Vintage guides

Region: Red Rhone

Year Rating Drinkability Style More
1962 starstarstarstarstar drink now A large crop in the south, but the best wines from Chateauneuf were finely balanced and lasted well more...
1963 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Frost limited the crop in the northern Rhone. Wretched in the south more...
1964 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Rich, supple wines from Cote Rotie. Chateauneuf produced, powerful rich wines more...
1965 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Poor vintage throughout the Rhone more...
1966 starstarstarstarstar drink now Rich wines in Cote Rotie. Chateauneuf should be drunk up now more...
1967 starstarstarstarstar drink now Relatively light wines in Cote Rotie. Exceptionally tannic in Chateauneuf - will age for decades more...
1968 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Patchy at best in the northern Rhone, though a handful of growers made decent wines in Cote Rotie. more...
1969 starstarstarstarstar drink now A magnificent year in the northern Rhone, with powerful wines from Cote Rotie and Hermitage more...
1970 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Enjoyable wines from Cote Rotie. Very good wines in the south, Chateauneuf is fully mature more...
1971 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Robust wines from Hermitage and Cote Rotie; wines from the south are on the light side and are now fading more...
1972 starstarstarstarstar drink soon There were very low yields in Hermitage, the wines were concentrated and aged well. In the south the reds were pretty but not for keeping more...
1973 starstarstarstarstar drink soon A large crop in the north. The reds were on the light side, and should have been drunk up long ago more...
1974 starstarstarstarstar drink now Pallid and short-lived reds from the north. A light year in the south more...
1975 starstarstarstarstar drink now A mediocre year for reds from the northern Rhône. Rather simple wines from the south, including Châteauneuf more...
1976 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Some better wines from the north, especially Cote Rotie, although some of the wines were quite beefy more...
1977 starstarstarstarstar drink now Pallid and astringent from the north, and modest wines from southern Rhone, not for keeping more...
1978 starstarstarstarstar drink now Rich wines from Hermitage and Côte Rotie, and big, powerful reds from Châteauneuf where this was best vintage since 1969 more...
1979 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Weather excellent throughout the summer especially in the south, but crop was large. Hermitage was the star more...
1980 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Hermitage produced the best wines. In the south the weather was excellent throughout the summer, but the crop was large more...
1981 starstarstarstarstar drink now Patchy quality in Châteauneuf and Gigondas, but the best wines have proved superb and are still drinking well more...
1982 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Many wines turned out jammy and baked, and did not age particularly well more...
1983 starstarstarstarstar drink now The best reds from Hermitage and Cote Rotie combined wonderfully rich fruit with a powerful tannic structure, and are proving very long-lived more...
1984 starstarstarstarstar drink soon The reds were mostly light and charming but short-lived more...
1985 starstarstarstarstar drink now Cote Rotie delivered the best red wines more...
1986 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Overall, a very inconsistent vintage, with wines ranging from dilute to over-tannic more...
1987 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Reds from Chateauneuf were light and should have been drunk by now; the vintage was excellent in Cote Rotie more...
1988 starstarstarstarstar keep The best wines have been slow to develop and will have a long life more...
1989 starstarstarstarstar drink now Cote Rotie fared best. Hermitage and Cornas were less structured than in 1988 more...
1990 starstarstarstarstar keep A great year in the northern Rhone, despite the near-drought conditions, and from the south sumptuous Chateauneuf more...
1991 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Rich red wines from Northern Rhône (4-star quality) contrast with disappointing, rather astringent wines from the south (2-stars). more...
1992 starstarstarstarstar drink soon Despite optimistic early reports, the reds proved to be dilute and often 'green' more...
1993 starstarstarstarstar drink soon The reds were for the most part hard and thin, but the vintage was slightly better in the south more...
1994 starstarstarstarstar drink now Good wines emerged from Hermitage, Cornas, and Saint Joseph. The southern Rhone enjoyed its best vintage since 1990 more...
1995 starstarstarstarstar drink now Outstanding Cote Rotie. Full, tannic northern and southern reds, now starting to soften. Good winter drinking. more...
1996 starstarstarstarstar drink now Leathery, mineral wines, some lack proper flesh. Good aromas. Difficult ripening the problem. The wines are sound but may not be long-lived. more...
1997 starstarstarstarstar drink now Acidity was low and even Chateauneuf may not have produced wines for long ageing. Wines are soft, oozing pleasure, jam flavours. Versatile with food. more...
1998 starstarstarstarstar drink now The best southern Rhône vintage since 1990. Northern Rhônes are full, punchy and well developed. more...
1999 starstarstarstarstar drink now Quality overall is very good, though not as exceptional as 1998 more...
2000 starstarstarstarstar drink now Great in the south, less brilliant in the north more...
2001 starstarstarstarstar keep Powerful, juicy wines with concentrated, ripe fruit and silky tannins. more...
2002 starstarstarstarstar drink now Some concentration and power in wines from the north but a poor vintage for Southern Rhône. more...
2003 starstarstarstarstar keep Chunky wines with high but ripe tannins meant for laying down more...
2004 starstarstarstarstar drink now Well-balanced wines with good purity of fruit in Southern Rhône. Less consistency from Northern Rhône, ranging from fresh and rounded to crisp and green. For early drinking. more...
2005 starstarstarstarstar keep Classic vintage, with even lesser sites producing stylish, harmonious wines. Best wines have superb fruit and great structure. Huge ageing potential. more...
2006 starstarstarstarstar keep Finesse and elegance, but with nuance and subtlety - a charming 'gourmand' vintage more...
2007 starstarstarstarstar keep Superb rich, round, big-fruited wines from Southern Rhone; slightly less successful for Northern Rhône, though structure, colour and freshness impress. more...
2008 starstarstarstarstar drink now Difficult, late vintage, 25% smaller than normal. Those who waited for full ripening have created fresh, mineral, balanced wines for early drinking. more...