Bordeaux 2012 – Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Moulis and Listrac

For our full Bordeaux 2012 coverage, see The Guide.

The problem with the appellations listed below is that they are so dependent on Cabernet Sauvignon, the late-ripening variety that had such difficulty achieving full ripeness in 2012. The whole season, in stark contrast to 2011, was so late, with horrid weather during flowering resulting in very uneven ripening even on the same bunch. Lots of unsettled weather in spring and early summer was followed by an unusually hot, dry summer – so much so that  the ripening process shut down completely at times. By early September, Cabernets were a...