Chateau Teyssier 2001
Coming hard on the heals of a 2000 vintage which Robert Parker rates as “the greatest vintage Bordeaux has produced” the 2001 vintage seemed to have a difficult act to follow. It did, however, feel almost identical right up until September when, instead of a hot, sticky September we got a cold, mild lead-up to the harvest.
Like the previous year the water table, which was already saturated by a wet autumn, rose again at the start of the year with winter rains that were tempered by spring-like warmth. Pruning was not rushed because of this weather and, indeed, we put a halt to it for a couple of weeks in December because the sap didn’t seem to be tailing off. The wet winter ensured that, however dry it got during the summer, the vines would never stretch themselves for water. With the vines not fully settled down for the winter the older neighbouring vignerons were muttering about a disaster looming with the possibility of February frosts to rival those of 1956. It stayed cold during the second part of the month – thereby forcing the sap down but thankfully the frosts stayed away. April went smoothly although, in the early hours of some mornings, the ominous boom of the newly installed propellers that are starting to litter the Saint Emilion landscape let one worry.
Although hot, May seemed slightly more tempered than the previous year resulting in a gentler flowering in June. As usual, our first run of green harvest was conducted once the bunches had formed with a second one at mid-veraison. Like the previous year an excellent, concentrated harvest was promised.
Perhaps September was not as hot as the previous year but it was certainly dry. The coolness obviously delayed the harvest, but the pickers were assembled and started on the whites of Clos Nardian on the 13th September. After waiting for what seemed like forever, the merlot was attacked on the 24th September. With a larger number of pickers than the previous year the harvest moved at a lick with Robert Fortin marshalling his team to bring in the harvest at a more dynamic pace than in previous years.
Vinification seemed easier this year with natural alcohol levels being high as we’re getting more used to. The discovery of some seventy-year-old Muscadelle vines for Clos Nardian and the acquisition from Château Canon of a parcel of Merlot for Château Laforge have been interesting additions.
In January 2002, at a vertical tasting of our wines in London, we made the point that the even years since we took over the property seemed to highlight the quality of our wines. A week later we received a letter from a participant who was there saying – “As you said the even years provided the excitement although, based on the evidence at the tasting, 2001 could buck that trend”.
We’d like to think that he’s right.