Bordeaux 1975 vintage
Overview
1975 was a vintage that produced a handful of truly great wines and a large number of failures.
Many Bordeaux reds have evolved incredibly slowly and are just about ready to drink now, but many are excessively tannic which in some cases has prevented graceful ageing. There are also some very good bargains to be found if you know your producers.
Bordeaux 1970 vintage
Overview
The most popular vintage between 1961 and 1982, 1970 produced wines full of charm and complexity. Most of the best wines have now reached maturity, with some of the lighter-weight Pomerols and Saint-Émilions on the right bank peaking by 1980. The vintage was one of the first to combine a large harvest and production with high quality.
Bordeaux 1966 vintage
Overview
The 1966 Bordeaux vintage is the most popular vintage between 1961 and 1982, 1970.
It produced wines full of charm and complexity. The best wines have now reached maturity, with some of the lighter-weight Pomerols and Saint-Émilions on the right bank peaking by 1980. The vintage was one of the first to combine a large harvest with high quality.
Bordeaux 1964 vintage
Overview
Pomerol, Saint-Émilion and Graves produced some exceptional wines in a vintage where almost every other appellation in Bordeaux suffered as a result of torrential rainfall during the harvest.
The best examples rivalled those of the 1961 vintage, but the vast majority reached their peak by the mid-1980s, and only the very best will last another five or so years.
Bordeaux 1962 vintage
Overview
The 1962 Bordeaux vintage is one of the most undervalued vintages of the 20th century, being largely overshadowed by the truly outstanding 1961 vintage. The wines from almost every appellation were elegant and round with relatively soft tannins.
1962 was also a fantastic year for the dry white wines of Graves and the sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes.
Bordeaux 1961 vintage
Overview
The 1961 Bordeaux vintage was one of the greatest of the 20th century.
1961 was blessed with ideal weather conditions, and a small crop due to spring frosts was ripened to perfection through a warm, dry, sunny growing season. Less fruit means more concentration and there were some truly outstanding wines made for the cellar.
Bordeaux 1959 vintage
Overview
1959 produced amongst the richest and most powerful wines ever made in Bordeaux.
Nowadays the 1959s are often in better condition than their 1961 counterparts which experience even higher demand. They have evolved at a slower rate and often display deeper colour and more richness than their younger siblings.
Bordeaux 1955 vintage
Overview
The 1955 Bordeaux vintage benefited from largely ideal weather conditions, but the wines were not as inspirational as the other top vintages of the 1950s.The top wines of the vintage are now fully mature and display no sign of decline.
Bordeaux 1953 vintage
Overview
The 1953 vintage seduced drinkers from the outset. Consequently, much of it was drunk within its first ten years. For those who had the patience to hold on, its character developed through the 1960s and 1970s, displaying charm, roundness and fragrance.
Bordeaux 1949 vintage
Overview
The 1949 Bordeaux vintage is among the most expensive and sought-after wines of the 20th century - one of the driest and sunniest vintages on record, one which was eventually matched only in 1990.
1949 was also a more refined Bordeaux vintage and less 'alcoholic' in style than 1947. The best wines are characterised by balance and harmony of fruit.
Bordeaux 1947 vintage
Overview
Pomerol and Saint-Émilion produced some of the most Port-like, concentrated wines ever made in Bordeaux.
1947 was a vintage of incredible irregularity, with estates such as Calon-Ségur and Mouton Rothschild producing great wines, while other top-growths and super-seconds produced wines with excessive acidity.
The rich, Port-like intensity of the greatest wines of the vintage are explained by the exceptionally hot months of July, August and September preceding the harvest.
Bordeaux 1945 vintage
Overview
1949 was a more refined, less alcoholic style that 1947, the best wines characterised by balance and harmony of fruit. Among the most expensive and sought-after wines of the 20th century, those from 1949 encountered one of the driest and sunniest vintages on record, one which was eventually matched only in 1990.
