2021

Bordeaux. After 6 consecutive vintages of pronounced heat and drought, the weather in the Gironde in 2021 was classic, more oceanic than Mediterranean. The reds are fine, elegant, refined and well-balanced. The wines are very easy to digest, with silky tannins and an alcohol content of between 12°5 and 13°5, even in the top wines. The only fly in the ointment was the frost in April, which reduced the harvest by a good third (up to 80% damage on the right bank). The dry white wines were formidably energetic, while the sweet wines were superb but extremely rare.

Burgundy. With the weather less southern than previously, Burgundy was able to rediscover its original qualities in 2021. For those winegrowers who were able to wait and then meticulously sort their harvests, the efforts paid off with freshly fruited reds, plenty of refinement on the palate without lacking depth, perfectly balanced and successful. The whites, when they were not hit by frost (over 50% damage in Meursault and Puligny), are of a good standard, taut and finely mineral.

2020

Bordeaux. The series of vintages resulting from a hot and dry summer continues with 2020. The main difference with 2018 and 2019 is the refreshing acidity that boosts the ripeness of the white and red grapes. Rich, intense and vibrant wines, in line with 2016. Very pleasant Sauternes, between purity and tension, with moderate liqueur.

Burgundy.The summer of 2020 was as hot, dry and early as the previous ones, but it is the notable coolness of the summer nights that distinguishes this vintage. In white as in red, the wines wonderfully combine vivacity and density, aromatic freshness and depth, fleshy fruit and velvety tannins. Some very great bottles are born in 2020 and they will defy time.

2019

Bordeaux. Another exceptional vintage in Bordeaux, after three months of a perfectly hot and dry summer. Generous, fresh reds with velvety tannins and a quickly appreciable hedonism reminiscent of the 2009s. Great complex dry whites, with the vivacity of the 2017s coupled with excellent density. Small crop of pure, expressive, harmonious, delicate sweet wines.

Burgundy. A small-volume vintage (spring frost and summer drought) but one of high quality, with impeccable sanitary conditions and a rain-free harvest from 2 to 20 September. The reds are deep, intense and complex, with ripe and structured tannins, a notch above the 2015 and 2018, and above the 2016 and 2017. Great expressive and fruity whites, tonic and balanced when acidity has been preserved.

2018

Bordeaux. Millésime exceptionnel pour les rouges avec un scénario météorologique récurrent : printemps très humide (mildiou pressant) suivi d’un été absolument radieux jusqu’à la mi-octobre. Grande richesse, puissance et fermeté tannique, ces grands vins seront de garde. Blancs secs profonds et dynamiques, liquoreux intenses et frais.

Burgundy. Exceptional vintage for the reds with a recurrent weather scenario: very wet spring (pressing mildew) followed by an absolutely radiant summer until mid-October. Great richness, power and tannic firmness, these great wines will keep well. Deep and dynamic dry whites, intense and fresh sweet wines.

2017

Bordeaux. After a strong frost at the end of April (reducing girondine production by 40%), the hot summer without excess and the harvest under radiant weather gave a beautiful "oceanic" vintage, with fresh, fruity reds, with tender and velvety structures, quickly pleasant. Remarkably expressive dry white wines and very beautiful aromatic and powerful sweet wines, therefore for ageing.

Burgundy. Beautiful warm, sunny, early and generous vintage. For those who have been able to contain their yields, the reds are wines of pleasure, offering softness, opulent fruit and silky tannins. Superb, expressive and ripe whites, from all the terroirs of Chablis, Côte d'Or, Chalonnais and Mâconnais. Flattering Beaujolais, spectacular density and fleshiness, comparable to the 2015s.

2016

Bordeaux. A wonderful vintage resulting from an incredible weather: 3 months of spring with continuous rainfall then, without transition, 4 months ideally beautiful, hot and dry from the end of June to the end of October. In all the Gironde appellations, the reds triumph with mature maturity, moderate alcohol and surf tannins, and will be talked about for a long time. Dry, aromatic and full-bodied whites, sweet, creamy and melting whites.

