161 Vintages
Below is a list of 150 vintages—including two outstanding ones preceding the 1855 classification—recognized for their diversity and exceptional aging powers.
This list was compiled from the archives of the Bordeaux wine brokerage firm Tastet & Lawton, which was founded in 1740 and has kept records of each year’s vintage ever since.
Start of harvest :
— 07 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very small
Remarks :
Wines considered good in general.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Very small
Remarks :
Acceptable wines, considered by some experts to contain detectable traces of vine mildew.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Very ordinary wines.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
Refined and elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Detectable traces of vine mildew in some of the wines.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Very light wines.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very small
Remarks :
Freeze on May 6. Good, elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
Lackluster year.
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Some of this year’s wines lacking in maturity.
Start of harvest :
— 17 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Exquisite, extraordinarily smooth wines; mature, aromatic, intense, fully rounded.
Start of harvest :
— 06 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Good, mature wines, but harsh; slow to mature.
Start of harvest :
— 21 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Very mediocre year.
Start of harvest :
— 18 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Unexceptional wines.
Start of harvest :
— 07 September
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
Very satisfactory year.
Start of harvest :
— 15 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Remarkable, well-rounded wines.
Start of harvest :
— 10 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
Very good, very mature, very full-bodied wines.
Start of harvest :
— 18 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
Light but very elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Lackluster year.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Terrible freeze on April 28. Difficult year.
Start of harvest :
— 14 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Very good wines.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Very good, very elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Wines with reduced aging potential.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
A year of light but charming wines.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
A very great year.
Start of harvest :
— 09 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
A lackluster year.
Start of harvest :
— 21 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Vintage comparable to 1879.
Start of harvest :
— 12 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Good wines, hearty and full-bodied.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Light, fairly elegant wines; some perceptible mildew.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Light, relatively unappealing wines.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Difficult year due to mildew; a few great wines.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Many wines affected by mildew.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Same problem as for 1885 vintage.
Start of harvest :
— 17 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Full-bodied, generous wines; healthy, due to antimildew treatments.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
Good year, elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 29 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Satisfactory year, fairly elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 29 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Fairly good, full-bodied, dark red wines.
Start of harvest :
— 02 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Wines often lacking in maturity.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Sirocco wind storm August 15, temperature 104°F (43°C); elegant wines
Start of harvest :
— 15 August
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— exceptionally large
Remarks :
Excellent wines that frequently aged badly.
Start of harvest :
— 05 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Poor quality, sharp wines lacking in body.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A year of extremely hot weather; vinification difficult; excellent quality for those wines that survived.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Subtle, elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Very mediocre wines.
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Slightly harsh wines that improved with age.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A very high-quality year.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
One of the great years of the century.
Start of harvest :
— 15 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Wines lacking in body; some vintages aged surprisingly well.
Start of harvest :
— 27 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A particularly disastrous year.
Start of harvest :
— 28 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A very difficult year.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Wines that aged unevenly.
Start of harvest :
— 18 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Light but elegant wines.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Exceptionally full-bodied wines.
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Light, elegant wines similar to the 1905 vintage.
Start of harvest :
— 21 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Slightly harsh wines lacking in charm.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Potentially good wines that aged badly.
Start of harvest :
— 10 October
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
A particularly disastrous year.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A year of extremely hot weather.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Wines lacking body.
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Weak wines with low tannin content.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
These initially promising wines aged badly.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Vintage comparable to 1910.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Hearty, full-bodied wines slightly lacking in charm.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Light, “aromatic” wines.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Healthy but harsh wines.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Light wines somewhat lacking in concentration.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A few good bottles still available.
Start of harvest :
— 15 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A year of extremely hot weather; problems with aging. A few good bottles still available.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Light, flat wines.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Pale-colored wines; some wines suffered from the heat.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Some wines still exceptional.
Start of harvest :
— 03 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Sharp, immature wines.
Start of harvest :
— 04 October
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Some wines still exceptional. Widespread crop failure.
Start of harvest :
— 27 September
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Very rainy August and September; disappointing year.
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Remarkable wines; some a little harsh.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
One of the great years of the century.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
There are almost no bottles of this wine remaining today.
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
There are almost no bottles of this wine remaining today.
Start of harvest :
— 15 October
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Vintage comparable to 1930 and 1931.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Light, “aromatic” wines.
Start of harvest :
— 14 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A few bottles remain that are still appealing.
Start of harvest :
— 30 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Slightly sharp wines, some lacking maturity.
Start of harvest :
— 01 January
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Sharp wines lacking maturity.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Many great wines still available.
Start of harvest :
— 28 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Unexceptional year.
Start of harvest :
— 02 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Light, “aromatic” wines.
Start of harvest :
— 26 October
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Unexceptional year.
Start of harvest :
— 03 October
Quality :
— Poor
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Very mediocre wines.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
With 1943, the best year of the period.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A few major successes.
Start of harvest :
— 27 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Light, agreeable wines.
Start of harvest :
— 13 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Disastrous freeze on May 2; very concentrated wines, some still surprisingly young.
Start of harvest :
— 30 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Wines that are often harsh and slightly lacking in maturity.
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A few legendary bottles approaching perfection; wines with great charm.
Start of harvest :
— 01 January
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A few exceptional wines.
Start of harvest :
— 27 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Magnificent wines, still capable of further aging; vintage similar to that of 1947.
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Light, agreeable wines; some very great wines.
