Benfield & Delamare 2006 Newsletter

I love the dry rattling nor-westers of Il Nino, the frost free springs, little or no weed growth, lack of vine disease, and especially the dry reliable autumns and vintages. But life is not always like that. It seems according to the experts, the weather runs in roughly 20 year cycles, so where we had an Il Nino phase from the late 1970’s till 1998, we are now in a phase where the predominant pattern is La Nina. High pressure systems tend to track further south in both spring and autumn, drawing up colder southern air on their leading edge, meaning in spring, we are exposed to greater risk of frost, and of cold wet conditions at flowering. Similarly, in autumn, what would have otherwise been a great season can fall over just before vintage. However, with luck and careful management, you can still get great vintages, but the room for error becomes slight.

We did get a good spring and early summer in 2005 for 2006, good fruit set, and conditions suggesting a large vintage. The summer was very warm, warm enough to carry and ripen a big crop. Despite that, prudence suggested we thin the Merlot to push ripening, which in the end proved a good move. Like 2005, the season collapsed early with 5 days of rain beginning on March 21. On the first following fine day (26th March), we took in the Merlot. It wouldn’t have held another day! The Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc had to hold on till the 12th. April, and a nail biting end to the season.

When things just seem to be going from bad to worse, when the weather is driving the agenda, you get on and do what has to be done, its only after its done that you have time to sit down and have a look at what you’ve got. We surprised ourselves with a pretty good vintage. Certainly the biggest vintage we have had for some time.

Having a big vintage allows us to be ruthless in selection for our top label. Of the twelve possible barrels from our best, we have finally selected and prepared a “best blend” of seven; four of Merlot, and 3 barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon / Cabernet Franc blend.

If 2006 was a pretty up and down year, the last twelve months have been very good to us. Among the highlights was a vertical tasting conducted by Raymond Chan at Regional Wines. We were able to cover all the vintages from 1990 to 2005, and although some were better than others, none disappointed. Neal Martin also toured the district sampling wines for inclusion in the Wine Advocate. Although we were not on his itinerary, he did contact us with a request for a sample. At the time, we only had 2005 available, which was duly sent. His review in the Wine Advocate (No. 176) is both complete and generous. We have been awarded a grade of 92.

The wine is certainly one of the better of this millennia for us, big, warm and generous, yet never over the top. To the eye, it is deep ruby, with a complex nose suggesting pencil cedar, fruitcake, spices, currents, and even some cherry. To the taste, there is adequate tannin, an expansive mouthfeel of plum, mulberry, a touch of ripe cassis. A wine that shows charm now, yet will evolve and develop over the next 10 to 15 years.

And it looks as though we will all have to wait for another 10 years to return to the “Il Nino” conditions of the eighties and nineties. Roll on!

More Information about past vintages