Rhone Vintage Chart: Understanding Its Limitations and

A single rhone vintage chart, undifferentiated across a whole region, can be misleading. Wine expert Roman L. Weil found that tasters could not distinguish between good and bad vintages for most wines, with Bordeaux being an exception. Frank J. Prial and James Laube have both questioned the utility of vintage charts. Prial states that "winemakers of the world have rendered the vintage chart obsolete", and Laube asserts that "even an average vintage can yield some grand wines". For complex regions, a single rating fails to capture the nuances of diverse microclimates, grape varieties, and winemaking styles. Instead of relying on broad generalizations, understanding the specific conditions of a vintage and its impact on particular sub-regions or producers is crucial. This approach allows you to identify "good buys in wine", as Weil suggests, by looking beyond general rankings to actual quality.

How useful are vintage charts for your collection?

The importance assigned to vintage is both varied and disputed. For wine produced in regions at the colder climatic limits of wine production, vintage can be very important. Some seasons will be much warmer and produce riper grapes and better wine. Conversely, a poor growing season can lead to grapes failing to reach optimal ripeness. The grape juice is then higher in acid and lower in sugar, which affects the quality of the resulting wine. However, 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.

Despite this, wines of superior vintages from prestigious producers and regions will often command much higher prices than those from average vintages. That gap widens if the wines are likely to improve further with age in the bottle. Some wines are only labeled with a vintage in better-than-average years to maintain their quality and reputation. The vast majority of wines exist to be drunk young and fresh, where a vintage usually matters less. However, it can still serve to protect consumers against buying a wine that will not improve with age and could be past its best.

Roman L. Weil is co-chairman of the Oenonomy Society of the US and a professor at the University of Chicago. He 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". Weil used wines ranging from four to 17 years beyond their vintage with 240 wine drinkers. He found that tasters could not distinguish between wines of good and bad vintages except for Bordeaux wines. 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. Weil then replicated the tests with wine experts, including French wine academics. The results were again the same as chance.

Weil does not consider a vintage chart to be useless. He suggests using one to help "find good buys in wine". Wine made in years considered worse than average for vintages can sell far below its actual quality. You can track the performance of your holdings against the broader market using our Live Fine Wine Market Index.

Why regional diversity matters for vintage assessments

A single vintage chart for a broad region may not capture the full picture due to significant internal variations. Consider the Bordeaux region, for example. We describe a vineyard area of 110,800 hectares, which makes it the second largest wine-growing area in France behind the Languedoc-Rousillon. More than 5,660 producers or châteaux across 65 appellations make Bordeaux wine.

The region owes its success in winemaking to an excellent environment for growing vines. A geological foundation of limestone leads to a soil structure heavy in calcium. The Gironde estuary, along with its tributaries the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, irrigates the land and provides an Atlantic Climate, also known as an oceanic climate. These rivers define major geographical subdivisions: "The right bank" around Libourne, Entre-Deux-Mers between the Dordogne and Garonne, and "The left bank" (Graves and Médoc) around Bordeaux itself.

The concept of terroir plays a pivotal role in Bordeaux wine production. Top estates aim to make terroir-driven wines from grapes collected from a single vineyard. The soil combines gravel, sandy stone, and clay. The best vineyards often sit on well-drained gravel soils near the Gironde river. An old adage in Bordeaux states that the best estates can "see the river" from their vineyards.

Grape varieties also differ significantly across Bordeaux. Red Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère. Cabernet Sauvignon typically dominates the blend in red wines from the Médoc and the rest of the left bank. Merlot tends to predominate in Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, and other right bank appellations. For instance, typical top-quality Châteaux blends on the left bank are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Merlot. Right bank blends are typically 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bordeaux holds that much internal diversity in climate, soil, and grape varieties. A comprehensive assessment of a vintage therefore often requires more granularity than a single score or rating. The Rhône also exhibits significant geographical and varietal differences. A single rhone vintage chart would similarly struggle to provide useful guidance for all its diverse wines, such as those from a producer like E. Guigal. You can explore regional differences further with our Bordeaux producer atlas.

Storing your wine: Beyond the vintage chart

Once you have acquired wines from a vintage you deem suitable for holding, proper storage is paramount to preserving their quality. Excessive storage temperatures will have a marked effect on the shelf life of bottled wine, as noted in AWRI Technical Note TN09. Marais (1986) stored wine at 30°C for 12 months. The result was the development of faulty flavours and decreasing overall quality. Temperatures in excess of 40°C will induce visual and sensory changes to a wine in only a matter of days, according to Ough (1986). Ough (1992) states a general rule. Any storage place where the temperature exceeds 25°C for long periods and 40°C for short periods can affect wine quality.

Amon and Simpson (1986) recommend a cool (15-20°C), dry location, with the cork in contact with the wine. Exposure to significantly high temperatures can lead to leakage of wine or movement of cork stoppers, through thermal expansion. Such physical damage does not necessarily imply a change in the wine's quality. It will certainly impact appearance and marketability. The AWRI has been unable to find literature on the subject. The belief is that prolonged storage of wine in a refrigerator could adversely affect wine quality, through vibrations from the compressor. For more details on maintaining your collection, consult our guide on how to store wine.

Light exposure also poses a threat to wine quality. Wines may develop "lightstruck" flavour (goûts de lumière) upon exposure to light, caused by the formation of volatile sulfur compounds, according to Maujean and Seguin (1983). Riboflavin (vitamin B2), present in low levels in musts and wines, undergoes photo-activation when exposed to light at wavelengths of 370 nm and 440 nm. Dozon and Noble (1989) found that still white wines in green glass developed lightstruck flavour after 31.1 hours of fluorescent lamp exposure. Sparkling white wines in green glass developed it after 18 hours. The same wines in clear glass developed a statistically significant level of off flavour after only 3.3 hours and 3.4 hours, respectively. Sensory assessment of these affected wines indicated a decrease in 'citrus' aromas. It also showed an increase in 'cooked cabbage', 'corn', 'wet wool/wet dog', and 'soy/marmite' aromas.

Direct sunlight provides 4286 times the UV-A radiation as a 36 W fluorescent lamp, as per Gordon Watson (pers. comm. in AWRI Technical Note TN09). Therefore, exposure of bottled wine to sunlight, such as in retail window displays, will likely be more deleterious to wine quality than exposure to electric lighting systems. Light exposure can also exacerbate copper instability in susceptible white wines. The AWRI recommends care with white wines containing a copper concentration greater than approximately 0.5 mg/L. They are likely to be susceptible to copper haze, and protection from light exposure will only delay the inevitable.

For ideal storage, the AWRI recommends insulated and/or temperature-controlled conditions that minimize fluctuations in both temperature and humidity. The careful selection of glass color can help prevent problems associated with light exposure. Rankine (1989) indicates that amber glass is most effective in excluding wavelengths below about 450 nm. The AWRI's investigations have found a disproportionately high number of copper instability cases in white wines stored in clear glass bottles. Understanding wine ullage levels is also crucial for assessing bottle condition and storage history.

Making informed decisions for your cellar

Whether you are considering a new acquisition or evaluating existing holdings, a nuanced approach to vintage assessment and meticulous attention to storage are key. A broad rhone vintage chart might offer a starting point. The true value lies in understanding the specific conditions of a vintage and how it impacts individual wines and producers. This detailed insight helps you make strategic decisions for both enjoyment and fine wine investment.

To make the most informed decisions for your collection, explore our fine wine market index.