Start of harvest :
— 09 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Comparable to the 1946 wines.
Start of harvest :
— 17 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Well-structured tannic wines, slow to mature; a few great bottles.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A great classic: balanced, full-bodied, subtle, long-lasting.
Start of harvest :
— 10 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Healthy but immature wines.
Start of harvest :
— 29 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Well-structured, concentrated, slow to mature; a few very great bottles.
Start of harvest :
— 14 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Catastrophic freeze in February; little or no production.
Start of harvest :
— 04 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
Major crop failure; with some exceptions, wines generally disappointing.
Start of harvest :
— 10 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
Average year with some fairly good exceptions.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Small harvest
Remarks :
A very hot, dry year; vinification difficult; very great wines with persistent keeping power.
Start of harvest :
— 15 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Light wines with limited keeping power.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very small
Remarks :
The great year of the century; severe crop loss.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Appealing wines with great charm on the palate; similar to 1924.
Start of harvest :
— 07 October
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
An extremely weak vintage similar to 1965 and 1968.
Start of harvest :
— 28 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Uneven success; a few great wines with keeping power.
Start of harvest :
— 30 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Comparable to the wines of 1963 and 1968.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A classic vintage; great elegance; the best year of the decade after 1961.
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Agreeable wines; suitable for drinking while still young.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Comparable to 1963 and 1965.
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Small
Remarks :
Unremarkable vintage.
Start of harvest :
— 27 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Somewhat harsh tannic wines; the best will continue to age beyond 2000.
Start of harvest :
— 27 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Small
Remarks :
Extensive crop loss; wines with a somewhat delicate elegance at its most intense
Start of harvest :
— 09 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Disappointing year.
Start of harvest :
— 24 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Generally disappointing wines, with a few exceptions.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Generally disappointing wines, with a few exceptions.
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Tannic wines of uneven quality; some of them very good.
Start of harvest :
— 13 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Very hot summer, with losses due to drought; very high quality somewhat attenuated by sporadic rain during the harvest.
Start of harvest :
— 05 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Small
Remarks :
Freezes on March 31 and April 9; fairly good wines, although tannic and somewhat harsh.
Start of harvest :
— 08 October
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Classic, elegant wines at their very best.
Start of harvest :
— 05 October
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
The best of this year’s wines are harmonious and well-balanced.
Start of harvest :
— 08 October
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Light, mellow, full-flavored wines.
Start of harvest :
— 28 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Wines that improve with age.
Start of harvest :
— 13 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Magnificent wines that will age well into the middle of the twenty-first century.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Full-bodied, often remarkable wines.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A generally disappointing year.
Start of harvest :
— 30 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Remarkable wines, comparable to 1986.
Start of harvest :
— 26 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A great year for wines with keeping power, especially in the Médoc.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Mellow, full-flavored, elegant wines; agreeable to drink while still young.
Start of harvest :
— 28 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Classic wines that improve with age.
Start of harvest :
— 04 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A very great year for wines that mature with age.
Start of harvest :
— 12 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A great hot-weather year; wines suitable for drinking young that also have a high potential for improving with age.
Start of harvest :
— 30 September
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Very small
Remarks :
Freeze on April 21. Full-bodied red wines.
Start of harvest :
— 29 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Full-bodied red wines that age quickly.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Red wines that age fairly quickly.
Start of harvest :
— 16 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Classic red wines.
Start of harvest :
— 18 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A year of consistent quality. Great red wines, mellow and harmonious.
Start of harvest :
— 18 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A great year for wines that improve with age, especially in the Médoc.
Start of harvest :
— 07 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Charming, mellow, full-flavored wines.
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
An extremely classic year with a promising future.
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A perfectly classic year similar to 1998; wines with great promise for the future.
Start of harvest :
— 20 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
One of the great years of the century (as was 1900).
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Fairly large
Remarks :
A classic year with great promise.
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Not very large
Remarks :
This year’s wines were saved by the “Indian Summer.” Very promising wines.
Start of harvest :
— 02 September
Quality :
— Remarkable
Volume :
— Low
Remarks :
The year of France’s record heat wave. A great and promising vintage.
Start of harvest :
— 16 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Classic year with very good potential
Start of harvest :
— 22 September
Quality :
— Excellent
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Vintage of the century!
Start of harvest :
— 18 September
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Low
Remarks :
Supple, very appealing quality
Start of harvest :
— 19 September
Quality :
— Fairly good
Volume :
— Low
Remarks :
A good year for sweet white wines
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Small
Remarks :
A year that confirmed its quality in the months following the harvest
Start of harvest :
— 23 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
A legendary vintage.
Start of harvest :
— 29 September
Quality :
— exceptional
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
A legendary vintage.
Start of harvest :
— 12 September
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Fairly traditional red wines, superior quality in the Médoc. An exceptional year for sweet wines.
Start of harvest :
— 01 October
Quality :
— good
Volume :
— Small
Remarks :
Pleasant, fruity wines.
Start of harvest :
— 30 September
Quality :
— Only average
Volume :
— Small
Remarks :
A good year for sweet wines.
Start of harvest :
— 25 September
Quality :
— Very good
Volume :
— Average
Remarks :
Pleasant, appealing, full-bodied wines.
Start of harvest :
— 21 September
Quality :
— Excellent
Volume :
— Very large
Remarks :
Very distinguished wines with a substantial capacity to improve with age.