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Vintage Guide

Below is collection of Vintage Guides for most popular regions. Containing a brief summary of each Vintage, this information will give you an overview and some pointers as to what to expect from the wine. For more detailed information please take a look at the tasting notes for specific wines.

Claret Vintage Guide – post-Millennium

Early reports suggest the 2022 vintage looks very promising indeed. The 2021 vintage has made wines that are medium bodied with good freshness, in a similar style to 2017. The 2020 vintage yielded wines that are aromatic and concentrated, quite big in structure with freshness and balance. The wines of 2019 are very concentrated, fresh, ripe and plentiful, all in all a very well-regarded vintage. 2018 was a very good vintage in the end but mildew, hail, and a heatwave all served to reduce yields. The harvest across the region took place in near ideal conditions. 2017 is good in terms of quality but short on quantity, following frosts in the Spring that decimated certain properties. 2016 is a worthy successor to 2015, on a par qualitatively and looking very promising across all wine types. A hot summer but with cool nights has produced wines with fruit and freshness. 2015 is exceptionally good across the region for reds, especially the Right Bank, Pessac-Léognan, dry whites (better for Sauvignon than Sémillon) and sweeties: it is certainly the best vintage since 2010. 2014 is a very good Cabernet vintage, particularly in the Médoc where the wines are fresh with fine tannins. Overall, ripeness levels are good and so are quantities. The 2013 and 2012 vintages were not particularly easy for the Bordelais, requiring dedication in the vineyard and modern techniques in the winery. Plenty of attractive short- and medium-term wines have been made, but yields are low.

Claret Vintage Guide – pre-2000

1999 was overlooked as everyone waited for the Millennium vintage but the wines have great charm. The Right Bank did particularly well in 1998 while the wines of 1997 continue to provide attractive drinking. 1996 and 1995 make for an interesting comparison; the best wines will age longer but others are drinking well now. 1994, 1993, 1992 and 1991 – all but the best ’94s are now fully mature, while 1990 remains the best vintage from this decade. Look out for top properties from 1989, 1986, 1985, 1983 (good value) and 1982 (expensive). Other ’80s vintages and lesser properties will need drinking up soon, whilst from the ’70s, just the top properties from the likes of 1978, 1976, 1979 and 1970 will carry on, though even they are now at their peak.

Sauternes Vintage Guide

The very late arrival of botrytis in 2018 meant growers required nerves of steel, but they were rewarded with a small harvest of rich wines showing some botrytis character. A favourable summer in 2017 has produced some very good sweeties concentrated by weather rather than botrytis but in small quantities. A warm 2016 vintage has given rise to excellent sweet wines, mostly concentrated by the sun but with some botrytis and good fresh acidity. Both 2015 and 2014 have produced excellent quality in a modern style, sweet but balanced with good freshness rather than overly sweet and rich. The 2013 vintage proved a good year for Sauternes; the wines have freshness and balance (keep). In contrast, the rains of 2012 meant the top châteaux did not release wines. The rich opulent wines of 2011 will be charming (keep), while those of 2010 are good but more irregular and less overt than the ‘11s which came after and the tremendous ’09s which came before.  The wines of the small harvest of 2008 lacked concentration and are a contrast to the wonderful wines of 2007 – rich, pure, plenty of botrytis (keep). The challenging 2006 vintage suffered rain at harvest but some good wines were made (drink or keep). The wonderful vintage of 2005 – powerful and opulent but elegant too – are wines to keep. The small quantity of botrytised wines from 2004 are beginning to drink well, while the sugar-laden, concentrated wines of 2003 are best kept. The 2002 vintage proved light and needs drinking soon compared with the superb wines of 2001 which will stand the test of time. The 2000 vintage proved less than ideal so drink up. The classic wines of 1999 will cellar well while you reach for those of 1998 which, despite giving the growers plenty to worry about during the season, proved good in the end. 1997 is a very fine vintage, the best since 1990, drink or keep, but hot on its heels 1996 and 1995 make for great comparison. The good, rich wines of 1990 are drinking now, as are those of 1989, though no hurry here, while the outstanding wines of the 1988 vintage and the rich honeyed wines of 1986 are drinking well, as are the fabulous late-harvested wines of 1983.

