2003 Bordeaux Vintage

The Growing Season

This was Bordeaux’s hottest summer ever! There were 53 days of 30° and 4 days in August hit 40° (over 100° F). Rainfall at only 248mm was 2nd lowest since records began except for 1961, (perhaps the best vintage of the 20th century). As a result of the heat-wave yields are some 35% down on average.

The Vintage

It is generally a left bank vintage, where the existence of clay soils and the preponderance of the later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon grape eased the wine-makers task. In Margaux, St Julien and St Estephe all Chateaux have produced very good wine and the top Chateaux wines are superior to the 2000 vintage.
The communes of Medoc, Haut Medoc, Moulis, Pessac-Leognan and Graves have also made lovely wines and our selection represents the best produced wines of the appellations. Many Medoc Chateaux have produced the greatest wines that they have made for 25 years, superior to the vintages of 1982, 1989, 1990 and 2000.