I finally have a good entry to add to the 2007 en primeur campaign Wall of Glory... a chateau that actually lowered is price right back down to the 2004 price, as everyone should have done. It's Chateau Belle-Vue in the Medoc, and somehow it escaped my notice at the time (I was too busy ranting about the rest of them I suppose...). Anyway, didn't want it to pass by without comment, so well done Belle-Vue. And they told me that 98% of their wine sold out through the en primeur system, so the gesture did not go unrewarded.
Other Bordeaux news - the 2008 harvest is going to be a late one, as a pretty cool (and sometimes rainy) June, July and early August have slowed things down. Most people say the vines are around 10 to 14 days behind the 'usual' schedule. The weather is beautifully hot and sunny right now though, so let's hope it continues. Everyone is pretty much back from their summer break (the Rocade ring road around the city centre is back to traffic jams...) and it's a waiting game to see if the sunshine holds.
Oh and over in Saint Emilion (not sure exactly when this happened, but some time over the summer, blame it on my gorgeous daughter Emily, who is now 11 weeks old), the new president who succeeded Hubert de Bouard, Jean-François Quenin of Chateau de Pressac, has stepped down due to ill health. I will get back to you on who is now president...
And finally, Mr de Bouard's daughter is getting married (I assume at Angelus) on September 6. Congratulations!