Rhône Vintage Guide

The 2022 vintage looks to be excellent for the North and South of the region which both excelled in the hot conditions this year. The 2021 vintage has seen some good results particularly in the North where attractive, aromatic, elegant wines have been made. The wines from the 2020 vintage look to be a little fresher and more approachable in their youth than those of 2019 which is a high-quality vintage with yields on a par with 2018. Another good result along the valley in 2018, though the South had more disease problems to contend with, as mildew affected the thinner-skinned Grenache more than other varieties. Quality was high but the yields were down. An early harvest produced some intense wines in 2017 for both the North and the South of the region, though uneven flowering in both reduced yields considerably. 2016 in both Northern and Southern Rhône has produced excellent results, and the South has it by a whisker this year, the opposite of 2015. 2015 is terrific, particularly for the North’s Syrah, no problems and decent yields too. An ideal growing season, that was even hotter than 2003 in the daytime but with cooler nights and just enough rainfall to prevent problems in the vineyards. Both whites and reds are excellent. 2014 is not an easy vintage to generalise about but whites are super, reds are very pure with lovely aromatics, and, in the South, as in 2013, Syrah and Mourvèdre have done better than Grenache. In common with most of Europe, 2013 started late but a dry second half of the season resulted in some excellent wines particularly Syrah from the North. 2012 was a return to a broader, richer style across the region, while the 2011s have more elegance and freshness – qualities you’ll find in the southern Côtes du Rhône in particular. 2010 is outstanding, particularly in the South where the balance is glorious. The previous vintage, 2009 was also packed with superlatives, with the North just trumping the South – very pure, rich Syrah with tremendous potential. 2008 was certainly a ‘curate’s egg’, where we were careful to buy only the best. One of the few dips in the ‘noughties’ really, since the fabulous 2007 vintage tops even the outstanding 2006, 2005 and 2004s. A remarkable run, but tasting these wines has been an absolute pleasure in recent years, and these brilliant bottles will last, the top styles easily making 15-20 years, yet having the fresh fruit structure to enjoy in their youth. Otherwise, the hot 2003s are very rich, possibly better in the North. 2002 was rather disappointingly light and 2001 was uniformly excellent.

White Burgundy Vintage Guide

A warm season but with cooler nights, in 2022 looks to have brought both excellent quality and, importantly, a decent quantity. The 2021 vintage was heavily affected by frost meaning quantities are well down though the quality is very good. 2020 was historically early and regarded as a great vintage. 2019 is a worthy successor to the excellent ‘18s, where low yields have given very concentrated wines. A seriously good vintage here in 2018 as the region escaped the frosts which have plagued recent years. They have a good crop of rich, aromatic whites across the region as a result. Despite a familiar and now all-too-frequent late frost in 2017 the growers in the Côte d’Or were better prepared and the vintage has delivered excellent results, with many domaines back to ‘normal’ yields. In the Mâconnais and Chablis growers were not quite so lucky with yields down for the second year but wines of excellent quality. What there is in 2016 is very good but sadly frost and hail had a bigger than usual impact this year, particularly in Chablis and the Mâconnais, but almost no-one escaped unscathed. 2015 produced round, full whites with good, ripe fruit. 2014 started well enough with an early spring but a cooler than average summer, and hailstorms in the south, reduced yields. The resultant wines, however, have elegance and beautiful balance. A cold season in 2013 meant yields were low but good growers have produced some very drinkable wines.  Another low-yielding vintage, 2012, gave some attractive wines but not much volume. The tricky conditions of 2011 gave some good juicy wines for short and mid-term drinking. While the Burgundians favour the ethereal style of the succulent 2010s, they contrast well with the much riper, fleshier wines of 2009. A cooler year in 2008 produced some super, fresh, zippy wines. Similarly in 2007, the whites are crisp and aromatic. Another year saved by September weather, the wines of 2006 have a little more flesh than the subsequent two years. Concentrated wines with good structure were produced in 2005, with 2004 providing a contrast with crisper but more long-lived wines. The hot year of 2003 produced some fascinating but atypical whites. The successful 2002 vintage gave us good quality and quantity, drink soon. Wines from 2001 were nice but for the short term, drink up. The millennium vintage was much better for whites than for reds.

