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Vintage Guides

Region Rating Drinkability Style
California Cabernet Sauvignon starstarstarstarstar keep Outstanding to classic vintage, with intense varietal flavours, rich, softish tannins and modest alcohol levels. Early maturing.
California Merlot starstarstarstarstar keep Outstanding vintage in which ideal weather conditions and reduced yields created fragrant, full-flavoured wines with refreshing acidity and moderate alcohol levels.
Germany starstarstarstarstar keep Outstanding wines in all quality levels, showing a fine balance of ripeness, fruity acidity and mineral flavours, as well as great ageing potential.
Italy Piedmont starstarstarstarstar keep Lengthy ripening season produced well-structured, aromatic wines with plentiful but ripe, velvety tannins.
Italy Tuscany starstarstarstarstar keep Very good vintage, bordering on five stars for some appellations. Top wines show a fresh, fine fruit quality, expressive aromas, and good tannic structure.
Medoc and Graves starstarstarstarstar drink soon Mixed rather than great. The best wines (from top châteaux) are soft, fruit-forward and charming, but with limited ageing potential. Lowish yield.
Oregon Pinot Noir starstarstarstarstar drink soon Some great Pinot Noir from the best managed vineyards, combining the prettiness of the 2001s with some of the concentration of the 2005s.
Red Australia starstarstarstarstar keep Inconsistent quality, with ripeness to the fore. Best reds have concentrated flavours, deep colours and supple tannins, with Shiraz and Grenache standing out. Cabernets may lack elegance.
Red Burgundy starstarstarstarstar drink soon Fragrant wines with light tannins and fresh, accessible fruit, though styles vary hugely as a result of the erratic, labour-intensive vintage.
Red Rhone starstarstarstarstar keep Superb rich, round, big-fruited wines from Southern Rhone; slightly less successful for Northern Rhône, though structure, colour and freshness impress.
Red South Africa starstarstarstarstar keep Challenging season producing wines with great colour and aroma intensity, big, complex structures and the potential for opulence. Rhône styles show great finesse.
Red South America starstarstarstarstar keep Chile has the edge with well flavoured, vibrant wines, fresh and elegant yet rich too, with good ageing potential. Good to very good fresh, well-flavoured, lower alochol reds from Argentina.
Saint-Emilion and Pomerol starstarstarstarstar keep Mixed results, but some charming wines for early drinking: aromatic, lightly fruity, and with fines tannins.
Sauternes and Barsac starstarstarstarstar keep Outstanding vintage that combines richness and purity with balance and breed. Exceptional freshness too.
Spain Rioja starstarstarstarstar keep Low yielding vintage saved by technical expertise and a long, dry, sunny harvest. Most consistent quality from Rioja Baja, with crisp, well-balanced, elegant wines.
Vintage Champagne starstarstarstarstar keep Most producers say it is too early to determine whether vintage Champagnes will be made from the 2007 harvest. Management of individual vineyards is likely to prove the deciding factor.
Vintage Port starstarstarstarstar keep Widely declared, cooler character vintage. Wines are fresh and elegant, with exceptionally polished tannins - fine yet dense and rich. Huge potential for ageing.
Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon starstarstarstarstar keep One of the best ripening periods on record, with Cabernet Sauvignon proving the top performer. The wines show great balance, with lower alcohol, well-knit tannins, fine ripeness and superb ageing potential.
Washington State Merlot starstarstarstarstar keep Grape quality proved impressive, with average soluble sugars and good acid balance. The best wines are bright and crisp, with silky tannins.
White Burgundy starstarstarstarstar keep A classic vintage with searingly fresh acidity, terroir-driven fruit and good potential to age.