YOUR VINTAGE

1960

Port stole the crown with a fantastic 1960 vintage. It was declared by all the major houses and the best examples are likely to still be drinking beautifully now. However, other parts of Europe fared less well, with both Italy and Bordeaux slightly hit-and-miss.

1961

After the lukewarm previous vintage, 1961 Bordeaux bounced back with a bang and a truly legendary vintage. Burgundy, Piedmont and Tuscany were also stunning and top Barolo should still be drinking beautifully.

1962

The 1962 Bordeaux vintage was slightly overshadowed by 1961, but it still produced some very good wines. Both Burgundy and Italy enjoyed another very good vintage.

1963

The 1963 vintage was most legendary for Port and there are likely to still be a wide range of wines still drinking beautifully. Bordeaux, however, was less lucky having contended with bad weather and rot throughout the vintage, and Burgundy was beyond help. Italy produced mostly average wines.

1964

Although 1964 was a truly marvellous vintage for much of Europe, the crown for vintage of the century must go to Spain’s Rioja, which produced wines with a concentration of flavor rarely seen in previous years. Bordeaux, Burgundy and Italy all produced some outstanding wines.

1965

The 1965 vintage for both Bordeaux and Burgundy was fairly abysmal, blighted by bad weather. Very few, if any, wines will still be drinking well today whereas the opposite is true of Italy, which produced some very good ageworthy wines.

1966

This was a classic Bordeaux vintage. Burgundy, particularly Romanée- Conti, enjoyed an excellent vintage. Port was also excellent.

1967

In 1967, the gods favored Italy, blessing both Tuscany and Piedmont with an exceptionally fine vintage often touted as the “vintage of the decade”. Bordeaux was also good but a touch on the light side. The Beatles also released their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

1968

The 1968 Bordeaux vintage was the product of an extremely wet and generally bad growing season making the overall quality quite low. Burgundy also suffered with very little to recommend in it. For Italy, 1968 marked another good year and saw the first public release of Sassicaia.

1969

The end of the decade was not the best for Bordeaux, with heavy rains diluting the wines. However, a poor year for reds meant a great year for Sauternes. Burgundy and the Rhône Valley were both excellent however, 1969 will be most remembered for the phenomenal achievement of the moon landing.

1970

If you’re a bit of an Italophile, 70 was a great year for you. Tuscany may just have the edge on Piedmont, but both turned in superb vintages. And, as all claret-lovers know, 70 was also a classic year on both Bordeaux Banks. But the blessings don’t stop there – this is a great year to indulge your yen for vintage Port or vintage Champagne.

1971

A great year for Piedmontese reds and German whites, and pretty stellar in terms of red and white Burgundy, top-notch Aussie reds and Bordeaux’s Right Bank. In fact, unless you have a hankering for Rioja, generally speaking, you’re in luck.

1972

It’s probably best to gloss over the shortcomings of this particular vintage, although if you’re really desperate to get hold of a birthday bottle, you might find some drinkable reds from either Burgundy or the Rhône. Alternatively, you might like to pretend you were born the previous year.

1973

It’ll be alright on the night – as long as you’ve got a bottle of white. This was a truly top year for German Riesling and vintage Champagne. Unfortunately, if you favor red over white, you’re out of luck – 73 was a dud year in Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône.

1974

Oops! Unless you’re a bottle of vintage Champagne, 74 leaves you little to celebrate.

1975

If you were a Tuscan red or a German Riesling from this vintage, you’d be the wine world equivalent of a Cohiba cigar – congratulations!

1976

Congratulate yourself if you’re one of the lucky few with a cellarful of German Riesling or vintage Champagne. You’re not doing too badly, either, if you stocked up on Right Bank reds, top-quality Aussies or a few fab Burgundies. The booby prize goes to anyone with a few bottles of Californian Merlot or Chianti from this vintage.

1977

What a terrible year 77 was. Well, you could always console yourself with a bottle of vintage Port…

1978

What a treat! 78 was a cracking year for Piedmontese, Rhône and Burgundian reds. It was also pretty good on the Left Bank, in Napa and in Champagne, giving you plenty to choose from.

1979

Bordeaux’s Left Bank, the Rhône, Tuscany and the sweeties of Sauternes and Barsac are the stars of the 79. Don’t expect much, however, from either Spain or the New World.

