What Makes a Vintage Wine Good? Expert Guide

What makes a vintage wine worth cellaring starts with the year on the label. A vintage wine is made from grapes harvested in a single specified year. The growing season's climate significantly influences its quality. That matters most in regions at colder climatic limits of wine production. Some wines are produced to be drunk young. Superior vintages from prestigious producers often command higher prices. They are also expected to improve with age. However, the importance of vintage is open to dispute. Roman L. Weil, a professor at the University of Chicago, tested the hypothesis that experienced wine drinkers "cannot distinguish in blind tastings the wine of years rated high from those of years rated low, or, if they can, they do not agree with the vintage chart's preferences." He found that tasters could not distinguish between wines of good and bad vintages, except for Bordeaux wines. Even then, the match between tasters' individual assessments and the charts' rankings was "little better than tossing a coin," as he reported in 2001. Despite this, Weil suggests using vintage charts to identify good value. Wines from years considered worse than average may be priced below their actual quality.

What is a vintage wine?

A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. The term "vintage" itself was first used in the early 15th century. It was adapted from the Old French "vendange," meaning 'wine harvest,' which in turn derives from the Latin "vindemia" for 'grape-gathering,' according to the Oxford Dictionary.

The opposite of a vintage wine is a nonvintage wine, often labeled 'NV,' which is typically a blend from the produce of two or more years. Winemakers commonly use this practice to achieve a consistent style of wine year after year.

The proportion of grapes required to be from the stated vintage year varies by country. For example:

Region/Country	Minimum Same-Year Content
Chile	75%
South Africa	75%
Australia	85%
New Zealand	85%
European Union	85%
United States	85%
United States (AVA designated)	95%

In certain wines, such as Port wine, Port houses make and declare vintage Port only in their best years, where it can denote quality.

How does climate affect a vintage's quality?

Climate plays a crucial role in determining a vintage's quality. That is particularly true in regions at the colder climatic limits of wine production. In these areas, some seasons are much warmer. Those seasons produce riper grapes and better wine. A poor growing season can leave grapes short of optimal ripeness. The grape juice is then higher in acid and lower in sugar. That affects the quality of the resulting wine.

In many wine regions, especially in the New World, growing seasons are much more uniform. The systematic and controlled use of irrigation in dry regions also contributes to uniform vintages. However, such wines are regularly labeled by vintage due to consumer demand.

Bordeaux, a prominent wine region in southwest France, exemplifies the impact of climate and geography. The region's geological foundation is limestone. That gives a soil structure heavy in calcium. The Gironde estuary, along with its tributaries the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, irrigates the land. It also provides an Atlantic Climate. The concept of terroir is pivotal in Bordeaux wine production. Top estates aim to make terroir-driven wines that reflect their origin. The grapes often come from a single vineyard. The region's best vineyards sit on well-drained gravel soils. Those soils are frequently found near the Gironde river. An old adage in Bordeaux states that the best estates can "see the river" from their vineyards. You can explore the diverse terroirs of the region through our Bordeaux producer atlas.

The grapes used in Bordeaux wines also reflect climatic influences. For red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon typically dominates blends in the Médoc and the rest of the left bank of the Gironde estuary. For example, typical top-quality Left Bank blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Merlot. That combination is often referred to as the "Bordeaux blend." Conversely, Merlot tends to predominate in Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, and other right bank appellations. There, top-quality blends are typically 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

In response to climate change, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes as of July 2019: Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa. That approval covers only wines designated as Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérior, as reported by Wine-Searcher. Similarly, three new white grapes have also been permitted: Alvarinho, Petit Manseng, and Liliorila. Understanding these regional differences and historical vintage performance can be crucial, as seen in comparisons like Bordeaux 2013 vs 2010.

Are vintage charts reliable for assessing quality?

The importance assigned to vintage is both varied and disputed. Some wine columnists have questioned the reliability of vintage charts. Frank J. Prial of the New York Times declared the vintage chart to be "dead," writing that "winemakers of the world have rendered the vintage chart obsolete." Bill Marsano asserted that "winemakers now have the technology and skills to make good and even very good wines in undistinguished years." James Laube of Wine Spectator has also stated that "even an average vintage can yield some grand wines."

Roman L. Weil, co-chairman of the Oenonomy Society of the US and a professor at the University of Chicago, conducted blind tastings. They tested the controversial hypothesis that experienced wine drinkers "cannot distinguish in blind tastings the wine of years rated high from those of years rated low, or, if they can, they do not agree with the vintage chart's preferences." Weil used wines ranging from four to 17 years beyond their vintage with 240 wine drinkers. He found that the tasters could not distinguish between wines of good and bad vintages. Bordeaux wines were the exception. Even when a distinction could be made, the match between the tasters' individual assessments and the charts' rankings was "little better than tossing a coin." When these tests were replicated with wine experts, including French wine academics, the results were again "the same as chance," as Weil reported in 2001.

Despite these findings, Weil does not consider a vintage chart to be useless. He suggests using one to help "find good buys in wine," as wine made in years considered worse than average for vintages may be priced far below its actual quality. This approach can be valuable for those looking to make informed decisions for their fine wine investment portfolio. You can see the numbers on our live fine wine market index.

