2007 Bordeaux Vintage

The 2007 growing season was one of the most dramatic in recent Bordeaux history, defined by a striking contrast between a wretched summer and a saving Indian summer. April was the warmest in 100 years, kicking off a vigorous and early start to vine growth. Then conditions collapsed: May was cold and wet, June was rainy, July was the coldest in many years, and August was cloudy with little sunshine. This sustained cool and damp period drove a serious mildew outbreak and left many vineyards struggling for phenolic ripeness heading into harvest. The rescue came in September, which was the driest since 1985, and the fine autumn weather continued well into October, partially salvaging a vintage that had looked disastrous.

• April was the warmest in 100 years; May and June brought heavy rainfall and cold temperatures, triggering a major mildew outbreak across the region.
• July was among the coldest on record for Bordeaux; August brought cloudy skies and little sunshine, severely limiting photosynthesis and ripening.
• The vintage recorded approximately 140 days from flowering to harvest, compared with the typical 110, as the poor summer forced a prolonged growing season.
• September was the driest since 1985, followed by a sustained Indian summer that allowed orderly harvesting into October for the reds and November for Sauternes.

The 2007 vintage revealed sharp differences between appellations and between grape varieties. Merlot on the Right Bank, being earlier-ripening, was harvested from mid-September in generally adequate but variable conditions; the best Pomerol and Saint-Emilion estates made pleasant wines, but many second-tier producers showed dilution or underripeness. On the Left Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon benefited from the extended autumn sunshine and was largely picked during the week of October 8th, often producing better-defined, smoother-textured wines than the rushed Merlots. The white wines of Pessac-Leognan, picked in perfect late-August to late-September conditions, were outstanding. Sauternes, capable of capitalising on autumn botrytis in a way the reds could not, was by far the vintage's greatest triumph.

• Pessac-Leognan dry whites were harvested in ideal conditions from early September, producing wines of fresh aromatic fruit and mouth-watering acidity.
• Left Bank reds (Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux) achieved better balance than the Right Bank, with Cabernet Sauvignon benefiting from October sunshine to develop smooth tannin and definition.
• Right Bank Merlots were highly variable; top estates in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion made pleasant, early-drinking wines, but many showed dilution or green, underripe character.
• Sauternes and Barsac were declared outstanding, with botrytis flourishing in the damp early October conditions and harvesting continuing into November at some estates.

Among the reds, the best results came from meticulously managed Left Bank estates where green harvesting, disease control, and rigorous selection in both vineyard and cellar allowed producers to extract the finest fruit from a difficult year. A re-tasting of top chateaux by Jancis Robinson's group in 2015 found many classic clarets on the Left Bank drinking well, though she noted the wines had always been notably low in tannin and concentration. The dry whites of Pessac-Leognan were broadly praised as outstanding. Sauternes, however, was the undisputed vintage star, with Decanter stating that out of the whole of Bordeaux, only Sauternes made indisputably great wines in 2007, combining richness and purity with exceptional freshness.

• Left Bank first growths and top crus classes produced the most complete reds, with careful selection and winemaking compensating for the difficult growing season.
• Dry white wines from Pessac-Leognan were praised for fresh, aromatic fruit and vibrant acidity, with the best displaying both immediate appeal and genuine aging potential.
• Sauternes top estates benefited from patient, multiple-pass harvesting as botrytis developed through October; the resulting wines combined high sugar levels with exceptional freshness from cool nights.
• Saint-Emilion estates with a high proportion of Cabernet Franc (a relatively earlier-ripening variety) generally outperformed heavily Merlot-dominant producers on the Right Bank.

Red 2007 Bordeaux is defined by lightness, fruit-forward generosity, and approachable tannins rather than power or concentration. The cooler growing season produced wines of fragrance and medium body, with supple tannin structures that resolved quickly. The best Left Bank examples show clear dark fruit, a certain herbal freshness, and smooth texture; the best Right Bank Merlots are soft and easy-drinking. Decanter noted that the vintage was relatively light and that the most successful producers emphasised fruit over power. Some wines, particularly at lower quality levels, showed a green or vegetal character reflecting incomplete phenolic ripeness. The dry whites and sweet wines are a different story, showing complexity, freshness, and genuine depth.

• Reds are light-to-medium-bodied, fruit-forward, and approachable, with fragrant dark fruit, moderate tannins, and a smooth texture rather than the concentration or grip of top vintages.
• Left Bank Cabernet-based wines show better-defined fruit and structure than the Right Bank, with autumn sunshine contributing definition and tannic smoothness.
• Some wines, particularly from lesser estates, display green or underripe character reflecting the vintage's phenolic ripeness challenges.
• Sauternes 2007 is a fine, nervous style, with high sugar levels often around 130 to 140 g/l balanced by refreshing acidity, combining richness with exceptional purity and freshness.

The 2007 reds were always designed for earlier consumption than classic Bordeaux vintages. Jancis Robinson noted in a comprehensive re-tasting that most wines were ready to drink before they were ten years old, which is highly unusual for Bordeaux classed growths. Wine-Searcher has observed that the very best wines may still be drinking acceptably but that the drinking window for most is likely closing. The situation is different for the Sauternes, which were built for longer aging, combining high sugar, high acidity, and complex botrytis character in a way that supports extended cellaring.

• Most Right Bank Merlot-based reds reached their peak drinking window well before 2020 and should generally be consumed without further delay.
• Top Left Bank first growths and a handful of exceptional crus classes may still be offering pleasant drinking through the mid-2020s, but the window is narrowing.
• The vintage is best treated as an immediate-pleasure choice rather than an investment for long-term cellaring; the lighter tannin and lower concentration structure does not support prolonged aging.
• Sauternes and Barsac 2007, with their exceptional freshness, high acidity, and botrytis complexity, have genuine long-term aging potential and continue to develop well.

The 2007 vintage has a complicated market history. En primeur prices were widely criticized as far too high for the quality offered: consumers had only recently purchased the acclaimed 2005 vintage, and appetite for an average, early-drinking year was limited. Prices declined steadily on the secondary market in the years that followed, and the vintage is broadly regarded as overpriced from the start. For collectors today, the most compelling purchases are the outstanding Sauternes and dry white Pessac-Leognan wines, which represent genuine quality at prices well below the region's great sweet wine vintages. The red wines are largely past their optimal window and hold limited investment interest.

• En primeur prices were heavily criticized as unjustifiably high relative to quality; consumer interest was minimal after the recently released blockbuster 2005 vintage.
• Secondary market prices for red 2007 Bordeaux continued to decline, reflecting the vintage's accessible, early-drinking character and the lack of collector demand.
• Sauternes 2007 remains the compelling buy within the vintage, offering outstanding quality that is often underestimated relative to the reputation of the red wines.
• The vintage is not considered suitable for long-term investment in reds; its value proposition for wines still available lies in immediate drinking rather than appreciation.