1980

Oh dear, poor you. Apart from the fact that 1980 was a great year for vintage fizz, the year was a bit of a washout, wine-wise.

1981

This year’s hot ticket has to be either vintage Champagne or top-notch Rioja. Everything else will be pretty close to average and, by now, will probably be on its last legs.

1982

This was one of those years in Bordeaux where virtually every bottle is a dead cert – unless it happens to come from Sauternes, in which case it’s not worth the bother. Good-quality wines from Piedmont and Rioja are also well worth the purchase price.

1983

A truly classic year in Sauternes, 83 also saw some superb wines being made in Germany and Tuscany. Alternatively, try getting hold of a bottle or two from Bordeaux’s Left Bank or some classy red Burgundy. Finally, 83 was also a cracking Port vintage.

1984

If you were born in 84, you probably already know that this was a bit of a duff vintage (time to start lying about your age perhaps?). At a push, there may still be some decent Californian Cabernet Sauvignon around, although it’s beginning to fade fast.

1985

A serious year for serious wines. Look for red Bordeaux from both the Right and Left Banks, Californian Cabs, top-notch Burgundies and sumptuous Italian wines from Piedmont and Tuscany.

1986

Wines from the Médoc and Graves are the stars of 86, but there were also some really decent white Burgundies, Aussie reds, Napa Cabernets and sweet Sauternes made this year.

1987

California reds and Rioja are the highlight of what is, admittedly, a pretty poor year for wine around the world. As for anything from Bordeaux, forget it – if someone offers you a bottle of 87, run for the hills.

1988

A stellar year for Champagne, 88 was a stunner in Germany, Tuscany, the Rhône and Washington State. Red Burgundies are classy and 88 was also a classic vintage for both dry and sweet wines in Bordeaux.

1989

If you’ve got a thing for St Emilion or Pomerol – or even Sauternes – there’s plenty to celebrate in 89. White Burgundy, vintage Champagne and red Rhône are all pretty special, too.

1990

A truly classic year in Bordeaux, with excellent wines made on both the Right and Left Banks. Reds from Burgundy and the Rhône came up trumps, and great wines were produced in Tuscany and Piedmont. Over in the New World, this was a great year for Australia and the US. You may want to crack open a bottle of vintage Champagne to celebrate.

1991

A truly disastrous year in Bordeaux. Drown your sorrows with a bottle or two of top-class Aussie red. Napa Valley Cabernet and Spanish Rioja had a good year, too, as did vintage Port.

1992

Another poor vintage in Bordeaux – and much of the rest of France, although some great white Burgundies were made. California, on the other hand, turned out some delicious Cabernets, while vintage Port had another boom year.

1993

Sorry, another poor vintage in Bordeaux – and it wasn’t too crash hot elsewhere, either. Make the most of a bad job with the pick of this year’s German Rieslings or some vintage Champagne.

1994

Ok, let’s not beat about the bush – 94 was hardly a return to form in Bordeaux. On the other hand, you’ll probably enjoy this vintage’s Riojas, as well as reds from California and Australia, If you’re partial to a drop of vintage Port, you’ll be a big fan of the 94s.

1995

There’s plenty to celebrate in 95. Take your pick from among the following: Rioja, Right Bank Bordeaux, Chianti and Brunello, red Rhône, sweet Sauternes and white Burgundy.

1996

Congratulations! If you were born in 96, look no further than vintage Champagne for some celebratory sparkle. It was also a great vintage in Bordeaux’s Left Bank, Sauternes, South America and Burgundy.

1997

Perhaps not the best-ever year in Bordeaux, but if you're partial to a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, California came up trumps. Lovers of Italian wines will be in clover: this was a great year in both Tuscany and Piedmont.

1998

A great year for Shiraz, both in Australia’s Barossa Valley and France’s Rhône Valley. Fans of Barolo, Rioja and Bordeaux’s Right Bank also have plenty to celebrate.

1999

If you were born in 99, you’re a sweetie, quite literally. This was a fab year for Sauternes. In the rest of Bordeaux, the Médoc had the edge over the Right Bank. 1999 was also a bit of a corker in the Rhône.

2000

The magic millennial vintage performed miracles around the world. Choose top-notch Bordeaux (both Right and Left Banks) or vintage Port for a cellar-worthy treat.

