Bordeaux’s most historic vintages

As the 2015 Bordeaux vintage nears the beginning of its en primeur campaign, we look back at the region’s greatest vintages through the years.

To produce a great wine in Bordeaux over the centuries, vignerons and winemakers have had to battle with multiple challenges: extremes of weather, from hail and rain to drought and heatwave … the ravages of plant pests and diseases … balancing the ripeness and readiness of multiple grape varieties to achieve the perfect blend … and even the challenges of war. When it works, everyone takes notice. Here’s a selection of the greatest years, and pairs of vintages.

1864 & 1865

Sometimes, just like buses, one great Bordeaux vintage arrives after another in quick succession. So it was in the 1860s. Just a decade after the 1855 classification of Bordeaux, 1864 heralded the start of a pair of vintages culminating in the 1865, widely regarded as the greatest of all the pre-Phylloxera vintages of the late 19th century. Outside wine, 1864 saw the birth of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the publication of Jules Verne’s ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’.

Michael Broadbent describes the 1864 as “one of the greatest vintages of the nineteenth century” and regards 1865 as “sturdier than the 1864” and “the most dependable vintage of this period”.

1869 & 1870

French café goers discuss the Franco-Prussian War

Several years pass, and again we see a pair of great vintages one after the other. The top vintage of 1869 gave way to the classic 1870, with the grapes picked even as France entered war with Germany in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.

The 1870 vintage suffered from late frosts that reduced yields, but was early picked after a blisteringly hot summer.

The Chateau Lafite of 1870 is described by Michael Broadbent as “a powerhouse” which was “such a powerful and tannic wine that it was virtually undrinkable for half a century”.

These qualities are great for longevity, but a long way from what we’d expect to see in today’s market.

1869 and 1870 also saw the realisation that the phylloxera louse was a factor in the spread of a vineyard malaise being reported across France, although it would be a few years before the full impact of its advance was evident.

1874 & 1875

In a final flourish of vintage success before the devastation that was to follow, 1874 and 1875 produced a pair of large and high quality crops. 1875 was said to be the largest crop ever seen – a record that lasted until 1960.

However, from 1875 until the early 1890s, Bordeaux vineyards succumbed to the ravages of the phylloxera bug and the very survival of the region, as so many others, was called into question.

This makes the 1875 an iconic year, as the last of the great pre-Phylloxera vintages.

1899 & 1900

Vineyards were replanted on American rootstock, confidence grew, and in 1899, the conditions conspired to produce the first of two great vintages, to straddle the old and new centuries.

Away from the vineyards, as the grapes were being picked in September 1899, Albert Dreyfus was pardoned at a conclusion of the long-running French political scandal.

Michael Broadbent describes 1899 as “wines of stature” and heaps even greater praise on the 1900 vintage saying the wines that heralded the 20th century were “uniformly excellent” … “a superabundant crop following perfect weather conditions”.

1900 saw the opening of the World Exposition in Paris, and the inauguration of the first line of the Paris Metro.

1928 & 1929

The twenties were a boom time for Bordeaux. After the difficulties of the First World War, new markets opened up, in parallel with some fine vintages.

In 1928, great ripening conditions made for a rich and full-bodied vintage – long-lived and enduring.

1929 was, by contrast, characterised by purity and elegance, and plenty of finesse.

Into the 1930s, the Depression and a series of poor vintages made the wines hard to sell, and broadly unmemorable for their quality.

1945

The end of the Second World War, and the ‘Année de la Victoire’, happily also produced one of the greatest vintages of the 20th century.

The poor condition of the vineyards due to the ravages of war, combined with late frosts in May contributed to a low-yielding crop. This was maximised by perfect weather conditions to deliver a long-lasting and excellent set of wines.

1947

Only two years later comes another of the leading post-war vintages.

In the year that India gained its independence from Britain, 1947 saw a fiercely hot summer in Bordeaux, producing a range of very rich wines with almost Port-like concentration.

1959

Quickly dubbed the ‘vintage of the century’, 1959 was enthusiastically bought up by the UK trade on release, and followed three fairly cold, miserable years with little to attract buyers.

It’s also regarded, as described by Clive Coates, as “the last great year when the wine was made by old-fashioned methods” before the introduction and spread of more controlled vinification and the arrival of stainless steel tanks.

Ripe and opulent, the vintage was also ready for early drinking, and as a result not as much remained for later tasting. However, contrary to early opinions, the ’59 aged gracefully and showed good longevity.

1961

Frost, heavy rain, and an August drought might not have boded well for 1961, but it all came together in the end with a rich, concentrated and tannic vintage that rewarded careful cellaring.

As a result, more of the 1961 vintage remained for drinking over the decades that followed, compared to the more forward 1959.

1982

If 1959 was the last of the old-style Bordeaux, then 1982 really marked the arrival of the great modern era.

Consistent winemaking, and almost perfect weather conditions marked the 1982 – making it dense and ripe, but also fresh and subtle.

1982 also marked the arrival of another phenomenon – the uber-critic Robert Parker. His assessment of this vintage launched his career to a new generation of wine enthusiasts.