Red Burgundy Vintage Guide

The region basked under the summer sun in 2022, and thanks to cool nights the wines have avoided excess alcohol while retaining elegance, it all looks very promising. The 2021 vintage was severely affected by frost in the spring which means yields are historically low, the wines are fresh and juicy. 2020 was one of the earliest vintages on record following a warm summer but the wines have an appealing freshness too, like a combination of the previous two vintages. There was an absence of frost in 2019 but yields were still restricted, this time by drought, the resulting wines have great richness and concentration. A very good vintage in 2018 with no frosts in the early part of the season though rain in the first half of summer caused some disease pressure. Hail affected Nuits St-Georges and the Hautes-Côtes reducing yields. The resulting wines are rich and concentrated. Quantities in 2017 will be better than 2016 with equally good results. They are more red fruited than black, showing great elegance. 2016 proved a rollercoaster of a season with everything thrown at the growers in the early season but what fruit survived through to harvest is very good. Quantities, however, are small. 2015 is a memorable vintage for red Burgundy, certainly on the rich side. The red wines of 2014 are more ‘classic’, have a great combination of red and black fruits as well as being charmingly approachable in their youth. After a late start and a cool summer, a dry September saved the day in 2013, the Pinot being light but very pure.  This followed another difficult year in 2012 weather-wise though the resultant wines are soft and attractive and this in turn was preceded by a year of tricky weather in 2011. The wonderful duo of 2010 and 2009 gave elegant age-worthy wines in the former, and bigger, riper, very drinkable wines in the latter.  These followed the more difficult 2008, which produced fresh wines, and 2007 when a poor summer meant only the best growers did well.  2006 was also less than straight-forward but some attractive, pure wines have emerged. The fantastic 2005 vintage gave wines which will need time to show at their best. Before that, the 2004 vintage produced fresher, lighter wines, drinking well now, and the unusually hot vintage of 2003 continues to surprise, though ultimately the tannins may out-live the fruit. 2002 was a good vintage, giving some attractive mid-term drinking wines. The best growers had to be careful not to over-extract tannins in 2001. The Millennium year proved tricky but some soft, easy wines were produced (drink up) while 1999 was a super vintage, giving wines which will stand the test of time but be approachable throughout their evolution. The 1998 vintage produced some good wines though some can be a little foursquare. If you still have some of the charming wines from 1997, drink up soon, whilst the 1996 and 1995s were rather good being fresher and darker respectively.

Spain Vintage Guide

A wet first half of the 2020 vintage meant a lot of work in the vineyard was needed but a better more consistent second half mean the results look very promising. A very good year, 2019 had warm dry conditions but yields were limited by a tricky flowering period. A cooler and wetter year than other recent vintages, this has endowed the wines of 2018 with greater freshness and lower alcohols. Across the country the wines are showing good aromatics, plenty of weight, and a juicy fresh character. Growers had a complex year in 2017 having to contend with frost hail and drought. Yields are down as a result but the picture overall is of good quality particularly in Galicia and the South, Penedès also seems to have performed well. The 2016 vintage looks pretty good on the whole with Ribera del Duero, Rioja and Rueda having excellent results. 2015 was heralded as the best vintage across Spain in recent years, and particularly so in the north. 2014 saw some good wines made with a little rain in the second half of harvest and low yields. This came after the potentially great 2013 vintage which has given fresh, vibrant, robust wines. The 2012 harvest is also very good, a dry year but yields are low. The run of good to excellent quality go back to 2002, with 2011 being an early harvest in good conditions; 2010 a cooler year, which has delivered a more elegant style of wine; 2009 a warm year with a potentially big harvest of excellent grapes through the more elegant 2008s; the growing season of 2007 was more difficult but good, balanced wines emerged; the drought season of 2006 was moderated by cool nights giving elegant wines; the superb duo of 2005 and 2004, which will be compared for years to come and the powerful, super-ripe vintage of 2003. Poor bud-break and rain at harvest in 2002 spoiled the run of fine vintages but the previous 2001 more than made up for it - a classic vintage, drinking well now. Frost at flowering and rain at harvest hampered the 1999 vintage, while 1998 was a fine year until rain at harvest forced some to pick early, although those who waited were rewarded with the warmth that followed.