2001

While 01 was good in Bordeaux, it was great in Tuscany and the Rhône, and Germany’s Rieslings are among the best ever. West Australia’s Margaret River turned out some pretty special Cab Sauvs.

2002

Congratulations on a classic Burgundian birth year – you’ll enjoy both the reds and the whites. Over in the New World, Cabernet Sauvignon from both California and Washington State flew the flag for the US.

2003

If you’re American, 03 was your year. Look for stunning Cabernets from Napa and Sonoma. If you fancy something cool and classy, look no further than Oz’s Eden Valley Rieslings. While much of Europe sweltered in the grip of a heatwave, Piedmontese Barolos bucked the trend for over-ripeness.

2004

2004 was excellent in Champagne, Piedmont, Tuscany, Spain, and Germany. If you’re a fan of new world wines, look for New Zealand and Argentina. Most of the rest of the world had a distinctly average year.

2005

What luck if 2005 is your year! Throughout the wine world, 2005 was, for most regions, a phenomenally good vintage. Bordeaux, Sauternes, Burgundy, the Loire and the Rhone Valley all enjoyed a legendary year, as did Germany. Italy was so-so, and New Zealand had trouble, but there were good wines made in both.

2006

2006 was like many people in high school – mostly good but only excelled in a handful of areas. The Rhone was the only successful region in France, while Piedmont and Tuscany had legendary years. Overall, it was a pretty mixed bag.

2007

We hope you like sweet wines. Sauternes, Port, and Tokaj all were excellent and Germany and Austria had legendary vintages! South American regions produced brilliant wines, and New Zealand and South Africa had one of their best vintages in years.

2008

You get to celebrate in style with a legendary vintage in Champagne! You can also enjoy excellent wines from Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, and Port, and finish with legendary sweet wines from Tokaj. The New World generally had a very good vintage.

2009

2009 was an excellent vintage for much of the wine world. France had a uniformly fantastic year, and Italy had an excellent year for both Barolo and Chianti. Spain, Germany and Austria were also extremely good. California, Australia, and New Zealand had excellent vintages, and South Africa had one of its best years ever.

2010

Despite a cooler than normal growing season, France enjoyed a spectacular year with legendary wines coming from Bordeaux, Sauternes, and the Rhone Valley, and brilliant wines from Burgundy, Loire, and Alsace. For the rest of Europe the year was also superb, with great wines coming from both Italy and Spain. In the New World, California had an excellent year for Cabernet Sauvignon, and South Australia was a show stopper.

2011

What horrible luck if 2011 is your year… I suppose you can console yourself with a bottle of Port, or perhaps something from Austria. As for the rest of the wine world, it’s a mixed bag at best.

2012

In France you can choose from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, or Alsace, which all produced excellent wines. You also have Piedmont and Tuscany, Spain, Germany, and Austria to choose from. In the New World, most regions had a better than average year, though some California wines may be a bit overripe.

2013

Stick with Italy if you must drink Old World wines. The New World stole the show in 2013, with both California and New Zealand having legendary years!

2014

California had a small but excellent vintage and you can enjoy some excellent Sauternes, however most of the rest of the wine world had trouble this year.

2015

Take your pick – In France nearly every region had a great or legendary year. The rest of Europe also performed extraordinarily well, with Italy, Spain, Germany, and Austria all producing some fantastic wines. El Niño really hurt Argentina this year, but the rest of the New World produced some great wines.

2016

Bordeaux was excellent and Burgundy had a difficult vintage, but the outcome was phenomenally good. Italy had a great year for Piedmont and Tuscany. Port had a legendary vintage, and Spain, Germany, and Austria also had fantastic years. In the New World, California, Australia, and New Zealand all had very good vintages, though the effects of El Niño were devastating for South America.

2017

The 2017 vintage is perhaps most notable for having both devastating frosts and wildfires. France, Italy, and Spain all suffered terribly from the frosts. Germany and Austria produced great wines, though the harvest was smaller than usual. Port was one of the only regions in Europe to have an exceptional year. California was devastated by massive wildfires which makes some of their wines hit or miss. Chile also had some of the worst wildfires in the country’s history.

2018

This was a hot vintage in Europe with excellent wines coming from Piedmont, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. After the rough year in 2017, California was blessed with a calm growing season and the wines are of high quality. In South America both Argentina and Chile enjoyed excellent harvests.