The 2009 Vintage
 
With everyone already talking about this being the new 2005 (and that's just the low-key ones, the rest are bandying about 1982, 1945, 1047...), the count-down to the en primeurs has very definitely begun. This is the official press release from the CIVB on this year's vintage. Speaking as someone who lives here, has followed the vintage and tasted a number of vats across both banks, I think they are right to be feeling confident over the quality. Whether they are right to be as confident over the prices remains to be seen...
 
'Weather conditions this year have been particularly favourable for the vine’s growth cycle and the grapes’ ripening process. The months of July and August saw high temperatures and a generous amount of sunshine. This & weather continued into September, with an alternation between cool nights and warm daytime temperatures, which encouraged a concentration of aromas and an increase in anthocyanins The grapes ripened ideally and harvests dates are now being staggered. Crops being gathered are perfectly healthy. It is too early to make an estimate about harvest. We should keep in mind that hailstorms during the month of March caused significant damage to 19,000 hectares of vines (15% of the total Bordeaux winegrowing region). The extent of this damage varied considerably from one plot to another in vineyards, but the result is a decrease in production.
 
Dry White Wines
Harvests of white Sauvignon grapes began on 27th August in the earliest-ripening areas. In September harvesting of this variety became widespread and continued afterwards with the Sémillon variety.
 
Red wines

Merlot grapes are currently being picked. Harvests of this variety began in mid-September for the earliest-ripening areas. The berries are intensely aromatic, full of flavour, showing excellent concentration in sugar; the pips are crunchy and the skins appear to have marvellous colour potential (anthocyanan levels are high). Acidity levels are low; this is an indication of excellent ripeness. Harvests continued with Cabernet Franc in the first days of October, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, depending on the earliness of certain terroirs and how ripeness  developed.
 
Sweet white wines
Gathered by successive stages of manual sorting on the vine, harvests of grapes for sweet white wines began at the end of September. Weather conditions were ideal for these grapes that undergo the influence of an extremely specific micro-climate. Humidity, in the form of early-morning mists, encourages the work of the botrytis cinerea fungus (noble rot), a vital factor for producing these wines. Very warm daytime temperatures dry out the grapes and concentrate all their flavours. The grapes express remarkable aromatic potential.
 
Weather Conditions (source Meteo France)
March : a generous amount of sunshine, temperatures slightly above average and rainfall levels less than half the average of the past 30 years. In the vineyards: budburst (when the buds open and small leaves appear) began at the end of the month. Sunshine 220.35 hours, rainfall 31mm, temperature 12.4C.
April: a mild month, particularly rainy, with a lack of sunshine. Sunshine 235 hours, rainfall 78.4mm, temperature 10.1C.
May: Fine weather, with summery temperatures and an excellent amount of sunshine; there was, however, a slight lack of rainfall. Violent hailstorms occurred on 11th, 13th and 25th May. No winegrowing area of the Bordeaux region was spared (Médoc, Graves, Entre-deux-Mers,Saint-Emilion, Blaye, Bourg, Premières Côtes). In the vineyards: at the end of May, fowering begins. Early and swift, it becomes widespread at the beginning of the month of June. Sunshine 159.35 hours, rainfall 115.8mm, temperature 17.3C.
June: a dry, warm month, with a remarkable amount of sunshine and temperatures 2 degrees higher than the average of the past 30 years. In the vineyards: on 15th June flowering had finished in the earliest areas. This is the period of berry setting (fertilised flowers turn into tiny grape berries). Sunshine 293 hours, rainfall 75mm, temperature 20.3C.
July: a warm month (temperatures slightly above average) and a generous amount of sunshine.In the vineyards: beginning of the véraison period. The berries swell and grape skins begin to change colour. Sunshine 262.31 hours, rainfall 46.6mm, temperature 21.5C.
August: extremely good weather, warm and sunny (+ 27 hours of sunshine). There was a slight lack of rainfall compared with the average of the past 30 years. In the vineyards: ripening is encouraged by excellent weather conditions. Sunshine 270.34 hours (30 year average 242.55 hours). Rainfall 23mm (30 year average 59.5mm). Temperature 22.3 degrees C (30 year average 20.9)
September: a second month of August! Temperatures are slightly above the average of the past 30 years. There is a lack of rainfall, but an extraordinary amount of sunshine (+ 50 hours). In the vineyards: it’s time for the harvests to begin. Sunshine 233.49 hours (30 year average 182.49 hours). rainfall 48.6mm (30 year average 90.3mm). temp average 19.2 degrees C (30 year average 18.1).
October: Sunshine continued through much of the month, again. Most grapes were in across all regions by the end of the second week, although there were still a few properties who were picking at the very end of October.