Douro Vintage Guide

Despite temperatures hitting 47ºC the resulting wines in 2022 are already showing freshness and good concentration, although some are reporting smaller yields as a result. In contrast 2021 was a gentler season without excessive heat that has delivered aromatic wines with freshness and elegance as well as depth. Plenty of rainfall in the first part of 2020 set up the vineyards perfectly to weather the heatwave in the summer giving small yields of deeply concentrated wines. In 2019 Portugal escaped the heatwave of the rest of Europe meaning the wines are wonderfully aromatic and elegant. Tiny yields for the second year in a row in 2018, after the previous year’s drought finally broke in spectacular fashion. Heavy rain caused soil erosion and hail was also a problem. A hot summer saved what was left in terms of quality but could not make up for the yields already lost. 2017 proved to be a hot, dry year with one of the earliest harvests on record and yields down about 35% but the quality is very good for table wine. 2016 was a complex but ultimately satisfying year with a wet winter followed by a summer that was drier and warmer than usual; the resulting wines show great balance and concentration in both red and white. 2015 was excellent and reds and whites have depth and concentration. Cooler conditions in 2014 produced some of the best whites yet. After a slow start, 2013 gave high quality wines in the end, drinking well now.  Plenty of rainfall in the first part of 2020 set up the vineyards perfectly to weather the heatwave in the summer giving small yields of deeply concentrated wines. In 2019 Portugal escaped the heatwave of the rest of Europe meaning the wines are wonderfully aromatic and elegant. Tiny yields for the second year in a row in 2018, after the previous year’s drought finally broke in spectacular fashion. Heavy rain caused soil erosion and hail was also a problem. A hot summer saved what was left in terms of quality but could not make up for the yields already lost. 2017 proved to be a hot, dry year with one of the earliest harvests on record and yields down about 35% but the quality looks to be very good for table wine. 2016 was a complex but ultimately satisfying year with a wet winter followed by a summer that was drier and warmer than usual; the resulting wines show great balance and concentration in both red and white. 2015 was excellent and reds and whites have depth and concentration. Cooler conditions in 2014 produced some of the best whites yet. After a slow start, 2013 gave high quality wines in the end, drinking well now. 2012 was a low-yielding vintage which produced concentrated reds with good acidity that should keep. A drought year in 2011 gave great quality wines, whilst 2010 produced plenty of wine, some of which lacked a little definition. Another hot year in 2009 meant good ripeness but alcohols could be high, in contrast to 2008 and 2007 which were much cooler and the patient growers harvested in ideal conditions making very good wines. 2006 was an unusual year in the Douro, being wet at harvest. The preceding 2005 vintage was, however, very dry and produced some excellent, well-balanced wines, and this in turn followed the hot summer of 2004, when rain in early September provided a much needed boost in the vineyards. The drought year of 2003 turned up some very good wines, which have aged well.

Italy Vintage Guide

A dry winter followed by a hot summer has certainly affected yields in 2022, but the quality looks excellent across the country. Small but perfectly formed seems to sum up the 2021 vintage here. Across most of the country the 2020 vintage is looking very good indeed with ripe fruit and lovely aromatics. A classic if not straight forward vintage 2019 has delivered some excellent wines but in smaller quantity. Overall, the results are very good in 2018, though a warm wet early summer led to disease pressures in many parts of the country. The Northeast, home to Prosecco amongst others did particularly well; so too did Tuscany and Piedmont but yields were a little down in some estates. 2017 saw a small crop of excellent wines; spring frosts and a later heatwave nicknamed ‘Lucifer’ reduced yields, but you’ll find good results on the whole with excellent results in Piedmont. Yields were down in 2016 but quality is high, Piedmont and Tuscany at least as good as 2015. 2015 is generally an excellent vintage across Italy, perhaps reds having the edge over whites. A year that necessitated a lot of work in the vineyards due to the rains, 2014 produced some surprisingly good results with elegant fresh wines across the country.  Across almost all of the country the 2020 vintage is looking very good indeed with ripe fruit and lovely aromatics. A classic if not straight forward vintage 2019 has delivered some excellent wines but in smaller quantity. Overall the results are very good in 2018, though a warm wet early summer led to disease pressures in many parts of the country. The North East, home to Prosecco amongst others did particularly well; so too did Tuscany and Piedmont but yields are a little down in some estates. 2017 saw a small crop of excellent wines; spring frosts and later heatwave nicknamed lucifer reduced yields but you’ll find good results on the whole with excellent results in Piedmont. Yields were down in 2016 but quality is high, Piedmont and Tuscany at least as good as 2015. 2015 is generally an excellent vintage across Italy, perhaps reds having the edge over whites. A year that necessitated a lot of work in the vineyards due to the rains, 2014 has produced some surprisingly good results with elegant fresh wines across the country. The long, cool growing season of 2013 produced aromatic, well-balanced wines, whilst 2012 showed particularly well in Tuscany and in sheltered sites in Piedmont. A warm growing season in 2011 gave powerful wines with ripe tannins in contrast to the cooler season of 2010 which gave fresher wines for mid-term drinking. 2009 was another warm year with higher alcohol, ripe tannins and good aromatics. 2008 delivered approachable, soft, elegant wines. This followed the excellent pair of 2007 and 20062005 proved to be a difficult year with erratic weather patterns. Age-worthy, complex wines were produced in 2004 after the hot year of 2003 which seemed to suit Tuscany better than Piedmont. 2001 backwards, through to the latter half of the ’90s, proved something of a run of very good or excellent vintages, in which 1997 stands out, even in this company. 1994 gave lighter, fruity wines (drink up) while 1993 was patchy, 1992 was wet, 1991 was spoiled by rain at harvest, but 1990 was superb, starting the decade on a high.

