2008 Wine

Vintage 2008: the freshness of a magnificent late season

In France, the 2008 vintage is one shaped by weather that ran counter to the sunny years. A damp spring threatened by mildew, a cool summer in both June and August, then a luminous late season that set in from the end of August produced wines of moderate alcohol, tightened by a fine acidity. Growers who waited until mid-October harvested ripe and healthy grapes; others sometimes fell short of full ripeness. It is a vintage of definition and freshness, more classical than powerful, whose finest cuvées are ageing with confidence. In the coolest regions, whites and champagnes moreover frequently outperformed the reds.

Bordeaux 2008 — Ripe cabernet, moderate alcohol and a return of freshness

In Bordeaux, 2008 initially caused concern: April frost on some merlots, coulure and mildew pressure in spring, then a summer lacking any notable warmth. Salvation came with a long Indian summer from 26 August onwards, which extended ripening until mid-October on the left bank. The cabernet sauvignons of the Médoc, dominant in the blends, reached full ripeness at restrained alcohol levels of around 13 to 13.5%. On the right bank, the merlots from the early-ripening and well-drained terroirs of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion made better use of the year.

On the left bank, Château Léoville Las Cases delivers in 2008 a precise and distinguished Saint-Julien, whose second wine Clos du Marquis extends the style in a more accessible register. In Pauillac, Château Lafite Rothschild produces a first growth of great finesse, while its second wine, the Carruades, seduces with its pure fruit and freshness. In Margaux, Château Brane-Cantenac stands out for its perfume of blackcurrant, tobacco and truffle and its supple, elegant texture. In Sauternes, Château d'Yquem carries the year through to its dry cuvée Y d'Yquem 2008, whose tension and freshness extend the vintage's signature into the dry white wines of Bordeaux.

Burgundy 2008 — Tension, clarity and small volumes

In Burgundy, 2008 tested the patience of the winemakers: they had to wait until mid-September for a drying northerly wind and the return of sunshine to restore the health of the vines. Sorting was rigorous and yields were among the lowest of the decade, according to the Burgundy inter-professional body. The white wines display remarkable freshness and minerality, particularly in Chablis and on the Côte de Beaune. The reds, with their deep colour and a nose of pleasing floral and fruity clarity, favour tension over power.

In the Côte de Nuits, Domaine Armand Rousseau carries the vintage to its summit with a Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 2008 of remarkable purity and depth, the benchmark wine of the year in Gevrey-Chambertin. In the Côte de Beaune, Bouchard Père et Fils produces a Beaune Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus 2008 with delicate fruit and a fresh, lingering finish. The whites from Meursault and Puligny, like the terroir Chablis, confirm the ageing potential of the great 2008 Burgundies.

Champagne 2008 — A rare concentration of sugars and acidity

Champagne holds in 2008 one of its greatest recent vintages. A dry and cool end to the season, driven by a northerly wind, preserved a brilliant acidity while allowing the grapes to reach fine ripeness. This rare marriage of tension and concentration places 2008 among the benchmark years for both chardonnay and pinot noir. The vintage-dated cuvées, aged for an extended period on the lees, draw from this a straightness and an energy that promises them a very long life.

Champagne Philipponnat illustrates this success with its Cuvée 1522 2008, broad and creamy yet tightened by the freshness of the year. The great houses that waited before releasing their wines delivered 2008 champagnes of remarkable purity, as convincing as an aperitif as at the table alongside a dish of character.

Already enjoyable, they can still age for ten to twenty years in the case of the greatest cuvées.

Rhône Valley 2008 — A vintage of patience and selection

In the Rhône Valley, 2008 was a difficult year, marked by rainfall and heavy mildew pressure, with a harvest around a quarter below normal. In the north, heavy rainfall at the start of September caused the syrah to swell before the mistral and the mid-September sun finally concentrated the berries. The resulting wines are fresh and mineral, with softer tannins than usual and fruit that leans towards red rather than black. Success depended far more on the choice of harvest date than on the appellation.

M. Chapoutier ranks among the reliable values of the year in Hermitage, with a Le Pavillon from old vines and a L'Ermite blanc with the saline tension characteristic of the vintage. The most patient domaines of the northern Rhône delivered elegant and digestible wines, with Jean-Louis Chave confirming the consistency of his signature on Hermitage. In the south, several producers chose to downgrade their prestige cuvées, but the finest Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines retain their balance and drinkability.

Loire and Alsace 2008 — Vibrant acidity and wines built for the long term

The coolness of 2008 particularly suited the northern vineyards. In the Loire, sustained acidity produced incisive and saline Sancerre sauvignons, finely chiselled Vouvray chenins and digestible cabernet francs from Chinon and Saumur. In Alsace, the year combined ripeness and nervosity, yielding rieslings and pinot gris of great precision. These are terroir wines, driven by their acidity towards a long life.

In Alsace, Domaine Marcel Deiss expressed in 2008 its vision of co-planting and terroir in wines of remarkable density and freshness. In the Loire, the great dry and off-dry chenins of Vouvray and the sauvignons from the bank rank among the finest wines for cellaring from this vintage, while the sweet wines, more discreet, favour finesse over power.

Dry whites from Alsace and the Loire to be cellared without concern for ten to fifteen years; to be opened today at a fine table.

Buy a 2008 wine from SoDivin

The 2008 wine is the ideal vintage for the enthusiast seeking balance and freshness rather than showmanship: classic and digestible Bordeaux, taut Burgundies, Champagnes built for long ageing and northern whites of fine energy. To compare vintages and identify the 2008 bottles that have reached their peak, consult the SoDivin Vintage Guide. All our bottles are selected, assessed and carefully stored; same-day dispatch before 2 pm, secure packaging and high-definition photographs available for each bottle.