The importance of vintage, however, both varies and is disputed and may sometimes be exaggerated. For example, New York Times wine columnist Frank J. Prial declared the vintage chart to be dead, writing that “winemakers of the world have rendered the vintage chart obsolete” (Prial) and Bill Marsano wrote that “winemakers now have the technology and skills to make good and even very good wines in undistinguished years” (Marsano). The Wine Spectator's James Laube has asserted that "even an average vintage can yield some grand wines" (Laube).
Many things influence the quality of a vintage, but it's mostly the weather. Rain around harvest is disasterous as the extra water causes the grapes to swell and become weak and diluted. Dry weather is generally good, as it makes the fruit more concentrated (at the cost of lower yields, which are also good for quality). Rough starts (such as a cold spring) can reduce the yield. These things seem to have a perceptible influence on overall quality, although you'd have to drink a lot of wine to be able to make general pronouncements about a year.
History
The origins of vintage ratings can be traced to 1855, when an endeavor was made to rate the most highly respected wines of the time, those of Bordeaux. The ratings were based on the reputation of each wine and reflected their value at auction.
Structure
Wine vintage charts are often divided into sections according to regions that share both general climatic profile and soil composition. For example, all the wines from the Bordeaux region of France are grouped together since they share the same climate. These wines are then ordered according to each year in which they were produced.
Vintage charts also grade wines, scaling them with a certain number. The wine is given a grade based on its taste, aroma, balance and other qualities along a point scale. While some charts are based on a 100-point scale, others work with on a 10-point system.
Vintage Chart Links
Problems with Vintage Charts
Among those who publish Vintage Charts (The Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, Wine Enthusiast, etc.), they try, but are forced or choose to take short cuts by rating the vintage of an area so large as to make the choices meaningless. California is the best example. When rating California's Pinot Noir by vintage, they give separate ratings to only Carneros, Napa, Sonoma and Santa Barbara.
What is needed is a vintage chart for California that takes into account all of the microclimates. Thus, a useful chart for the North Coast would include the microclimates of Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, and the Anderson Valley. And not just Pinot Noirs, but also Cabernet Savignons or Chardonnays from these various regions.
Alternatives to Vintage Charts: Wine Competitions
Indy International Wine Competition
Oregon Wine Competition
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
San Diego International Wine Competition
San Antonio Express-News Wine Competition
Texas Open Wine Competition
Sydney International Wine Competition
|
A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown in a single specified year. In certain wines it can denote quality, as in Port, where Port houses make and declare "vintage" Port in their best years. From this tradition, a common, though incorrect, usage applies the term to any wine that is perceived to be particularly old or of a particularly high quality. 
