Vintage History

Question 1

Northern Rhone - 2011

Answer 1

Warm start, cool wet second half. Late harvest, and consistent. WS92

Question 2

Northern Rhone - 2010

Answer 2

Cool wet spring -> Low yields. Some September rain. Indian summer -> late harvest. Excellent. WS98

Question 3

Northern Rhone - 2009

Answer 3

Warm, dry season -> early harvest. Mid-August rain and cool nights kept grapes fresh. Reds are rich and whites are round. WS96

Question 4

Northern Rhone - 2008

Answer 4

Cool, gray season made ripening reds difficult. Some successes, but many lean, herb-inflected wines; whites are excellent, with ripe tropical fruit flavors and tangy acidity. A tough year, but better than ‘02

WS86

Question 5

Northern Rhone - 2007

Answer 5

Erratic growing season, followed by a perfect September that saved the harvest. Reds and whites fresh, aromatic and forward in style; similar to 2001, more consistent than 2004. Strongest in Côte-Rôtie and Cornas

WS91

Question 6

Northern Rhone - 2006

Answer 6

Ripe, fresh reds with open-knit structures and fine balance; whites are classics, combining best of 2005 and 2004

WS92

Question 7

Northern Rhone - 2005

Answer 7

A drought-influenced vintage, though cool nights helped maintain freshness. Reds have the structure for long-term cellaring; whites also dense and concentrated

WS94

Question 8

Northern Rhone - 2004

Answer 8

Controlling yields was key for reds, with some variable results; best are fresh and balanced, others are crisp and green. Whites, particularly Condrieu, are superb

WS90

Question 9

Northern Rhone - 2003

Answer 9

Torrid heat wave produced a small crop with wide-ranging quality, from exotically ripe to acid-deficient. Whites show lots of tropical fruit, oily textures

WS94

Question 10

Northern Rhone - 2002

Answer 10

Rain made it hard to pick ripe and clean reds; many show herb and tobacco notes with tough tannins. Whites harvested in time though; some are outstanding

WS82

Question 11

Northern Rhone - 2001

Answer 11

Great racy, rich whites in Condrieu and Hermitage; elegant reds

WS89

Question 12

Northern Rhone - 2000

Answer 12

Clean and pure with good structure, but without the depth of top years

WS88

Question 13

Northern Rhone - 1999

Answer 13

Voluptuous, silky vintage with stunning quality for Côte-Rôtie

WS96

Question 14

Northern Rhone - 1998

Answer 14

Very structured reds with good fruit, balance and concentration; now approaching their peak

WS90

Question 15

Northern Rhone - 1997

Answer 15

Reds framed by burly tannins; starting to soften. Best in Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage

WS88

Question 16

Northern Rhone - 1996

Answer 16

Big crop with high acidity; best are refined and elegant

WS90

Question 17

Northern Rhone - 1995

Answer 17

Unheralded year but red wines offer concentration and length; whites are also very good to outstanding

WS91

Question 18

What are generally considered the best recent vintages in Northern Rhone?

Answer 18

2010, 2009, 1999, 2005, 2003

Question 19

Southern Rhone - 2011

Answer 19

Warm spring, but cool, wet weather in July and August led to uneven ripening; Indian summer saved the vintage. Grenache is light, but Syrah and Mourvèdre strong, so blending key; there will be some excellent wines, but heterogenous from domaine to domaine

WS91

Question 20

Southern Rhone - 2010

Answer 20

Cool, windy spring led to a drastically reduced crop; growing season marked by warm days and cool nights, with a late harvest stretching into October, resulting in beautifully ripe, racy, terroir-driven wines for aging. The spine of 2005 with extra flesh

WS98

Question 21

Southern Rhone - 2009

Answer 21

Warm, dry growing season, with heat wave arriving after veraison so ripening was fast but even; grapes retained acidity thanks to cool nights. Reds have pure fruit and polished tannins

WS94

Question 22

Southern Rhone - 2008

Answer 22

Cool, wet spring and humid growing season saved by the mistral; a small crop, with many producers eliminating cuvées. Quality very heterogenous, but some excellent wines were made

WS88

Question 23

Southern Rhone - 2007

Answer 23

Ripe, rich, powerful reds thanks to long Indian summer at harvesttime. Grenache is heady and rich, so Mourvèdre and Cinsault key for balance. Best wines are classic hedonistic delights, though some are over-the-top

WS95

Question 24

Southern Rhone - 2006

Answer 24

Ripe, pure and balanced reds, with fresh flavors and bright finishes. In the mold of 2004/1999 but slightly more concentrated; whites superb

WS93

Question 25

Southern Rhone - 2005

Answer 25

Third straight year of drought, with well-timed rain and mistral. Great concentration, purity and structure; great cellaring potential. Should rival ‘98 and ‘90

97WS

Question 26

Southern Rhone - 2004

Answer 26

Another dry year, but not as hot as 2003. Small crop of balanced and very pure wines; far more consistent than 2003

WS93

Question 27

Southern Rhone - 2003

Answer 27

Hot, dry year made powerful, ripe reds. Rugged tannins need time, but best are superb; some inconsistency

WS93

Question 28

Southern Rhone - 2002

Answer 28

Tart, dilute wines due to torrential rain at harvest. Many producers declassified their crop

WS76

Question 29

Southern Rhone - 2001

Answer 29

Great vintage of racy, structured reds in Châteauneuf-du-Pape that have continued to put on weight as they evolve. Best are just starting to open up now

WS94

Question 30

Southern Rhone - 2000

Answer 30

Powerful and rich; plump and ripe reds with silky tannins. Big crop, so not the structure of classic years

WS93

Question 31

Southern Rhone - 1999

Answer 31

Syrah- and Mourvèdre-based wines offer lovely balance and length; Grenache-based wines less successful

90WS

Question 32

Southern Rhone - 1998

Answer 32

Dense and rich; superb Grenache harvest led to blockbuster reds with ripe tannins

WS97

Question 33

Southern Rhone - 1997

Answer 33

Soft, easy early-drinking wines

WS81

Question 34

Southern Rhone - 1996

Answer 34

Light, fruity, pleasant, early-drinking reds; some excellent whites

WS80

Question 35

Southern Rhone - 1995

Answer 35

Many tough, tannic reds, but Châteauneufs are improving beautifully; rich whites

WS90

Question 36

What are generally considered the best recent vintages in Southern Rhone?

Answer 36

2010, 2005, 1998, 2007, 2001, 2009

Question 37

Southern Rhone - 2013

Answer 37

Coulure was this year’s bugbear for the vignerons of the Southern Rhône, drastically reducing the Grenache crop: 2013 Côtes du Rhône may well be in short supply. As is often the case where low yields are matched by careful selection, overall quality is good.

Question 38

Southern Rhone 2012

Answer 38

Much more successful than 2011. It was a low-acid year in both the northern and southern Rhône. Alcohols are roughly average, but volumes are down by up to 15% on 2011. Clement weather late in the season made for relaxed harvesting however, and vignerons are optimistic about the results which seem to combine ripeness with some freshness.

Question 39

Northern Rhone 2013

Answer 39

Despite a slow start and problems with mildew in June, the 2013 growing season came good with fine warm days and cool nights throughout the summer. Rain prompted a speedy harvest (one of the latest ever) but most producers seem content with the results.

Question 40

Northern Rhone 2012

Answer 40

Looks good for the Rhône, against the trend of the year in Europe at large. It is defined by lower than average potential alcohol – indeed some chaptalisation was practised. Acidities are also generally below the norm, while tannins are more pronounced than in 2011.