▻ Bordeaux 2024 Vintage Challenges
▴ Château Giscours
In conversation with Frédéric Faye of Château Figeac and Alexander Van Beek of Château Gisours
Episode Summary:-
Sarah Kemp talks to two of Bordeaux’s most experienced directors, Frédéric Faye of Château Figeac in Saint-Emilion, and Alexander Van Beek of Château Giscours in Margaux, about the 2024 vintage, which both agree was challenging.
Frédéric explains that the challenges came at flowering, especially with Merlot, and during September, when there was rain, but in July and August there was the necessary heat to ripen the grapes. At Figeac, he explained, they green-harvested and spent time “taking a lot of risk to walk the vineyards and select the best berries, not the best bunches, but the best berries.” Sorting was critical, and an advantage at Figeac are the 80 experienced pickers who knew what to look for, as well as up-to-date technology. The Merlot was picked from between 20th and 26th September, and they started the Cabernet a week later, on 1st October.
In terms of weather conditions, Frédéric does not have another comparable vintage, but points out that the new facilities mean that they approach vinification differently to vintages back in the early 1990s.
In order to maintain Figeac’s quality, they have only produced 60,000 bottles of the 2024 vintage, half the normal amount. For Frédéric what is important is, “First, it is a Figeac, then, it is a 2024.”
Over on the Left Bank, Sarah visits Alexander Van Beek of Château Giscours. He agrees with Frédéric that it was a challenging vintage but what was crucial was the “drain-ability of the grand terroir of Giscours, and an amazing team”. Since 2018, Giscours has changed its practices, picking by the age of the vine – the youngest first, as they absorb most of the rain in their root structure – followed by the middle-aged vines, and finally the “old grandpas.” “There can be 12 days difference in when we pick in the same parcel,” Alexander reveals.
Another important practice at Giscours is that there is a person responsible for each parcel. Alexander explains, “82 people work daily – 20 families live on the property,” with the same person pruning and responsible for bringing in the grapes at harvest; it is important, as the person in charge of the parcel has a more detailed knowledge of what is going on, more even than the Technical Director.
“In 2024 the most important thing really was getting the fruit in at the right moment – most of the selection was done outside; with healthy fruit you can vinify in a delicate way.”
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 7.10
"First it is Château Figeac, then it is 2024” – Frédéric Faye
– Growing season at Château Figeac.
– The challenges faced on the estate.
– Picking dates.
– Yields for 2024. -
7.11 – 14.37
“Summer gives the quality of the vintage.” – Alexander Van Beek
– How Giscour’s terroir coped with 2024 conditions.
– Picking the grapes by the age of vines.
– Giscour’s practice of employing a person to be in charge of each parcel.
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