Wine news: the harvest begins

It seems 2009 will be a year to savor both for bordeaux and burgundies. The summer weather was near-perfect in both regions, that is, after that hailstorm in Bordeaux in May which wiped out a good portion of the crop. Grapes are small and intensely flavored, and should therefore produce wines of concentration and "structure" -- wines that have enough tannins and acids in them to give them interest in the mouth and age-worthiness in the bottle. (For an idea of what you're missing in this way, try a nice jug wine, as I did recently. It tasted exactly like pink water.) Decanter magazine quotes wine makers in both areas as comparing the 2009 vintage to the 2005, itself of legendary quality.

This is the sort of knowledge that wine lovers need before they buy a bottle three years from now, when whatever of the 2009 vintage that has escaped wealthy collectors finds its way to retail shelves. Write yourself a memo, and happy hunting in 2012.

Decanter: Burgundy predicts magnificent 2009
Decanter: Bordeaux: 2009 could be the next 2005