Burgundy. White and red in reduced quantity (-30%) due to spring frosts. For the reds, a more heterogeneous vintage but the successful wines are potentially as big as those of 2015. Very beautiful rich, precise, balanced and fresh white wines. Beautiful classic vintage in Beaujolais with fresh and fleshy wines.

2015

Bordeaux. A great vintage in classic style for red wines, the little brother of 2010, barely less slender. Overall success in Libourne, in the Graves (Pessac-Léognan) and in the southern part of the Médoc (Margaux and Saint-Julien), more contrasted north of Pauillac due to the September rains. Very expressive and sweet dry white wines of exceptional purity and complexity.

Burgundy. Sunshine and heat have shaped a very great vintage for the reds when yields have been contained. Concentration, maturity, sweetness and elegance are on the agenda, from the north of the Côte de Nuits to the south of Beaujolais. The whites, greedy, expressive and generous, will quickly seduce.

2014

Bordeaux. Saved in time by a very beautiful Indian summer in September and October, with a bonus for the north of the Médoc (Pauillac, St-Estèphe...) and the west of Libourne (Fronsac...). Delicious, cheerful red wines, such as the 2008 (more fleshy) or 2012 (more structured). The freshness of July and August is found in the whites: liveliness and nervousness for the dry ones, femininity and airy grace for the sweet ones.

Burgundy. After a normal summer, neither too hot nor too cool, it is the magnificent month of September that explains the success of 2014. Aromatic intensity, depth of flesh, silky tannins (and low volumes), Pinot Noir has everything it takes to be great. When they have not been devastated by hail storms at the end of June, Côte de Beaune's chardonnays are a perfect Burgundian classicism, between maturity and tension, as in 2010.

2013

Bordeaux. Difficult vintage for reds with a cool summer delaying maturities and September tropical hustling harvest rot by fear. Successful wine, soft and fruity, are rare, obtained in small properties or care force in grand crus by an ultra methodical sorting (and technology). Great dry white wines and very great sweet, pure and radiant.

Burgundy. The summer of 2013 was significantly better in the north and east of France in the southwest but the end of September weather hastened the harvest. The smallness of farms, age old vines and low yields explain the red successes where 2013 evoke 2011 on a softer structure. Fine vintage white, rich wines are ready to drink before 2012.

2012

Bordeaux. Vintage clone of 1998, late-ripening Merlots where, earlier, often outweigh the Cabernets. Beautiful voluptuous red, tasty, quickly charmers right bank (Pomerol head) and south of the left bank (Pessac-Léognan and Margaux), more structured and rights in northern Médoc. Sauternes, fruity and air, will appeal to lovers of Barsac.

Burgundy. Great vintage in red, the level of 2009 or 2005, given the unexpected climatic challenges the spring and summer. There were few grapes (half a normal crop) but they were ripe, healthy and very concentrated. Whites, when they were not hailed, combine fruit maturity and invigorating freshness. Great success in Chablis.

2011

Bordeaux. Less powerful and concentrated than 2010 but in the same tense and slender style thanks to the success of the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the reds will only reveal themselves after a few years of ageing. Aromatic and nervous as one would wish, dry whites will do wonders for those who know how to wait for them. A very great vintage for Sauternes, superior to 2010, combining richness and acidity in a perfect balance.

Burgundy. Early harvest, initiated by the end of August gave medium bodied Pinot, with fine tannins and with low acidity. The wines are seductive and generally flexible, wine gourmet pleasure in recalling that the 1985. Whites are fine, expressive, relatively soft, as in 2007.

2010

Bordeaux. The cool nights of summer 2010 have shaped an equally exceptional vintage as 2009, but in an eminently classical register. Big red Bordeaux, full-bodied and racy, with a serious and tension conducive to a long and guard. The similarity between pairs 1989/1990 and 2009/2010 is striking. great vintage elegance and aromatic freshness for dry white wines as for the sweet.

