Vintages Flashcards
Chablis: best vintages of the 2000’s to now?
2002: concentrated, classic.
2005: large crop. Rich but balanced, fantastic year.
2010: tricky season. Warm with some storms - mineral, dense rich.
2014: Dense, classic & age worthy.
2017: traumatic frost but what’s left is fantastic.
Chablis: worst vintages of the 2000’s to now?
2001: cold, wet year with botrytis
2003: too hot. Low acidity, low typicity
2006: hot summer, early humid wet harvest
2011: cool, rainy
2013: late cool growing season, humid September
2016: double frost
Chablis: 2019
Wet spring followed by a warm dry summer going into an ideal harvest. These wines are similar to 2018, but perhaps with a bit more tension, acidity and terroir expression.
Chablis: 2018
Round and fleshy wines with lower acidity, these are wines to enjoy young. Following 2 traumatic vintages, 2018 was a blessing with a solid & abundant crop that refilled cellars and saw a lot of good wine go to distilleries.
Chablis: 2017
Mid-April cold brought devastating frost - but what fruit remained was subject to warm and dry weather with harvest in ideal conditions. This was a stellar year with outstanding, energetic tension-filled wines
Chablis: 2016
April 26/27 and May 14/15 brought frost - worst start to the season. The rest of the season was warm, but many wines lack character and terroir. This is a vintage to be enjoyed in youth.
Chablis: 2015
A warm, sunny year. These are big, broad shouldered wines - minerality, acidity and concentration.
Chablis: 2014
This was an awesome year! A very classic year.
Dense, complex, aromatic and saline. This was a cooler year, similar to the years preceding - but the wines are above par.
Chablis: 2013
A late, cool growing season with a humid, wet September and October.. this was a year for botrytis.
Chablis: 2012
A short crop in a good year.
Clean, concentrated fruit with considerable terroir character, excellent acidity and enough backbone for aging.
Chablis: 2011
An acid-driven vintage, lots of cool rainy weather in August and September. Wines that were cropped high lack intensity and depth.
Chablis: 2010
Intense, mineral, complex wines with firm backbone and dense extract. Overall a very good year.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2019
Highly rated. Warm year. Vibrant and linear, not opulent or bombastic. Both did very well in 2019, although some Pomerol became overripe, lacking focus.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2018
Rich and heady, a notch below “epic”. Driest summer in 50 years and quite warm. A strong vintage on both Banks, but Bourg & Blaye did experience hail. The hierarchy of sites is visible through the lens of this year.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2017
Devastating spring frost, uneven weather and variable quality. St-Julien was the Left Bank winner, although the Right Bank overall fared a little better.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2016
Remarkable on both Banks. Balance, strong tannins but harmonious. Bright acid-driven wines. Merlot and CF on the Right Bank felt the heat - polished and sensual wines there. St-Julien was the star of the Left, St-Estephe saw some mixed quality thanks to northern rains.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2015
A very warm, dry year. Opulent with intense fruit and voluptuous texture. Margaux and St-Julien were the stars. Some RB wines were freakishly concentrated - ripe, pruny and high ABV. Fronsac was one to pay attention to.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2014
a late-ripening year that saw more success with Cabernet than Merlot. Finest vintage since 2010. It was a wet summer, but a warm September and October saved the vintage. Haut-Medoc, Pauillac, St-Estephe and P-L did best on the Left, Pomerol on the right.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2013
Massive storms and huge flooding rains followed by a warm and dry August/September to salvage something from the vintage. Late ripening year, benefiting Cab more than Merlot.
August 2 hail wiped out Entre-Deux-Mers and Cote de Castillon.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2012
So, so. Forward, fruit-driven wines to drink young. Poor weather, start to finish. Pessac did best, thanks to a generally warmer microclimate and higher percentages of Merlot. Pomerol was a bit more consistent than St-E and the Right Bank generally did a little better than the Left, thanks to Merlot
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2011
A very difficult year with tough tannins, mediocre balance. Hot spring, cold summer = uneven ripening and unpolished tannin. A Sept 10 massive storm complicated harvest. The Right Bank did best, especially Pomerol but St-E saw a lot of variability.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2010
Superb! Dry extract, high tannin, great acid. A very classic, age worthy vintage - one for the cellar. Both Banks were stellar.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2009
A vintage to compare to 1947, 1961, 2005.
