Expect to hear a lot from and about Bordeaux in the next few months. It’s always said that you can tell a good Bordeaux year by looking at the last digit of the date: if it’s a "0" or a "5" then it’s likely to have been a cracker. The rule of thumb has held true since 1985. So far this millennium, 2000, 2005 and 2010 have all proved excellent vintages, and reports from winemakers and château proprietors in the region suggest that 2015 may extend the run if not of great, then of very good vintages.  Of course, the jury must remain out until the wines have actually been tasted, and tasted by those who do not have a vested interest in selling them. Bordeaux is notoriously adept at spin. The fine wine region has struggled with a stretch of unheralded (2011, 2012, 2014) and poor (2013) vintages so will seek to capitalise on any upturn in fortunes. No surprise, then, that in Bordeaux words such as, “wonderful,” “excited,” and, “magnificent,” are already being bandied about.  What can more sensibly be said at this stage is that this year the vineyards benefited from good flowering in May and June, and a warm late June and early July that producers insist did not, thanks to rain in August, create the over-heated drought conditions seen in 2003. Even level heads report that the 2015 harvest was notable for the lack of rot and overall healthiness of its grapes.  We will find out just how good 2015 Bordeaux is at the en primeur tastings in April.  The trend for bigger bottles continues apace. Whatever the wine, whether it’s humble muscadet; pale rosé from Miraval or Chateau d’Esclans in Provence; claret or champagne look out for it in magnums (mags) or double magnums.  This homegrown wine used to have about as much international cachet as the rosette for best ferret at a Cumbrian Game Show. Over the last decade, however, English sparkling wine has improved, more vineyards have been planted – and the rest of the world has started to pay attention.  The recent news that champagne house Taittinger has bought land in Kent with the intention of making its own English sparkling wine is a huge endorsement and another boost for the English wine industry. Expect momentum to continue to gather through 2016 – and to see English sparkling wine being poured in the most stylish places.
Will 2015 turn out to be a cracking year for Bordeaux? The signs are good reports Victoria Moore, who also foresees a healthy year for English sparklers