The bottles’ heavyweights

Comments posted Thursday by Dreling :
AND THE CLAPTRAP of the so-called bottles’ heavyweights make me laugh: a great wine is an alliance between a great terroir and the northern boundary of a varietal’s plantation. How long has it been since the northern limits of Bordeaux’s varietals, for example, has been pushed? How many wines in this region in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 are below 14% or 14.5% and even soon to 15 (there are thuvenin’s wines in the Roussillon at 15.5). They are our Algerian wines from the 50s, bordeaux wines today with the added taste of oak to make them richer! wines taste sweeter and lack nobility.

Dreling,
It is true that many Bordeaux wines have gone in 20 years from 12% - including 1 or 2 due to Chaptal - to 14%, due to various causes including global warming (for real) and more or less effective techniques of viticulture searching for optimum ripeness (cover-crop in the vineyard, deleafing, and especially the height of foliage).
Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing?
Everyone has the right to their own opinion

Having no culture, including in regards to wine, like those poor Chinese or American, I like rich wine, full today, even in a vintage like 2007 and I prefer their quality than those I tasted when I started.
In the elegant and noble style of the great classic Bordeaux vintages produced to the limit, to the very northern limit of ripeness of our beautiful noble varietals, you can include: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1984 or the very successful (for that time): 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983.
Fortunately there are a few in 1970 (and not all), and some in 1971 and 1982 to justify. Actually, justify what? Except that the ripe grapes from the romantic era of "it was better before," seem to me a lack of adaptation to times to come. The neighbor’s grass is always greener ... I know plenty of incompetents in France who made their fortune elsewhere and returned with the sorts of comments like “it is not the right time”, “it should have been done before”, “before it was easier” and bla bla bla and bla bla bla.

Yes, our wines are probably too rich if intended to be served as thirst quenchers, but to drink 2 glasses with a meal, where is the problem ?
There are perhaps flavors of new oak. In the past old barrels provided other kinds of pleasure.
Probably some volatile is missing, as well as sourness.
Probably thinness is missing. Without any doubt for a great wine (and what wine !), how many bad and dead bottles existed? How many have I not tasted and poured in the sink?
I am exaggerating, but even if I understand, dear Dreling, your commitment to great classic Bordeaux - which I enjoyed as well, don’t deny this current evolution which will probably be followed by others.
Here, in Bordeaux, many try to produce wines less rich in alcohol and are seeking ways to get there - especially if that damn climate keeps on warming, it will not be easy. For me, it's not a problem, because, I repeat, I like this "kind of wine."
Nobility is a point of view.