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Literary aficionados associate "Hot Summer" with a novel by Uwe Timm, one of the few literary testimonies to the student revolt of 1968. Wine lovers, on the other hand, think of 2003, when the summer heat reached Sahara temperatures even in Germany - for days, even weeks, up to 40 degrees in the shade. All traditional European wine regions - France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Spain - were affected. For the good of wine? Is the equation "lots of sun, little rain, a phenomenal drop" true?
In the hot summer, the only thing that helps is to escape to the beach% a cool rosé in the glass.

Did the 2003 really turn out so phenomenal? Is the simple formula for wine true: "the hotter - the better"? Even then - as soon as the wines were in the barrel or even in the bottle - serious doubts arose: "The super summer of 2003 did not produce super wines. For all their fruit, the wines lacked structure and the necessary bite. The harmony between fruit, ripe tannins, minerality and acidity is simply not there," wrote Achim Becker, the "wine terminator" at the time. The two French critics Bettane and Desseauve were somewhat more euphoric: "The extreme warmth has led to a very early harvest and a drastically reduced yield. The result is very heterogeneous in quality. Just under a dozen wineries created brilliant wines, especially in the Médoc, where Cabernet Sauvignon benefited from the weather." Vinum, on the other hand, gave the far-sighted advice: "Buy a bottle here and there, but not whole cases - the 2001s, 2002s and 2004s are better suited for the cellar.... Drink the 2003s too early rather than too late, not in an hour of meditation, but on a happy winter evening with friends!"
The Cabernet Sauvignon - here in the Mouton Rothschild show garden - coped with the hot period better than the Merlot

This winter evening has now arrived, even a "sour" one, with snow and rain. Really no time for meditation, rather a great longing for fiery wine enjoyment! So I decide to take part in a tasting, Bordeaux 2003. Those who know me and know that I hardly ever take a Bordeaux out of the cellar that is younger than 10 years are amazed at my daring venture. Only some of my wine friends are not surprised. Toni greets me: "I was expecting you here today, your 2003s are probably still too young for you!" That's right. I prefer to take stock at a high-quality tasting. 17 wines, almost only the best from 2003: Palmer, Lascombes, Giscours, Rauzan Ségla, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Lalande, Pichon Baron, Lynch Bages, Montrose, Léoville Poyferré, Calon Ségur, Lagrange, Haut Brion, Mission Haut-Brion, Pape Clément, Smith Haut-Lafite. A representative selection, all from the - this year - "better" left bank of the Gironde.
A selection of the best Medoc and Graves wines from 2003 - ready for tasting.

My fear as a self-confessed old wine drinker: many of the wines presented are now closed. To say it in advance: they are not, with two exceptions. The Montrose has been exposed in the carafe for at least four hours, so that it presents itself at least as openly as we experience it this evening. The Mouton also seems quite closed to me. Others don't find that at all. But that doesn't bother me much. I am here to test the 2003 myself! Why should I let myself be influenced? Proudly I say: Number one is Rauzan Ségla. We drank the wine yesterday - albeit a 97. In fact, it's like this. Because I met a good acquaintance, I give it just 18 points in the joy of reunion. But I got off to the worst possible start. What should I do in the second or third round, where I will undoubtedly encounter much better wines? Raise the score?
A conspiratorial group of Bordeaux lovers tests the 2003.

As a declared "non-scorer", however, I have to bow to social compulsion this evening. Nicely behaved, I award point after point after point... Soon I have reached 20 on the twenty-point scale. What now? Admit to myself that wine number eleven is not the best after all. It is "only" a Léoville Poyferré, the weakest of the three Léovilles according to the usual scale of values. My chance in this round, the highest-priced "Las Cases", is not in the programme, and the "Barton" is punished this time with 18 points. Already the next cliff appears. The pleasing Lagrange, the cheapest wine of the evening, tastes simply good in its modern way, stunning. Better? Can't be - so 19.5 points.
These six wines cause quite a headache when it comes to scoring

But I only really realise all this later. On the way home, or even later, while writing this column. As usual, we tasted blind; we only know what is in each of the four flights, in between we have to (may) guess. I felt a little uncomfortable when the organiser said, "Now it's time to get down to business! In fact, in retrospect, the first round (you should know if you know the rules of tastings) was the weakest. But my 18.5 point score was already done. Bad luck. Because in round 4 at the latest, with Haut-Brion, Mission, Pape Clément and Smith Haut Lafite, all the "powder" is already gone. I console myself, give myself over - at last - to quiet enjoyment. The summer of 2003 is too hot for me, at least on this evening.
Totally confused! This is how the amateur's perplexity ends in scoring.

And the conclusion? In fact, the 2003 presents itself excellently at the moment, not at all - as suspected - closed. Forecasts, as they are to be found all over the wine literature (mostly with points to the point), are only snapshots that are constantly being put into perspective. And finally: even sworn old wine drinkers can have fun with (too) young wines. You just have to be open to new experiences. Even if a "hot summer" can dull the senses.

Sincerely

Yours sincerely

Peter (Züllig)

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