Bordeaux - Red - Vintages Flashcards
What were the best vintages in Bordeaux from 1900-1979?
1945, 1961, 1900, 1959, 1929, 1928, 1949
What were the best vintages in Bordeaux from 1980-95?
1989, 1982, 1986, 1990
What were the subpar vintages in Bordeaux from 1980-95?
1980, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1992
What are the best vintages of Sauternes from 2000 to current releases?
2001, 2011, 2003, 2009
2012 Bordeaux
Tricky, wet, late year. Crap October weather, slightly difficult for Cab. Many wines don’t have depth.
2011 Bordeaux
“Normal” year, forgettable, lower alcohol, higher tannins.
2010 Bordeaux
Stellar, higher tannin and freshness. Classic.
2009 Bordeaux
Tops. Long, fine, warm summer. Ripe & voluptuous, especially left bank.
2008 Bordeaux
Saved by decent weather early fall. Somewhat tough for average producers.
2007 Bordeaux
Mildew, not enough sun, too much rain. High prices made sales difficult.
2006 Bordeaux
Drought / high temps. Cooled down in August with some rain. Pauillac and Pomerol best performers.
2005 Bordeaux
Textbook perfection in all respects other than price. Best kept for many a year. Quite marked tannins.
2004 Bordeaux
Large, late crop. Classic style, good for left bank.
2003 Bordeaux
Heatwave. Better in youth. Very dry tannins.
2002 Bordeaux
Small crop, uneven flowering. Healthy but not exactly long lasting.
2001 Bordeaux
Varied and large, needed crop thinning. Hot August. Wet September. Some okay values, more likely in right bank.
2000 Bordeaux
Great consistency and balance. Strong values at bottom end as well. Ageworthy.
1999 Bordeaux
August was nice, but fall rain ruined that. Hail in St Emilion in September. Also excessive vegetation from humidity.
1998 Bordeaux
Right bank fares okay, left not so much
1997 Bordeaux
Crazy overpriced. Easy drinking a bit ago. Prob won’t improve.
1996 Bordeaux
Fine, long lives, mostly in the Medoc.
1995 Bordeaux
hot, dry summer. Early Merlot harvest. Cab picked after rain. Best in Pomerol and Pauillac.
1994 Bordeaux
Best since ‘90. Ripe, but rain was an issue.
1993 Bordeaux
Another wet harvest. Picked earlier, the right bank a better bet than the left.
1992 Bordeaux
Light, fruity, simple wines that needed drinking early.
1991 Bordeaux
The start of Bordeaux’s run of bad luck. Spring frosts decimated the right bank, but the top Médocs are not bad.
1990 Bordeaux
Hot, velvety, almost overripe.
1989 Bordeaux
Hot, rich, opulent. Better in right bank.
1988 Bordeaux
Overshadowed by 1989 and 1990. ‘Classic’ style ie firm and initially a bit austere. Chunky and chewy.
1987 Bordeaux
Simple, fruity and pleasant but unexciting. Early maturing.
1986 Bordeaux
Dense, brooding and viciously tannic at first. Some may impress in the end but have required enormous patience.