Flamboyant, opulent, so ripe. There was more sugar and concentration than 2003 and 2005, but enough diurnal shifts throughout the season to balance the wines. Pomerol was the Right Ban star.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2008
A damp season with a warm and dry Aug/Sept to ripen everything. The Right Bank produced more flesh and volume than the Left Bank; Pomerol did best. St Emilion and Cotes de Castillon were hit by a hail storm that made quality variable.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2007
Early drinking, at best. Mildew, cold summer and too much rain well into September - not a great year for either Cab nor Merlot.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2006
Earlier season saw high temperatures and drought, later season brought rain and cold. It rained during harvest - this was a vintage to choose carefully. Pauillac and Pessac fared best, but the rest are largely irregular in quality.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2005
Magical. This was a breakout vintage - the richest and most opulent to date (although this would afterwards become more normal). Stunning across the board on both sides of the bank.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2004
Cool year - perfumed, but not so ripe on either Bank. The Left did better overall, but it is a good year to research your picks.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2003
Left Bank: a controversial vintage - opulent, showy wines but with some tough green tannin and high ABV. Margaux did alright and Chateau Montrose specifically was a standout from this vintage.
Right Bank: Can be opulently stunning at best, but most are jammy and aging too quickly. Sandy sites experienced heat stress, clay & heavy limestone fared better.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2002
Fast maturing & a very green vintage. Even the best are on the thin and lighter side. A damp and cool summer was followed by better weather towards harvest, but it was too little too late.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2001
This was an underrated one for the Right, which did a little bit better than the Left. Cab Franc was especially stellar. Both sides lack aging potential, but at best on the Right - the wines were charming, smooth and harmonious. On the Left, it was a very large crop. The top wines were classic, but overall this wasn’t the best showing for the Medoc.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 2000
This vintage was generally well rated, but there is a distinct range of quality from opulent to flabby. Warm May saw some hail and storms followed by intense heat in mid-June and another hot spell in August. The Left Bank did a bit better than the Right, as Merlot could be a bit concentrated with high ABV.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1999
A very difficult year with disease pressure, high temperatures, and harvest rain. Pomerol and Saint-Emilion were both hit by hail. At best, the wines are fruity and straightforward… an early drinking vintage.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1998
Huuuuuge difference between the Left and Right Banks this year! Medoc was a mixed bag of mediocre result, a poor year for Cabernet Sauvignon.
One of the all-time great Right Bank vintages, with wine after wine of power, balance and uncanny refinement. The best wines have a real backbone and the structure to develop beautifully for years.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1997
So, so. Tough tannin, little complexity. Left Bank did better than the Right. Straightforward style and early accessibility - not a ton to get excited about.
What vintage in the past 40 years was most markedly different between the Left and the Right Bank?
1998
This was a knockout year for the Right Bank and a really poor year for the Medoc.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1996
Rather overrated by initial reports. The Left Bank did better - the Right Bank saw some harvest rain that diluted things a bit.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1995
The Right Bank showed wines with a bit more harmony - there’s grip, tannin and ripe fruit.
The Left was classic but tended towards tannic austerity.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1994
Thin and green on the Left Bank, as Cabernet struggled to ripen. The Right Bank did a bit better as they were able to harvest before the rain.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1993
160 out of 365 days saw rain - very lean year. Too dry and then too wet. The Right Bank was marginally better.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1992
One of the worst years in memory. Avoid. Wet, no sun, uneven ripening and a lot of rot. Both sides did terribly.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1991
Frost, rot and lots of uneven weather. Green and lean, a vintage to avoid.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1990
Truly great across the board! A highly rated vintage, one of 10 - 15 of the best in the past century. It was a hot year - The wines show flesh, ripeness, velvety texture, freshness, and considerable balance.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1989
Right Bank: A very hot summer (the hottest since 1949) that heat stressed Merlot a bit - Pomerol fared a little better than Saint-Emilion, esp. sites with higher clay content.
Left Bank: The Left did a little better than the Right. This was the earliest start to harvest since 1893 and a very large crop.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1988
A solid, classic vintage. The Right Bank fared a little bit better. It rained in September, but October saw a beautiful Indian summer. Those who were able to wait and not panic were rewarded with lovely, delicious, ageworthy classics.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1987
Cool, humid June. Grey, wet harvest.
A vintage with rough tannins and lack of complexity on both Banks overall.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1986
This was a vintage for Cab! The Left Bank rated higher, with great classic wines with big tannin. September rain and flooding on the Right Bank fucked. This was the biggest crop since WW2 however.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1985
One of the coldest winters in history followed by a long hot summer. Pomerol was a top performer, with Merlot ripening perfectly. This wasn’t a stellar vintage, but it was certainly good.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1984
Bordeaux felt the odd effects of a…….. hurricane. Really terrible. And oddly, on release it rated higher than the much better 1982 and 1983’s. Early on, they thought the Right Bank might be better but that assumption didn’t stand the test of time.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1983
The Right Bank did a bit worse, suffering from excess humidity and intense disease pressure. The Left Bank could be described as classic, well balanced wines that aged beautifully, although most are at their peak now or beginning to decline. Margaux is the best of the lot, while Graves was hit by hail in early July.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1982
An excellent vintage on both Banks with balance, precision and good alcohol levels. They’ve proved extremely age worthy, without the opulence of modern vintages. Quite impressive.
