Vintage History Flashcards

1
Q

Northern Rhone - 2011

A

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

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2
Q

Northern Rhone - 2010

A

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

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3
Q

Northern Rhone - 2009

A

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

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4
Q

Northern Rhone - 2008

A

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

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5
Q

Northern Rhone - 2007

A

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

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6
Q

Northern Rhone - 2006

A

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

WS92

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7
Q

Northern Rhone - 2005

A

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

WS94

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8
Q

Northern Rhone - 2004

A

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

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9
Q

Northern Rhone - 2003

A

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

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10
Q

Northern Rhone - 2002

A

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

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11
Q

Northern Rhone - 2001

A

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

WS89

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12
Q

Northern Rhone - 2000

A

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

WS88

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13
Q

Northern Rhone - 1999

A

Voluptuous, silky vintage with stunning quality for Côte-Rôtie

WS96

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14
Q

Northern Rhone - 1998

A

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

WS90

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15
Q

Northern Rhone - 1997

A

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

WS88

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16
Q

Northern Rhone - 1996

A

Big crop with high acidity; best are refined and elegant

WS90

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17
Q

Northern Rhone - 1995

A

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

WS91

18
Q

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

A

2010, 2009, 1999, 2005, 2003

19
Q

Southern Rhone - 2011

A

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

20
Q

Southern Rhone - 2010

A

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

21
Q

Southern Rhone - 2009

A

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

22
Q

Southern Rhone - 2008

A

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

23
Q

Southern Rhone - 2007

A

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

24
Q

Southern Rhone - 2006

A

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

WS93

25
Q

Southern Rhone - 2005

A

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

26
Q

Southern Rhone - 2004

A

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

WS93

27
Q

Southern Rhone - 2003

A

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

WS93

28
Q

Southern Rhone - 2002

A

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

WS76

29
Q

Southern Rhone - 2001

A

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

30
Q

Southern Rhone - 2000

A

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

WS93

31
Q

Southern Rhone - 1999

A

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

90WS

32
Q

Southern Rhone - 1998

A

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

WS97

33
Q

Southern Rhone - 1997

A

Soft, easy early-drinking wines

WS81

34
Q

Southern Rhone - 1996

A

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

WS80

35
Q

Southern Rhone - 1995

A

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

WS90

36
Q

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

A

2010, 2005, 1998, 2007, 2001, 2009

37
Q

Southern Rhone - 2013

A

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.

38
Q

Southern Rhone 2012

A

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.

39
Q

Northern Rhone 2013

A

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.

40
Q

Northern Rhone 2012

A

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.