After two years of cancellation due to Covid-19, the primeurs are back in Gironde. This institution of the Châteaux of Bordeauxwhich aims to test the wine made in the fall and which will not really be ready until two years later, allows winegrowers to generate cash and customers to benefit from attractive prices. 5,000 visitors are expected for the event, which takes place from April 25 to 28, according to the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.
At the Palais de la Bourse in Bordeaux this Monday, it was the turn of 2021 vintage from Graves to be presented. “There is a little lack of maturity”believes François Breteau, wine wholesaler and “two-time world champion” blind wine tasting. “2021 should be in a slightly more classic style of the Bordeaux wines we once knew, which will be very nice wines as they age anyway”.
Behind their stands, the winegrowers concede: this vintage is “difficult”. Jean-Baptiste Duquesne, owner of Château Cazebonne in Saint-Pierre-de-Mons near Langon, recalls that he “lost 95% of the harvest due to frost” in April last year. But the winemaker believes that there remains “interesting. It has little alcohol, freshness, balance and fruit. It is a charming vintage”.
– Margot Turgy
A vintage marked by frost
But the professionals retain above all the importance of customer feedbackafter two years of cancellation of primeurs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s amazing”rejoices Dominique Guignard, president of the Graves Wine Syndicate. “The problems, we have known them for two years, but now we are moving forward. It is a real pleasure to be able to meet and communicate together for the benefit of our appellation. We hope that this is the real return” first fruits, he adds.
“It feels crazy good”abounds Marie-Hélène Yung-Théron, owner of the Château de Portets and regular at the event. “And I think we also see people who, perhaps, had forgotten us a little. These are very important contacts.”
For their part, the 300 customers are also delighted to be able to return to Bordeaux for the week of the primeurs. “It makes me really happy to see these people again that I haven’t seen for two years”points out Patrick Andriessen, buyer for the Belgian multinational Colruyt. “Wine is also a world of trust. We need to be reassured by the person who is behind the wine, that in two, three years, it will be perfect. It is not something obvious. It remains a product of nature and we need this trust between people”he concludes.