Go, go, go Bordeaux!

The vintage on a bottle, does it matter? Yes it does! And if there is one wine where the 'year of birth' is always closely followed and discussed in detail, it is red Bordeaux. For this Buying Guide, we tasted two vintages: 2015 and 2016. - TEXT EVELIJN VAN HEUVEN | IMAGE EDITORS

Just google 'vintage Bordeaux' and the search results to all sorts of lists with varying reviews of vintages will pop up. But, why is it that one vintage differs from another? The weather, at least, plays a crucial role in this. It's all about a delicate balance between cold and heat, between humidity and dryness. It is also about timing. Sunshine during the growing season, for instance, is important for the grapes to ripen optimally. That said, too much sun is again not good, as it can burn the grapes and leave them with bitter tannins. Good weather is also important during harvesting, so that, for example, rot does not rear its head. And rain? That too is important, the vines should not dry out. But here again, 'in moderation' applies, because too much rain can actually cause fungi and diseases. You can imagine that checking the weather app is a daily, nerve-racking activity if you are a wine grower.

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Before we dive into 2015 and '16, let's take a quick look a little further back in time. A sampling: take 1945, 1961 and 1990, three historically phenomenal vintages in Bordeaux. What about the weather back then? In 1945, there was frost in May, but the summer was marked by heat and drought.

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Want to know more about red Bordeaux? You can read it in the latest WINELIFE Magazine 75. Order individual issues here!

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