Blanc, now use densimetric sorters. The grape berries are moved through a “sugared” water bath, which is set at a certain density. While the ripe berries sink to the bottom, underripe berries and MOG float to the top. These machines have been a useful weapon in keeping mildew-affected material, shot and sun-burned berries out of the vinifications. Investment in winery technology and new cellars in Bordeaux also reflects an enormous effort in improving the handling of the vintage intake and developing more precise plot-by-plot vinifications. Over the last 10 years and more, there have been extraordinary building works throughout the region. Winemakers are now better armed to respond to every vintage scenario. In 2021 Ch Figeac inaugurated its superb new spanking-clean gravity-flow winery and the results of its first vintage are spectacular. Pessac-Léognan’s Ch Haut Bailly has now completed its beautiful new rotunda-like winery, which sits in the landscape like a mounded garden. Ch Cheval Blanc has a similar rooftop garden landscape. Both wineries are symbols of sustainable practices, precision winemaking and ambition. Neither overshadow or dominate the original buildings, which can’t be said of Ch Lynch Bages’ strikingly new post- modern glass-house winery, which has been in production since 2020 but was finally inaugurated in April this year. The cool season and difficulty of some plots to achieve ripeness resulted in many châteaux employing chaptalisation, especially on the Left Bank and cooler sites on the Right Bank. Most producers were extremely judicious, and there were few, if any, wines that showed any imbalance. The use of saignée was also employed by some châteaux to build more volume. This practice is a useful tool in cooler years and, if done well, can improve complexity and richness in the wine. Ch Margaux and Ch Haut-Brion used this technique with a few parcels in 2021, and the results are excellent. Of particular note is the increasing use of large oak formats and amphora during the maturation period. For centuries Bordeaux has been famous for employing 225L barriques. Although these are still commonplace, many châteaux are experimenting with 300L hogsheads and foudres (large wooden vats of various sizes). Although Ch Pontet- Canet, a leading protagonist of sustainable and biodynamic agriculture, has been using amphorae for years, more and more vignerons seem
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The Vintage Journal – International Series
Bordeaux 2022
7
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