We are all agreed in recognizing the talents of our tasting friends who come to judge our wines but in spite of their great experience we note with some alarm that our primeur wine is being tasted earlier and earlier.

It is like trying to appreciate a precious stone that as not yet been cut or set or like trying to listen to certain instruments of a symphonic orchestra instead of listening to synphony itself in all its instrumental symbiosis.

Is not it a fact that the pre-eminence of a great wine lies in its finesse, its complexity and its depth which is acquired during the ageing process and from the way in which it is aged at the Chateau ?

Today the trend is to give preference to a primeur wine that is attractive straight away. As in a beauty contest, the wines are classed, they are selected for their coating of tanins, high colour, richness, and impressiveness and they resemble more nearly New World wines than the great classic wines of Bordeaux whose style is a reflection of the vintage and an expression of the terroir.

The potential of our wines can only be appreciated when all the grape varieties have had time to meld harmoniously together after the assemblage. Then is it not later than March that our wines should be judged ? Our philosophy is that the best date for tasting would never be earlier than mid-April. The most objective would be in November , 14 months after the harvest. Admittedly, the primeur wines of an 89 or 90 vintage are easy to taste, but an 86, 88, 96 and 98 are more delicate to judge very young as their complexity and their depth demands great humility. What possibilities for error ! The Pichon 75 and 88 are two flagrant examples. Hard, even austere in the prime of their youth, these wines underwent a metamorphosis to produce elegant and silky tannins.

In respect of the quality and of a long historical tradition we denounce this deviation which consists of submitting samples of our primeur wine too soon to professionals and to the media. We are counting on your professionalism to support our action.