2003 Bordeaux

It would become France’s hottest summer on record. The outcome was tragic in a country unaccustomed to such periods of sustained heat. From August 2nd to 17th, upwards of 15,000 lives were lost to heat-related causes. The unprecedented conditions made vineyard management challenging. Yet older vines on heat-compatible soil types fared incredibly well and went on to produce many very good and a few extraordinary wines.

 

Bud burst was early in 2003. The accelerating warm temperatures got vines off to a precocious start. However, a relatively dry winter and disruption at flowering meant the crop was set to be slightly lighter than average from the get-go, which was a blessing considering what was to come.

 

June and July were very warm and dry, but August was brutal. The unrelenting day and nighttime heat during the first two weeks of that month had many different effects on vineyards, depending on location, soil type, and age of vines. Vines under 10 years old didn’t stand much of a chance. Their ability to ripen was blocked as these young vines collapsed into survival mode, and they would remain sluggish for the remainder of the growing season. It was similar for vines on deep gravel or sandy soil types. However, soil profiles based on limestone (e.g., major parts of Saint-Émilion, Fronsac, and the Castillon) or with clay in the profile, especially more northerly Saint-Éstephe, parts of Pauillac and Saint-Julien were hardly affected, and if enough leaf canopy remained to protect berries, the results were potentially impressive. With this said, grape variety also mattered. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc can withstand such heat far better than Merlot.

 

Harvest kicked off early for the dry whites, beginning in mid-August. Merlot wasn’t far behind, which came in from the beginning of September. For the more heat-sturdy Cabernets, it was business as usual, with harvest beginning in late September and lasting through mid-October.

 

What strikes me about tasting the best 2003 reds now is the remarkable resiliency of old vines on cooler, water-retaining soils, even in the context of such extreme heat. Yes, the wines bear the hallmarks of a warm vintage, but they’re not the Porty monsters that were being described on release. 2003 Montrose, Pichon-Lalande, Latour, and Ducru Beaucaillou all appear surprisingly classic in style today. Even the infamous 2003 Pavie has been tamed by cellaring into a perfumed and nuanced beauty with a refreshing backbone, ultimately revealing the storm in a teacup that the Parker vs. Robinson controversy was.

 

Sauternes turned out a number of rich, concentrated, unctuous beauties. It is not a Sauternes vintage for the super-long haul, yet the best wines offer much hedonic pleasure now and for the next decade or two.