How much effect is global warming having on Bordeaux?

[Ian_S]

Maybe Bordeaux should take a lesson from Quarts de Chaumes in the Loire Valley: some producers pick half their grapes early / less ripe to keep the sweetness and alcohol levels down.

[Victor_Hong]

Given the introduction of new grapes being made available to some lesser appellations in the near future, it is pretty obvious, that the Bordelais themselves are concerned. Recent vintages seem to confirm they have reason to be. Alcohol levels are on the rise, and while the wines have proved very appealing to some critics, they are far less so to some who remember old style Bordeaux. Not that you cannot find sub 14% wines, but the trend is against it, and perhaps the whole understanding what constitutes and defines Bordeaux is changing.

My question is if the trend continues, would it be even possible to make the old fashioned sub 13.5% alcohol wines that showed so much terroir, or will we forced to drink only an international type of wine with a Bordeaux label?

No such thing as climate change.
Indeed, I have drunk much 1899, 1928, 1929, 1945, and 1947 Bordeaux which taste quite like the new-fashioned, 15%-ABV wines of today. Oh, wait,…

[R_M_Kriete]

It seems like producers who wish to make lower alcohol styled wines are perfectly able to do it. I don’t see Arcadian’s alcohol levels rising over the years.

My latest shipment of Kosta Browne has pinots with 14.1 and 14.0 alcohol, down almost a full percent from where they were 15 years ago. Pax Mahle has gone from making 15+% wines to wines in the 12s and even 11s.

Bingo!

[Jonathan_Loesberg]

It’s surely true that you could make high alcohol overripe wine before global warming, but I’m not sure the reverse is true. As the summers heat up, it gets harder and harder to produce what we think of as traditional wines. In CuP wines below 14, even among the most traditional producers is a thing of the past. Prior to 1998, 13.5. was quite usual. Bordeaux may well follow in tnat ath.

You think producers in CdP are trying to make lower alcohol wine but cannot due to global warming? Is there any evidence of that?

It seems like producers who wish to make lower alcohol styled wines are perfectly able to do it. I don’t see Arcadian’s alcohol levels rising over the years.

My latest shipment of Kosta Browne has pinots with 14.1 and 14.0 alcohol, down almost a full percent from where they were 15 years ago. Pax Mahle has gone from making 15+% wines to wines in the 12s and even 11s.

I don’t know what evidence other than anecdotal would look like, given the question. I have had producers tell me that they would like to make lower alcohol wine but the grapes don’t reach ripeness any more, given the heat, with alcohol that will only ferment to 13.5. Further, to be specific, yes I do think that places like Rayas and Pegau did not increase from 13.4 to 14-15 because Parkerization made them change the way they wanted to make wine. Next, if this was a choice, you would expect to find some winemakes, however few, making 13.% CdP, as you can still find Bordeaux at that ABV and lower, if you look hard enough. I don’t know of any. I don’t know them all, and I may well have missed one but I don’t know of any. Finally, climate heat just does effect wine. It’s part of terroir. I understand that ! or 1.5C may not seem much of a rise to you, but that’s pretty much the difference between the NY finger lakes and VA. If you don’t expect those places to make the same kind of wine, I don’t know why you’d expect Bordeaux or anywhere else to make the same kind of wine when their average temperatures have risen that much.