Champagne Vintages back to 2000 Flashcards
2000
Hail, rainstorms, unseasonable cold and mildew made for a testing growing season, but fine conditions in August and September redeemed the vintage. High quality wines for short-term drinking.
2001
A generally poor vintage characterised by rot and underripeness thanks to a wet and gloomy September.
2002
A magnificent vintage for champagne with near-perfect growing conditions, capped by fine dry weather at harvest. Ageworthy wines with plush fruit held in check by keen acidity.
2003
Spring frosts followed by one of the hottest summers on record led to small volumes and typically very ripe wines of middling quality. Some fine Pinot Noir dominant blends.
2004
Unusually, quality and quantity were both hallmarks of 2004. Structured, well-balanced wines which have exceeded expectation.
2005
Variable conditions throughout the year resulted in a lacklustre vintage, though favourable weather in the run-up to harvest meant that ripeness was assured. Acidities on the low side.
2006
An exceptionally hot and sunny June and July with grapes in fine fettle but a dank August left producers fearful of underripeness. Fortunately, warm, bright conditions in September redressed the balance. Wines are supple and expressive.
2007
An unusually warm spring led to early flowering and optimism which soon gave way to disappointment with one of the murkiest summers on record. Conditions improved towards September allowing a fair crop, with Chardonnay outperforming the Pinots. Above average acidities.
2008
Initially a difficult, damp year with widespread mildew; drier conditions in August and a fine, warm September proved many producers’ saving grace. Classically styled wines with fresh acidity balanced by sound ripeness achieved late in the season.
2009
After early complications a superb summer produced a clean crop of high quality, with particularly good Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims. Wines are plump and approachable.
2010
A taxing year with dry conditions retarding grape development early in the season. When rain arrived in August it was torrential, causing widespread disease pressure. The return of dry conditions in September helped some producers over the line, but sorting in the vineyard and winery was crucial.
2011
Notable for its erratic growing season, which started warm and dry but then became cooler and wetter in June and July. Conditions improved briefly in August but the (early) harvest was problematic.
2012
An exceptional vintage in Champagne. Despite low yields thanks to frost, hail and disease early in the season, August saw conditions improve dramatically resulting in exemplary maturity, acidity and grape health at harvest.
2013
Pales in comparison to the stellar 2012, with a cool spring leading to uneven ripening and one of the latest harvests in 20 years. Summer hail caused widespread damage in the summer months but overall the champenois fared better than many of their compatriots. Likely a vintage year.
2014
Initial reports suggest that a warm, dry September saved the crop from a damper, cooler August. The resulting fruit has good levels of potential alcohol, indicating ample ripeness.
2015
Very little disease pressure, thanks to dry, sunny conditions over the summer months – the driest on record. Rain arrived in the final week of harvest, but most grapes had already been gathered. The berries tended to be small but with good uniform ripeness, and potential alcohol levels were relatively high at harvest. Richness should characterise the vintage, and Pinot Noir did particularly well. Some excellent vintage champagne should be produced.
2016
As happened widely across France, frost and hail conspired to lower the yields in the Champagne region in 2016. Quality is generally above average, with Pinot Noir preferred to Chardonnay. The vintage is likely to be declared for several luxury cuvées, including Cristal and Comtes de Champagne.
2017
Very tricky conditions, with a warm, humid autumn facilitating widespread grey rot throughout the region. The quality of Chardonnay was better than both Pinots, but whether any of them are released as single-vintage wines is by no means certain.