Burgundy. Vintage very high class, due to a great September and also to low harvest volumes (-30% compared to 2009). The red straight, bright, rich, keep in the cellar, and whites equally convincing. A modern and expanded version of the great 1996 vintage. As in Bordeaux, the match will be exciting 2009-2010.

2009

Bordeaux. One of the greatest hedonistic vintages, in the tradition of 1989, 1982, 1959 or 1947. On both sides, the reds are dazzling with a softness and mellowness that are devilishly seductive. Beautiful dry white wines, rich and pleasant. Exceptional liquid, with an ideal purity of botrytis.

Burgundy. Successful vintages 9 (1999, 1989, 1969, 1959, 1949 ...) is confirmed with a great vintage 2009 white and red, barely disturbed by harvest (sometimes too) abundance. The wines express the qualities of the solar year: rich, meaty texture, sweetness, velvety tannins. For once, the success in Côte de Beaune is at least equal if not superior to that of the Côte de Nuits.

2008

Bordeaux. After a cool and wet summer in 2008 was saved by the arrival of a powerful anticyclone in mid-September. The reds are classic, but quite full-bodied with good acidity stands guard. Dry white, as exceptional in 2007, show a clear sometimes biting liveliness. Expressive and half sweet Sauternes.

Burgundy. Summer in new fees, offset in extremis by a beautiful September. It was late harvest for red looks beautiful, vibrant, deep and distinguished. Very large white wine, a little more alive than in 2006 and 2007.

2007

Bordeaux. Mixed summer but harvest in fine weather. Among the best winegrowers, the reds have, from the moment they are bottled, a friendliness and a velvety texture of rare tannins. Charming and charming, ideal for busy amateurs. Prices are falling sharply. Exceptional dry whites of freshness and purity, very beautiful sweet wines.

Burgundy. The cool summer prolonged the growing season and ripened the grape skins beautifully. The wines are smooth and soft thanks to low acidity and elegant tannin without any harshness. The attractive black fruit aromas are proof of good maturity. A very great vintage for white wines, which have a beautiful balance between richness and acidity comparable to 2006.

2006

Bordeaux. Although somewhat overshadowed by 2005, the 2006 vintage in Bordeaux was truly great and classic thanks to a beautiful summer without excessive heat or rainfall. The dry white wines are superbly fresh and expressive, and the reds are fruity, concentrated and well-balanced, with good ageing potential. The wines of Sauternes are more aromatic than sweet.

Burgundy. An unquestionably fine growing season for Pinot Noir, responsible for producing very stylish wines combining ripeness and freshness. The red wines are superbly elegant with very pure fruit and tannic structure suitable to long ageing. Sensational white wines: well-focused, with great aromatic complexity.

2005

Bordeaux. Picture-perfect weather in Bordeaux (and elsewhere in France) accounted for a vintage that is already legendary! The wines have absolutely everything – richness, balance, wonderful aromas – and reflect the best of their terroir. The overall quality is truly amazing, from dry white wines and sweet white ones to red wines from both banks. 

Burgundy. Perfect weather from June to September was conducive to impressively rich, pure red wines with great ageing potential. The white wines, concentrated and with very ripe fruit, are barely any less spectacular.

2004

Bordeaux. The weather this year, similar to 2001, was typical of Bordeaux's oceanic climate. Estates with low yields produced fresh, well-balanced and naturally elegant wines. A very great vintage for dry white wines, and a classic one for the sweet whites.

Burgundy. Four weeks of very fine weather in September made up for the effects of August rain (including devastating storms in the Côte de Beaune). Growers who kept yields reasonably low produced red wines with the freshness of the 1996s and the silky texture of the 2000s.

2003

Bordeaux. The summer heatwave will long be remembered, and obviously had an influence on the wines. This was the earliest harvest in recorded history and yields were very low. The wines are deeply-coloured, tannic and relatively high in alcohol, with something of a Mediterranean style. There are many great successes on both banks as well as outstanding sweet white wines.

