matches well with food. Still relatively good value too. Preferred the fresher younger 2019 but both quite similar and no rush to drink up. Will soften up and show more of the Semillon character with further aging. Lovely drinking young or older.

Seven properties 1990 in two flights showing off their attributes at 35 years of age plus a mystery wine is exciting anticipation. Some thoughts:

1990 CHATEAU PAPE CLEMENT: Bernard Magrez has brought attention to this old estate from the 1300s in Pessac-Leognan particularly since the late 1990s with strict grape selection, less new oak, full fruit, and best winemaking know-how. This 1990 has a paling edge with a prominent unusual open charcoal bouquet. Quite approachable even though structured balance but lacks somewhat in complexity. Some Graves styling. Drink currently. Popular in first flight voting.

1990 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER: Darker depth with a lovely clean tertiary nose of leather and tobacco. Stylish smooth fruit of plums with rounded tannins elegance. Property often surprises you with its longer ageability. Prefer the more textured sweet tannins integration since Stephane Derencourt started consulting after this from 1998. A bit smoky yet clean. Good bottle before the more consistent use of Diam closures for white in 2015 & red in 2016. Ready on a plateau of enjoyment perfect with the delightful homemade pasta course.

1990 CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE BARTON: First of three St. Juliens showing much better than at the vertical of this property last month – linked here at posting October 7, 2025. Big fruit depth and energetic concentrated “Claret”. Perhaps a shade too young and earthy with not enough elegance but is really solid. Believe this will improve and throw off some of that still big fruit, acids, and young tannins still not perfectly integrated. No rush. Potential.

1990 CHÂTEAU GRUAUD LAROSE: Deep dark look. Full opulent softening cedar with mint textbook St. Julien from a property known for ageing ability. Developed nicely and showing clearly the best of the first flight tonight but not the group fav in this admirable flight.

1990 CHÂTEAU LEOVILLE LAS CASES: Lots to admire here.My favourite red of the horizontal. Dark black currant cassis is so rich yet so elegant and complex. Starting on a long wonderful plateau of amazement. End of the 7% Petit Verdot contribution that was adding to the precise blend definition. Nicolas likes the generous style of 1990 but perhaps generally prefers the 1989s.

1990 CHÂTEAU PICHON LALANDE: A problem year with the General passing and the winemaker changing but mainly the omission of the needed press wine for depth and more body. Nevertheless every time I try this wine recently it shows the Pichon Comtesse darker than I expected with old days elegance and definitely the unique terroir. Best bottle yet though the fruit is starting to dry up so enjoy it currently. Nicolas is looking now mostly for freshness with a more prominent Cabernet focus. Toast to May de Lencquesaing 100th birthday on May 17, 2025!

1990 CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD: Another underperformer in 1990 with a historic Francis Bacon label. 81CS/10CF/9M does show a refined lighter Mouton cadet bouquet but as their website notes does have that ripe forwardly “mature prunes macerated fruit” styling more forwardly drinking. Beautiful with the striploin.

1981 CHATEAU PICHON LALANDE: Served double blind as a mystery wine. Herbal, earthy and mellow. Everyone is thinking it is probably another 1990 or maybe a different Pichon vintage. I guessed 1979 Pichon because of the higher acidity showing protecting the still dark maturing red colour. Surprised it was 1981 an underrated fav of mine that usually has more fruit than this bottle and less bitter characteristics – this is more like the leaner 1979 style. Fun.

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Question: Which wine region is most underrated for producing world class Chardonnay?

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