In Spain, wine regulators publish official classifications of each vintage. Those classifications provide a structured assessment. A common Bordelais saying also offers perspective: "The best vintage is the vintage we have to sell," as cited by Joshua Greene in Wine & Spirits.

How do storage conditions impact a wine's vintage potential?

Proper storage conditions are essential for preserving a wine's quality. They also let it develop its full vintage potential. Excessive storage temperatures will have a marked effect on the shelf life of bottled wine, according to AWRI Technical Note TN09. Marais observed the development of faulty flavors and decreasing overall quality after 12 months' storage of wine at 30°C in 1986. Temperatures exceeding 40°C will induce visual and sensory changes to a wine in only a matter of days, as Ough reported in 1986. In general, any storage place where the temperature exceeds 25°C for long periods and 40°C for short periods can affect wine quality, Ough stated in 1992. Amon and Simpson recommended in 1986 that bottled wine be stored with the cork in contact with the wine in a cool (15-20°C), dry location.

Exposure to temperatures significantly greater than ambient temperature may also result in leakage of wine or movement of cork stoppers due to thermal expansion. This physical damage does not necessarily imply that the quality of the wine has also been affected. But it will affect the appearance and therefore the marketability of the wine, AWRI Technical Note TN09 explains. Prolonged storage in a refrigerator is believed to affect wine quality adversely. The suspected cause is vibrations from the compressor. The Institute has been unable to find any literature on this subject. You can learn more about optimal conditions in our guide to storing wine.

Light exposure also has deleterious effects on wine quality. Wines may develop off flavors upon exposure to light. Those flavors are known as 'lightstruck' flavor or goûts de lumière. Maujean and Seguin demonstrated in 1983 that this flavor is due to the formation of volatile sulfur compounds. Those compounds are believed to derive from sulfur-containing amino acids like methionine and cysteine. Riboflavin (vitamin B2), present in low levels in musts and wines, undergoes photo-activation and subsequent reduction when exposed to light at wavelengths of 370 nm and 440 nm. The sulfur-containing amino acids may then be oxidized. That leads to the formation of these sulfur compounds responsible for the sensory off character, AWRI Technical Note TN09 reports.

Dozon and Noble's 1989 study exposed still and sparkling white wines, bottled in green glass, to light from fluorescent lamps. It found a statistically significant production of lightstruck flavor after 31.1 hours and 18 hours, respectively. The same wines stored in clear glass developed a statistically significant level of the off flavor much faster, after only 3.3 hours and 3.4 hours, respectively. Sensory assessment of these affected wines indicated a decrease in 'citrus' aromas and an increase in 'cooked cabbage,' 'corn,' 'wet wool/wet dog,' and 'soy/marmite' aromas.

The intensity of light sources matters significantly. Direct sunlight provides 4286 times the amount of UV-A radiation as a 36 W fluorescent lamp with an illuminance of 400 lux, according to Gordon Watson (pers. comm. cited in AWRI Technical Note TN09). Therefore, exposure of bottled wine to sunlight, such as in retail window displays, is likely to be more deleterious to wine quality than exposure to electric lighting systems. Light exposure can also exacerbate copper instability in susceptible white wines. The Institute notes that white wines containing a concentration of copper greater than approximately 0.5 mg/L are likely to be susceptible to copper haze. If the level is greater than this arbitrary limit, protection from exposure to light will only delay the inevitable. For more on how condition affects value, see our guide to wine ullage levels.

In view of these effects, wine should be stored under insulated or temperature-controlled conditions. Those conditions minimize fluctuations in both temperature and humidity, as stated in AWRI Technical Note TN09. The careful selection of glass color can also assist in preventing problems associated with light exposure. Rankine indicated in 1989 that amber glass is most effective in excluding wavelengths below about 450 nm. However, marketing concerns rather than technical ones often dictate the color of the glass selected. A disproportionately high number of investigations conducted at the Institute that identified copper instability as a cause of haze in white wines involved wines in clear glass bottles.

Bordeaux Wine Classifications

Bordeaux has several classifications. They help define the quality and style of wines from different parts of the region. These classifications are important for understanding the historical context and perceived quality of a vintage.

Classification	Scope
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855	Covers, with one exception, the red wines of the Médoc and the sweet wines of Sauternes-Barsac. Made at the request of Emperor Napoleon III for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, it ranked the wines into five categories according to price.
1955 Official Classification of St.-Émilion	Updated approximately once every ten years. Saint-Émilion AOC were classified into three categories, the highest being Premier Grand Cru Classé A.
1959 Official Classification of Graves	Initially classified in 1953 and revised in 1959.
Cru Bourgeois Classification	Began as an unofficial classification, came to enjoy official status and was last updated in 2003, then was annulled in 2007. A new list of Crus Bourgeois was unveiled in September 2010 as a recognition of quality, with a yearly reappraisal, and it is no longer a recognized classification.
Cru Artisan Classification	Recognized by the European Union in June 1994 and published on 11 January 2006, to be revised every 10 years. The initial list of 44 Cru Artisans was extended to 50 in 2012.

Not every part of the region is covered. There is no official classification applied to Pomerol, although some Pomerol wines, notably Château Pétrus and Château Le Pin, are often considered as being equivalent to the first growths of the 1855 classification, and often sell for even higher prices.