Left & Right Bank Bordeaux: 1981
A year of thin of perfumed wines. The 1981 are now mostly in decline.
Brunello di Montalcino: best vintages of the 80’s?
1982: a vintage all about balance and refinement. Nothing extraordinary but they are aging so gracefullly
1983: hot summer resulted in flashy, opulent wines with intensity and nuance. Drink now
1985: ripe, exotic, depth. This vintage has largely matured, but the best examples are glorious
1988: a very balanced season with the best wines still improving in cellar
Brunello di Montalcino: best vintages of the 1990’s?
1990: hot year with flamboyant wines. This vintage was important for putting Brunello on the map for an international audience
1999: warm spring, cool dry summer. Plenty of tannin and acid. Big powerful wines that are full of life
Brunello di Montalcino: worst vintages of the 1990’s?
1992: September rain comprised fruit quality
1996: heavy September rain marred the vintage, making it the most challenging year in recent history. Delicate and fresh, but not good for the cellar
Brunello di Montalcino: worst vintages of the 1980’s?
1984: dreadful. The worst of the decade. Rain during harvest ruined everything with rot. Little wine was made.
1987: dry, hot summer with harvest ruined by rain, unbalanced wines and uneven results
1989: cold, rainy conditions all year with variable ripeness. A lot of wine declassified to Rosso.
Brunello di Montalcino: BEST vintages of the 1980’s?
1982: an extraordinary year almost everywhere, including Brunello. Solid weather and beautiful wines that are drinking well now and continuing to age
1985: contender for best of the decade. Dry warm summer extended to a dry warm harvest. A gift after the dreadful 1984 vintage
1988: the other contender.. balanced rainfall and warm weather persisted through harvest.
Brunello di Montalcino: 2017
very difficult, affected by drought throughout the summer. Cooler weather and rain offered relief in September. Quality of the wines was dependent on terroir, proper leaf and soil management and willingness to adapt in the cellar
Brunello di Montalcino: 2016
Fantastic, a prime vintage. Warm but not overly hot. Dark, structured aromatic wines.
Brunello di Montalcino: 2015
Ripe primary fruit for early enjoyment. A vintage that is at once easy to enjoy and will cellar for years to come
Brunello di Montalcino: 2014
one of the most challenging vintages in 30 years. An acid vintage - lightly structured perfumed. A vintage to enjoy early but maybe not to cellar.
Brunello di Montalcino: 2013
a vintage reminiscent of the 1970’s/80’s. Cool early summer, warm August and a later harvest atypical to the global warming days.Very classic wines - high acid, perfume, approachable and agreeable
Brunello di Montalcino: 2012
Warm and dry growing season. Ripe, rich, built on fruit character.
Brunello di Montalcino: 2011
Unusually warm, dry weather.
Very variable. The better wines came from the northern part of Montalcino.
Brunello di Montalcino: 2010
Superb! A vintage for Nebbiolo & Pinot Noir lovers. Gorgeous purity, very classic.
Brunello di Montalcino: what were the BEST vintages of the 2010’s?
2010: purity, classic
2015: Ripe primary fruit. A vintage that is enjoyable and youth and made to cellar
2016: superb! Warm year for dark, structured aromatic wines
Brunello di Montalcino: WORST vintages of the 2010’s?
2011: very variable. Unusually warm and dry.
2014: very challenging. Cool, rainy, hail episodes. Disease and rot.
Brunello di Montalcino: BEST vintages of the 2000’s?
2001: powerful & structured with a long life ahead. Lowered yields due to frost, but hot days and cool night shaped some beautiful Sangiovese
2004: silky, nuanced, a very abundant year
2006: Big, powerful aromatics, fruit concentration and structure. Great vintage for the cellar
2007: soft, silky radiant and expressive. A very warm and even year.
Brunello di Montalcino: WORST vintages of the 2000’s?
2000: uneven growing season, inconsistent wines to drink young
2002: disaster. Cold rain weather, low yields
2003: another bad year. hot, dry. At best “better than expected”
2005: cool vintage, harvest rain, not great for phenolic ripening. Variable at best.
2008: variable conditions and quality
2009: a very sudden heat wave. This is a year to be very selective
