What makes a legendary vintage?
Good yields’, ‘a year of extremes’, ‘poor’, ‘outstanding’, and ‘impacted by climate change’ are just a handful of phrases that define a specific vintage. How do they translate into the balanced, complex, precise, and age-worthy wines we admire?
This time, we look at what makes a great vintage, and leading Bordeaux producers weigh in with their favorite years and what makes them so exceptional.
Does vintage always matter?
The fact is that the vintage year is of critical significance in particular regions but of lesser importance elsewhere.
As all wine lovers appreciate, a region or appellation’s climate is characterized by variable weather conditions. The wine yielded from such an area will reflect this, showcasing varied traits each year. One year, fruit could have a higher acidity content than previous vintages, more or less concentration, or varying levels of sugar. Vintage variation is what adds character to such winemaking areas.
Regions where there’s a direct link between climate and wine because weather conditions are famously inconsistent include Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône Valley, Napa Valley, Tuscany, and parts of Australia. Passionate discussions abound on these regions revolve around drinkability, cellaring potential, and value of a particular year.
Conversely, where climate and weather are more consistent, resulting in more uniform wines, vintage is, overall, less important. Argentina, Chile, Spain, parts of California, and New Zealand are wine-producing countries and areas that fall into this category.
What influences a wine vintage quality?
Both nature and human intervention have an impact on vintage quality – first in the vineyard, then in the winery.
How much rain has there been, and when during the growing season did it fall? Was it warm and dry at optimal times? Was the diurnal shift balanced enough to promote freshness while maintaining flavor intensity, sugars, and tannic potential? Spring frost, summer hail, heatwaves, and heavy rain also play an important role in the caliber of a wine.
When all these conditions hit the sweet spot, we have an ‘exceptional’, ‘legendary’, or ‘outstanding’ vintage.
It’s not for nothing that the wine world has star winemakers. Human influence also contributes to the quality of a vintage. Skill in the vineyard (courtesy of decades or even centuries of passed-down experience) in the face of inclement weather, and winemaking techniques expertise (thanks to a combination of tradition and modern facilities) impact the character of a red or white.
Vineyard techniques that enhance a wine’s quality include frost protection, organic/biodynamic practices, irrigation, canopy management, and time and style of harvest. Similarly, élevage methods are key. Techniques like destemming, maceration, chaptalization, fermentation methods, choice of oak (or lack of), and maturation are just a few of the considerations that make up the intricate aromas, flavors, texture, and wine aging potential.
Is it all about the weather?
Record-breaking vintages are always making headlines. Whether it’s the 1945 “Victory Vintage” Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which fetched an astronomical $812,500 at Acker’s "La Paulée" sale, rare pre-phylloxera Château Lafite Rothschilds reaching stellar heights at Sotheby’s, or simply an outstanding year for drinking or holding in the cellar, that date on the label matters for a myriad of reasons.
The weather is central, but it isn’t the only factor that makes a legendary vintage. Other elements that can boost a year’s reputation include:
- Producer/winemaker/brand
- Critic scores
- Scarcity
- Market trends
- Historical features (as with the Victory Vintage mentioned above)
Top wine vintages
Pre-phylloxera and years marking historical events are inspiring, but some of the top vintages hail from recent decades. Read on for an at-a-glance summary of some leading years, admired for their balance, depth, complexity, typicity, and terroir expression. Would you add anything?
Bordeaux vintages
1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
1986, 1988, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020
Burgundy vintages
1985, 1989, 1988, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2020
1989, 1982, 1985, 1983, 1992, 1997, 1996, 2005, 2008, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020
California, Napa Valley vintages
1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021
Tuscany vintages
1990, 1997, 2010, 2012, 2016
1985, 2015, 2016, 2019
Chianti Classico
1997, 2010, 2013, 2015
Rhône vintages
Northern Rhône
1995, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2015
Southern Rhône
1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2010, 2016
Champagne vintages
1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2020, 2022
The Bordeaux perspective
Westgarth Wines asked Bordeaux winemakers about favorite vintage picks from their own Châteaux’ portfolios. Whether perfect growing conditions, history, fruit concentration, or provenance, the replies illustrate the mosaic of features that make an outstanding vintage.
Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, co-owner and CEO of Château Angelus, spoke of cellaring potential. ‘I would get a 2016,’ she said. ‘It is an incredible vintage, particularly for its depth, its complexity, and 100 years plus aging potential’.
Nicolas Audebert, winemaker and General Manager of Second Growth Château Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux, mentioned how a vintage with a small crop led to an unexpectedly notable wine. ‘The concentration, the roundness, juiciness, and intensity of the fruit in the 2018 are fantastic. It is a little bit outside of the classic, elegant style of Rauzan and Margaux, but so interesting in the reflection of the climate we had that year’.
Aline Baly, co-owner of Château Coutet, in the Barsac appellation highlighted excellent conditions and vineyard management for her choice: ‘The 2009 vintage is a combination of exceptional weather and exceptional work in the vineyard’.
For General Manager of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, Château La Dominique, Gwendoline Lucas, provenance and reputation were key to her vintage selection. ‘That would be 2019, because it’s the first vintage we created with Yann Monties, the technical director, and also it is the 50th vintage for the Fayat family because they bought the château in 1969. So it is a very good vintage in terms of quality, but also full of history’.
Rarity and value-for-money drove the choice for Stéphane von Neipperg, owner of Château La Mondotte, a Premier Grand Cru Classé house in Saint Emilion. ‘It is very difficult to find 2009 of La Mondotte, but a very outstanding vintage if you want to invest in it in the future. Also, it is not so expensive’.
Final thoughts
What truly characterizes a legendary vintage? Perhaps the great Robert Parker put it best when he said that wines that gain top scores ‘should be as exceptional as a particular wine can be’. Whether the result of a blend of perfect weather and provenance, winery methods and history, a great vintage is one that’s inspiring and simply unforgettable.
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