1980 vintage guide for Medoc and Graves

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A difficult vintage, producing light but attractive wines

2/5

Weather Conditions

A cool spring followed an unexceptional winter, and the conditions did not promote a good flowering. The weather did not improve much as spring turned to summer, and both June and July were damp and lacking in sunshine.

Temperatures picked up in August and it remained warm throughout September. However, there was little sunshine, and ripening was delayed. Rain fell during early October, but conditions improved somewhat for the late

harvest.

Whites (sweet): The Sauternes crop benefitted from the dry conditions towards the end of the year, and was succesfully harvested in November.

Best Appellations

A generally mediocre vintage producing light, dilute wines of little distinction. As usual in a wet year, properties with porous, gravelly soils made the best wines. Margaux and Graves fared best but some Pauillac was of reasonable quality.

Best Producers

Pauillac: Latour, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. St Julien: Talbot. Margaux: Chateau Margaux. Graves: Domaine de Chevalier, La Mission.