Burgundy. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are rarely at their best in vintages marked by extremely hot weather. However, some 2003 Burgundies display astonishing depth and smoothness, even though most wines (both red and white) are too low in acidity and will age quickly.

2002

Bordeaux. September and October were magnificent, enabling the vines to make up for a mediocre summer. Conditions were ideal for late-ripening varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). Low yields were conducive to full-boded, charming wines. Left Bank wines (Médoc and Graves) are particularly successful and this is a great vintage in Sauternes, only slightly less rich than 2001.

Burgundy. After a fine summer, a superb month of September transformed 2002 into an exceptional vintage. The red wines are deep, voluptuous and extremely appealing. The quality is reminiscent of 1999. A very great year for Chardonnay.

2001

Bordeaux. A typical Bordeaux vintage reflecting the region's temperate climate. The red wines are fresh, well-balanced and well-structured. They will undoubtedly age well and display considerable balance and finesse. The wines of Sauternes and Barsac are superb.

Burgundy. Eminently classic red wines, with extremely attractive and well-defined red fruit aromas. The texture is less rich than in 1999, but more tightly-knit than in 2000, with beautiful freshness – an ideal Pinot Noir vintage.

2000

Bordeaux. An outstanding year in more ways than one: large volume, tremendous ripeness and concentration in the red wines and... prices to match. Bordeaux was blessed with marvellous wines on both the Right and Left Banks, and among the petits châteaux as well as the great growths. The red wines have excellent firmness and grip, and will age well. Minuscule production of sweet white wines, which are very aromatic.

Burgundy. After a beautiful summer (same as in Bordeaux), rain in early September reduced concentration in the juice and was ideal for the grape skins. The 2000 vintage is thus characterised by smooth, fruity, early-maturing wines.

1999

Bordeaux. Summer was sunnier than in 1997, and it rained less during the harvest than in 1998. In fact, 1999 can be considered a combination of these two vintages. It is a very good year for red wines in all appellations. These have medium-term ageing potential. They are more charming than the 1998s and more structured than 1997s. This is also the third great vintage in a row for Sauternes!

Burgundy. The last year of the century was a great one for Burgundy. The weather was very hot and sunny (except for the eclipse on the 11th of August !) throughout the growing season. Pinot Noir ripened exceptionally well in 1999. The wines' richness is complemented by superb tannic structure, and they are sure to age very well. Wonderful white wines too.

1998

Bordeaux. Lovely, sunny weather in summer but rain during the harvest... Early-maturing vineyards nevertheless produced fine wines. The best terroirs and those planted with Merlot were the most successful. This is a classic, tannic, long-lived vintage for red wines. The sweet white wines are almost as good as the 1997s.

Burgundy. The 1998s have everything a classic Burgundy vintage should. The red wines are well-structured, fresh and rather firm. Underpinned by great acidity, they are sure to age well. Only a few more days of ripeness would have transformed 1998 from a good into an outstanding vintage.

1997

Bordeaux. Summer may have been rather cool, but it was warm and sunny at vintage time. The fine weather lasted from the 1st of September to the 17th of October: seven weeks of ideal, sunny weather that produced well-balanced, smooth wines with plenty of charm. This was a successful vintage on both the right and left banks, as well as the best sweet white wine vintage since 1990.

Burgundy. A charming vintage producing soft, round and smooth wines. These will age relatively soon, but will be delightful thanks to their intrinsic balance.

1996

Bordeaux. An outstanding vintage, often better than 1995. The grapes ripened slowly thanks to a temperate summer without excess heart or dryness. The red wines throughout Bordeaux are well-balanced and complex, with aromatics of a quality unequalled in the previous 20 years. Beautiful sweet white wines.

Burgundy. Less massive than the 1995s, the 1996s have absolutely sensational power and purity along with a fantastic range of flavours. No other grape variety can concentrate as many fruity aromas as Pinot Noir in such a year ! Furthermore, the white wines are also outstandingly successful.

