15/03/2022
Champagne 2008
A cold winter, chilly spring and dank summer made for a fairly poor growing season until conditions did an about-turn, particularly in Ambonnay, Bouzy and Aÿ. Suddenly, the weather was delivering bright, dry, sunny days which helped push the grapes towards phenolic ripeness despite temperatures still being lower than normal. The freezing winter also served to fully hibernate the vines so when the steadier weather eventually came, the grapes were in good health to take full advantage of the idyllic conditions. The cooler than average growing season also allowed grapes to ripen slowly preserving much-needed acidity.
Despite the inauspicious start, the end results for Champagne were surprisingly excellent. The harvest was successful and the resulting wines were fresh and refined with rich, ripe fruit and balanced acidity.
The only other hiccup the vintage faced was the devastating 2008 global recession, which decimated prices. Although Champagne undoubtedly financially suffered in the dire economic climate, the vintage itself is widely regarded as superb – for some, it was even legendary. Many wines will still be drinking very well now with the best likely to cellar even further. A hard vintage to go wrong with.
