NO 1908 CHAMPAGNE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 143, 16 December 1908, Page 3

NO 1908 CHAMPAGNE.

YEAR'S WOKK TKHOWX AWAY. "The labours nf t)u> year (in the Champa^no <"• wiiry) havo boon thrown away."" This is the regretful statement mado by y\v Charles Hoidsieck, of tho famous oh:impaij::t' firm* in a letter to tin 1 ijondoti Daily Express on this yoar's ehdmpagiie prospects. In spite of all thd adverse circumstances, however, there is' no likelihood of a champagne famine, as the stocks in haml are very large. "Tho champagne vintage of this year began on September 20th," says Mr Heidsieck, "but tinfortunately, ihe crops had been so reduced by a violent attack of mildew that a week saw all the grapes gathered. "The intense heat of early June was (followed by violent storms, and the vineyards were 'attacked, hy mildew. The grapes , rotted and fell. ' "The beautiful September weather came too late to repair tho damage, and, judging from the amount of tho harvest, the labours of the year have been, thrown away. "The vintages for several years have been fairly abundant, and therefore ih© stocks of wine are yet large. The. . official figures — published last Apriil for the Chamber of Reims — give) the number of bottles stored in . the caves of Reims at 11,243,100 doz., and if we consider that last year's] consumption amounted to nearly | 3,000,000 dozens, we have sufficient vrin&f ill Reims to go on with. "Tho excellent vintages of 1904 and 1906 form a largo part of the abovementioned' stock, so that although the quantity of fine wines destined for the English market must be considered limited, yet the consumer can rest assured that the Champagne cotintry can continue to supply the excellent wines* grown in the Grands Cms. "The 'Vintage of 1900 has given great satisfaction to connoisseurs, and there is" no doubt that such will also he the <>ase with that of 1904. The latter may not, perhaps, be such funbodied wines, bwfc they are of exceptional flavour and delicacy. The wines of 1906 ' continue to develop ay ell,' aM everything tends to i show that they will later give gi'eat satisfaction to the consumer." .