Vintage guide : Evaluating wines by region

Are you also wondering about the criteria that determine the quality of a wine depending on the year ? Don't worry, it's perfectly normal, and we're going to help you find the right year for a wine according to its region. By the end of this article, you'll no longer have any doubts about the successful vintages of each of France's wine-growing regions!

The vintage map

Whether in Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône Valley, the Loire or even Provence... Each wine-growing region has its own climatic conditions, with heat waves, risk of frost or hail, all of which have a direct influence on the vintage. They are the main parameter that determines the quality of a vintage. What's more, grape varieties from the same region can react differently to climatic conditions, offering different quality in the same vintage between white and red wines. 

Thanks to our classification, you can confidently choose the exceptional vintage you don't want to miss, and avoid the less successful ones. We offer you an invaluable guide to making the best choice according to year and region.

A little clarification for the more novice: The term "vintage" refers to the year in which the wine was harvested, not to its arrival on the market, which can take 1 to 2 years, or even longer, for some grands crus classés. It's important to make this distinction between the year of harvest and the year the wine is marketed.

The vintage map in figures

Focus on the 2022 vintage

First of all, let's look back at the latest vintage: 2022. According to Bordeaux experts, this vintage offers silky tannins, high quality and ageing potential. Although modern winemaking may offer new techniques, it seems that the Bordeaux 2022 vintage reflects its year in an authentic way, and that's great news for wine lovers who appreciate the tradition and history behind every bottle. More generally, talking to winemakers in Burgundy, the Northern Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon and the Loire Valley, 2022 is a year that puts a smile on everyone's face, in terms of both quantity and quality.

2 outstanding vintages

It's fairly easy to distinguish 2 exceptional years in most French wine-growing regions: 2010 and 2019. For the 2010 vintage, it's fair to say that the bar was set very high, with the 2009 vintage already very successful. However, weather conditions were complicated, with temperatures reaching -20 degrees during the winter and frosts at the beginning of spring in many regions. The summer, however, was milder and sufficiently warm to guarantee a good end to the vegetative cycle for the vines, and man also played a crucial role during the various difficulties.

As for the 2019 vintage, a relatively mild winter led to early budburst in the vines, which could have jeopardized the end of the season. However, the cool spring restored the balance, avoiding any adverse consequences. Some regions, including Bordeaux, were particularly hard hit by frost, requiring protective measures such as lighting fires in the vines. Fortunately, these efforts preserved the vineyards, and normal flowering was able to take place. The next challenge was the summer heat, but nature played its part by bringing welcome rain. This provided a breath of fresh air and added vitality to the grapes, favoring a quality harvest for the 2019 vintage. 

A complicated 2013 vintage

The 2013 vintage in France was marked by capricious weather conditions, prompting much criticism even before the wines were bottled. However, it's important not to jump to conclusions. Although most French vineyards were affected by a difficult winter and spring, the results were not disastrous, and there were even some pleasant surprises. The real disasters occurred among some winegrowers, notably in Bordeaux and Burgundy, where violent hailstorms led to crop losses ranging from 30% to 80% in June and July 2013. 

Wine quality on the rise

Today, we are gradually witnessing a uniform improvement in wine quality in each of our French regions. Indeed, nowadays, it's rare to find truly mediocre wines, thanks to the constant improvement in winemaking know-how. Despite the difficult climatic conditions of certain winters, overly mild springs or overly dry summers: French winemakers are proving their talent by producing delicious, quality wines.