How widespread is the bad 2002 harvest?

"Steve Timko" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@news.sf.sbcglobal.net...

Not all of France. Cote d´Or did fairly well. So did Bandol, which is fairly close to the RHone valley but has a slightly different climate. Northern Rhone appears to be a bad value though. Just my 2 cents ...

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

True. The terrible storms hit SOME wineries and areas, but certainly not all, and unless you got flooded chacnes are that you turned out some very good wine.

More fundamentally, I would be very suspicious of this attitude towards vintages, whereby as soon as one is labelled "bad" it is assumed that a) it hit everybody in a large area in the same way b) wines from a lesser vintage are not worth consideration.

Lesser vintages can be stupendously fresh. In appellations that are known for longevity, you will be disappointed by the lack of cellar-worthiness, but the wines, often made in smaller quantity after a more rigorous selection than usual, can be amazingly fresh and stand out as excellent wines for ready consumption. A good winemaker will not make bad wine in bad years.

The opposite phenomenon also exists: when a vintage is considered great, it is assumed that any monkey in that fortunate area will make a great wine. The good stuff is still a very small percentage, even in fantastic vintage years... Also beware that isolated storms can drop devastating hail on a single vineyard, and the resulting wine, even in a good vintage year and from a reputable producer, may be crap.

So the moral is, vintage information is only a very general and almost meaningless concept, unless you taste the stuff and go around and talk to the winemakers (or read about it on AFW), there can be no reliable decisions based on vintage.

Steve Timko wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.sf.sbcglobal.net:

I have also tasted several 2002 red Bordeaux and, while the less famous properties have shown green notes and lack of maturity, good properties have done quite well. Actually, I have purchased some, that will drink sooner than those in bigger vintages.

In Spain, I have also found lack of character in many wines but 50% of the crop (specially the south part) did not change much from dry years. It was quite bad in Ribera del Duero and, to a lesser extent, in Rioja. Since wine prices do not change with good or bad vintages in Spain, I still prefer to buy 2001s instead of 2002s.

Best,

S.

I opened a 2002 Argiolas cannonou (Sardinia) last night. Superb!

Steve Timko wrote:

As far as German wines are concerned it was a very good year and in some cases better than 01. Good producers in the Mosel and Rhiengau made some outstanding wines.

Salut/Hi Mike Tommasi,

le/on Thu, 29 Sep 2005 09:58:04 +0200, tu disais/you said:-

SHUSH, the more people make such generalisations, the better chance there is to get bargains.

How's Lord St. Helier? Did you let him sleep in your cellar?

Salut/Hi Mike Tommasi,

le/on Sat, 01 Oct 2005 13:04:42 +0200, tu disais/you said:-

He seemed to be suitably amused by the brief visit. At least he's talking about coming back! And no, I did NOT let him sleep in my cellar, the gravel wouldn't have done much for Kathryn's back!

We had some agreeable meals and pleasant picnics and I even started training him to notice mushrooms in fields as we drove past! The Esk Valley Terraces he brought was magnificent and he seemed to like the burgundies we served - at least he was polite about them, which is uncharacteristic! We've got "Sojourner" coming for a night tomorrow, which should be fun. The French onion soup and Terrine de Campagne are ready and the magrets and tarte tatin (I didn't do one for his lawdship) ought to please, with luck.

IIRC, there isn't much room on the floor in there anyway. Besides, would you think it safe to leave him alone in there with all that fine wine? ;^)

The Esk Valley Terraces

So I've gathered from exchanges on this NG. Rather feisty chap, sounds like - although I've never met him in person. Perhaps a trip to NZ is in order for yours truly. OTOH, perhaps he (and his S.O.) will show up here first.

We've got

I'm _envious_, and wishing I were there too. Bon Apetit to all!

Tom S

P.S. - Just to drag this back on topic, the 2002 harvest here in California was very good, so the "bad 2002 harvest" isn't all that widespread. :^)

"Mike Tommasi"; "Ian Hoare" & "Tom S" discussed his Lordship's wellbeing..

Lord & Lady St.H have "reluctantly" returned to the antipodes having enjoyed immensly their all-too-brief visit. Thanks muchly to Mike & Kathy Tommasi and Ian & Jacquie Hoare for making the trip so very special.

Nope - but I did sneek a peek when M. Hoare was otherwise engaged - hee hee hee!!!!!

It is not a matter of *if* he will be back, but *when*!!!

The wine and food and particularly the matches were quite excellent, Ian.

In these columns, over the years, the difficulty matching soup with wine has been discussed at length - the Sercial Madiera with your Cepe consumé was a revelation, and I never thought I would admit to being "fois gras-ed out"!!!

Tom, I cannot speak for your plans, except to say that I would be proud to show you around our little piece of paradise any time you choose to venture south, but Kathryn and I *will* be returning to the States; fall next year has already been pencilled onto our travel calendar.

As to being feisty, I resemble that remark - I am just a placid, bear-like creature, who readily admits to "shooting from the lip" on the odd occasion without fearing whose feathers may be ruffled.

At all other times, I am more than happy to sit quietly anticipating the coming summer of sun and sand and fresh fish, salad and sauvignon blanc.

Let me know when you'll be in the Los Angeles area so I can have the red carpet laundered. :^)

Tom S