1995

Bordeaux. The first great vintage since 1989 and 1990. The summer was very warm and dry, which was ideal for ripening Merlot, and even more so for Cabernet Franc. This is why the Right Bank wines did very well. The red wines of Bordeaux have the smoothness of 1985 along with firm tannin reminiscent of 1986. Lovely sweet white wines.

Burgundy. The drought conditions in August kept the grapes from swelling and led to concentrated, deeply-coloured juice. The red wines are rich, powerful and full-bodied, and will take a long time to reveal their elegance. The white wines are outstanding too.

1994

Bordeaux. Beautiful, classic vintage that produced tannic wines of character with good ageing potential. Perhaps one notch down from 1995, but also one up from 1993. Exceptional dry white wines.

Burgundy. When picked in good condition, the Pinot Noir grapes produced elegant, well-balanced, seductive wines with superb fruit. The tannin is quite round and easy-going, which makes these wines enjoyable young.

1993

Bordeaux. September showers played havoc with grapes that had started to become beautifully ripe thanks to a fine summer. However, estates planted predominantly with Merlot (an early-maturing variety) and with well-drained soil (gravelly rises and slopes) produced quality red wines with elegance and balance. Beautiful dry white wines.

Burgundy. A wonderful month of August that concentrated the juice and thickened the skins. This year with low yields produced red wines with good colour and plenty of fruit. These are well-structured with firm tannin, and have fine ageing potential.

1992

Bordeaux. October showers made it difficult to pick the Cabernets. Merlot-bases wines, on the other hand, did very well. The wines are charming and early-maturing. A slight preference therefore for the wines of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Lovely dry white wines as well : subtle and with a long aftertaste. 

1991

Bordeaux. A tiny crop due to a severe spring frost. The rare vineyards spared by the frost (especially those bordering the Gironde Estuary) produced classic wines similar to the 1988 vintage.

1990

Bordeaux. An outstanding year thanks to an extremely hot summer, the second in a row after 1989. The wines are incredibly rich and concentrated, with very round tannin and low acidity in all appellations. The Sauternes are very nearly perfect.

1989

Bordeaux. An exceptional vintage thanks in large part to an especially warm, dry summer (the earliest harvest since 1893 ! ). The red wines are sumptuously rich and opulent with candied-fruit aromas. They are reminiscent of the 1982s and 1947s, with low acidity and velvety tannin. An absolutely outstanding vintage in Sauternes.

1988

Bordeaux. A dry summer followed by a beautiful autumn accounted for the excellent quality of this vintage, which shows excellent balance between fruit and tannin in the Graves and Libourne regions. The wines of the northern Médoc are more austere, while Sauternes and Barsac are magnificently elegant. The dry white wines are also superb.

1987

Bordeaux. A so-so year due to rain in October just when it was time to pick the Cabernets. The wines thus have a high percentage of Merlot and are soft, charming and early-maturing.

1986

Bordeaux. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were incomparable, which explains the tremendous success of the Médoc, where the wines are powerful and tannic, with excellent ageing potential. This was also a fine year in the Libourne region for wines with a significant proportion of Cabernet. The wines of Sauternes and Barsac are splendid.

1985

Bordeaux. A truly lovely vintage in which Merlot grapes ripened perfectly. This accounts for the rich, tasty wines in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. The wines of the Médoc and Graves are smooth and fruity, with round tannin. Great dry white wines.

1984

Bordeaux. A difficult year, with only a small crop of Merlot due to coulure (shot berries). Only the Médoc and Graves succeeded in making acceptable wines, but these lack richness and body.

1983

Bordeaux. A fine vintage, in large part thanks to magnificent weather from mid-September to mid-November. Conditions were particularly favourable to Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wines of Margaux are superb. The Sauternes are also great, better than the Barsacs.

1982

Bordeaux. An early harvest, and the grapes were very sweet and ripe. A powerful, complex vintage in Pomerol (the Merlot was perfect), Saint-Émilion and the northern Médoc – but not quite as good in Margaux and the Graves.