Germany Vintage Guide

The warmest year on record, 2022 has produced some super results. The wines of 2021 are lighter in style and more aromatic with evident acidity compared with the previous two vintages.2020 saw a warm summer, giving ripeness, while a prolonged harvest has given freshness and perfect quality fruit. The 2019s show wonderful rapier-like style, good weight and depth, yields are lower than the generous 2018 vintage. “A glorious vintage” said one grower, amongst many superlatives bandied about for 2018. For the first time in 10 years growers were truly happy with the quantity and the quality. The resulting wines are pure, rich, aromatic, and show a fine acidity. An early harvest following frost earlier in the season meant 2017 produced excellent light, fruity wines with great finesse. Weather conditions were tricky in 2016 and growers had to earn their stripes; the early season was wet, which reduced yields, followed by a hot summer with cool nights bringing excellent aromatics but with wines a little lighter than 2015. The brilliant 2015 vintage took place in ideal conditions and produced wonderfully ripe wines in all styles. Kabinetts are a bit short in quantity, but the dry wines especially are very approachable.2014 saw a good crop of light, well-balanced wines with well integrated acidity. This followed the rather lower yielding 2013 which afforded the wines good acid structure. 2012 and 2011 both produced high quality wines. Like 20132010 was another low-yielding vintage, giving concentrated wines with good acidity. On the other hand, 2009 was a great vintage with a warm, dry, consistent growing season. 2008 had a late harvest; Eiswein did well. The outstanding vintages of 2007 and 2005 sandwiched the rather more tricky 2006. Crisper in style, the 2004 vintage was nevertheless good, saved by a dry autumn. The unusually hot year of 2003 gave some interesting if atypical wines, best at the top end of the sweetness scale. The wines of 2002 are easy-going, soft and approachable - handy, coming after the stunning and long-lived wines of 2001. The Millennium vintage was spoiled by rain at harvest, which also affected the 1999 vintage though not so badly. Eiswein shone in 1998 which generally produced easy, attractive wines. This came after the big crop of 1997 in which Spätlese wines showed particularly well. 1996 was a lighter vintage but some attractive wines were made. In 1995, fortune favoured the brave and growers who harvested late made some super wines. The 1994 vintage suffered variable weather but did improve to give some excellent BA and TBA wines. 1993 was a very good vintage in the Mosel in particular.

Port Vintage Guide

The early indications are positive for 2022 with very concentrated young wines. It is still too soon to tell if 2021 will be declared but the fruit looks good with freshness and aromatics. There was plenty of beneficial rainfall early in 2020 but also plenty of heat which has given exceptionally low yields. What there is, is deeply concentrated and very like 2009 in style. 2019 was a very dry, but not hot, vintage which has given some characterful wines with great elegance, some excellent single quintas have been made. A rain affected start to the season, coupled with hail, reduced yields to very small levels in2018. A hot summer reduced these further. What there is, looks very good, with some houses declaring a vintage year for the third successive year. The earliest harvest on record in 2017 followed a growing season of drought and high temperatures, the resultant wines being very concentrated with good structure resulting in the first back-to-back declaration with 2016 for many years. 2016 was a tricky vintage for the growers but ultimately, they have been rewarded with super wines with elegance and freshness, good enough for a general declaration.2015 made some outstanding single quintas, the houses maybe overly swayed by those 2016s into not declaring but the wines are very good in their own right.2014 and 2013 made good single quintas which are fresh with lively fruit character. 2012 is a great single quinta vintage which produced elegant wines with balance and poise. Looking back through declared vintages, 2011 produced fabulous wines with freshness and a fruity style which will make them great drinking throughout their evolution. 2009, by contrast, is about power, density and longevity. The 2007 vintage was more elegant with great concentration, length and purity. The hot summer of 2003 delivered super ripe, intense wines. The Millennium vintage of 2000 was wonderfully rich and ripe, approachable in style but worth keeping. 1997 was widely declared and rightly praised but still a little backward. Wines from the 1994 vintage remain backward due to their intensity.1992 is also for the long-term, currently quite closed. The concentrated wines of 1991 are still for keeping, though Ports from the lighter houses are just beginning to emerge. The wines of the bountiful 1985 vintage have a great balance of power with sweetness and are drinking now. The appealing style of 1983 makes it perfect for current drinking. The wines of the 1980 vintage too are much under-rated and very pure. The 1977s, undoubtedly one of the great vintages, have matured well and are firmly in their drinking window, whilst the initially structured wines of 1970 have proved themselves worth the wait and are now at their peak. Lucky indeed are those still fortunate enough to have some 1966s,1963s,1960s and 1955s!