Sour grapes blight Bordeaux wine event
against the suspension of the area's 'grand cru' label, a ruling
that threatens to overshadow a crucial week in the Bordeaux
calendar.
A spokesperson for Saint-Emilion's wine union told BeverageDaily.com the group was currently working on an appeal. A Bordeaux court suspended the area's prestigious 'grand cru' wine classification on Friday, upholding a complaint by four Chateaux that were last year de-listed from the superior quality mark. The ruling has prompted serious questions over Bordeaux's whole wine certification system, after the same court last month annulled a similar mark, 'crus bourgeois', in the well-known Médoc region. The moves mean two of the most prestigious quality marks for Bordeaux wine currently do not exist. And this comes as tasters and journalists from around the world this week descend on south west France to put the young 2006 Bordeaux vintage through its paces. There's a hard act to follow too, with 2005 judged as one of the best Bordeaux years ever. Sales of top wines grew in strong double-digits in the first half of last year as enthusiasts clamoured for a piece of the vintage. Saint-Emilion, which has held its cherished 'grand cru' label since 1954, last summer updated the list of wineries making the grade, in co-ordination with France's appellation regulator, INAO. The list is refreshed every 10 years. They selected 15 'premiers grands crus' and 41 'grands crus classés', leaving another 30 applicants out of the club. But four Chateaux de-listed in last year's re-shuffle complained that authorities had not visited every vineyard. The Bordeaux tribunal agreed, ruling this raised serious doubts about the new classification. Both sides must now wait for the next hearing to see whether the suspension will turn into a full termination of Saint-Emilion 2006. Some have called for calm by reminding wine producers that the 2006 vintage will not hit the market until 2008. Others stressed the need for a quick solution. "At the moment we are in a situation where we have no classification, and we cannot afford to stay like that very long," said the spokesperson for the Saint-Emilion wine union.
