Vintage History Flashcards
Northern Rhone - 2011
Warm start, cool wet second half. Late harvest, and consistent. WS92
Northern Rhone - 2010
Cool wet spring -> Low yields. Some September rain. Indian summer -> late harvest. Excellent. WS98
Northern Rhone - 2009
Warm, dry season -> early harvest. Mid-August rain and cool nights kept grapes fresh. Reds are rich and whites are round. WS96
Northern Rhone - 2008
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
Northern Rhone - 2007
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
Northern Rhone - 2006
Ripe, fresh reds with open-knit structures and fine balance; whites are classics, combining best of 2005 and 2004
WS92
Northern Rhone - 2005
A drought-influenced vintage, though cool nights helped maintain freshness. Reds have the structure for long-term cellaring; whites also dense and concentrated
WS94
Northern Rhone - 2004
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
Northern Rhone - 2003
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
Northern Rhone - 2002
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
Northern Rhone - 2001
Great racy, rich whites in Condrieu and Hermitage; elegant reds
WS89
Northern Rhone - 2000
Clean and pure with good structure, but without the depth of top years
WS88
Northern Rhone - 1999
Voluptuous, silky vintage with stunning quality for Côte-Rôtie
WS96
Northern Rhone - 1998
Very structured reds with good fruit, balance and concentration; now approaching their peak
WS90
Northern Rhone - 1997
Reds framed by burly tannins; starting to soften. Best in Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage
WS88
Northern Rhone - 1996
Big crop with high acidity; best are refined and elegant
WS90