More on the primeurs as I have time to write up, but sent this over to Decanter this morning, and I think very interesting in terms of the focus of the 2007 vintage.

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Following reports of the excellent 2007 white wine vintage in Bordeaux, a group of high profile producers have called attention to the potential future difficulties of producing similar wines in the region.

Lauren Lebrun, technical director at Chateau Olivier in Pessac Leognan, told decanter.com about a worrying lack of good quality Semillon vines available both in Bordeaux and worldwide, which is proving a threat when vineyards need replanting, particularly in Pessac Leognan and Sauternes.

‘The problem is that as Semillon becomes less fashionable worldwide, increasingly few clones are grown in nurseries, and finding good quality new vines becomes difficult,’ explained Lebrun.

The grape is widely used in Bordeaux as a mix with Sauvignon Blanc, for both sweet and dry wines, but it is far more unusual outside of the region – 95% of France’s Semillon is grown in Bordeaux.

It was once the most planted grape in the world, particularly in the 18th century with the huge popularity of sweet wines. In the 1950s, Chile's vineyards were made up of over 75% Sémillon and today, although it is still second after France in terms of plantings, it doesn’t even make it into the top 10 most popular varieties. South Africa also has plantings, but where it once represented 93% of all Cape vines, it now accounts for only about 1%. Similar patterns have been seen in Australia, where again it has been replaced in popularity by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

The concern in Bordeaux is that the character profile of their whites could change if they have to rely too heavily on Sauvignon Blanc. In an attempt to redress the balance, a group of 17 producers have formed an association to grow their own clones. Xavier Planty, director at Chateau Guiraud in Sauternes, said, ‘There needs to be a better clonal selection to keep the quality level of the wines high, because the more diversity you have in a parcel, the more you can protect against diseases. Also of course the greater the aromatic and gustative diversity.’

Planty began his nursery in 2000, and members of the group now include Chateau d’Yquem, Chateau Olivier, Chateau Suduiraud, Chateau La Tour Blanche, among others. Over the last few years, they have progressed to micro-vinifications, and the first new clones have begun to be planted, with the expectation of real advances over the next five years.

‘It’s a private collection,’ said Planty, ‘but we are working with the EU, and there is the possibility that in the future we could but donate some genetic stock for wider distribution.’