1963

1963 The biggest news from 1963 was the assassination of the US President Kennedy on November 22nd which thrust Lyndon Johnson into the role of president and the murder two days later of Lee Harvey Oswald by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. This was a difficult time to become president with the mounting troubles in Vietnam where the Viet Cong Guerrillas had now killed 80 American Advisers and the continued campaign for civil rights by the black community caused violent reactions from whites including Mississippi, Virginia and Alabama where the black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was arrested. Films included "The Birds" and "The Great Escape" and popular TV programmes "The Virginian" and "Lassie". ladies fashion clothes and hairstyles included fur boots and towering hair do's for evening wear. In music the beginning of Beatlemania after they release "I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" and "Meet the Beatles".

BURGUNDY / Light wines with pronounced acidity; the whites in particular have aged remarkably well. A warm spring allowed regular flowering which ended at the beginning of July, but a wet and cold summer diminished all hopes of a very good vintage. While the beginning of September was dry, the rest of the month was unsettled and foggy. The harvest of the reds had to be very selective because many grapes were affected by rot. Estates concerned about quality, carefully pruned and waiting for the arrival of good weather, produce good wines, the Grand and Premier Cru terroirs of Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne and Montrachet are the finest examples. The high acidity has kept these wines alive and they are currently showing their potential.

A hot, dry year with average rainfall in the growing season and a wet January and April produced some very good red wines tending towards a lighter style.

In 1963 there were 7,174 hectares of vines in the Barossa and 22,203 tonnes of wine grapes were crushed in that vintage.

A year of very low production in South Africa with only 60% of the yield in 1962. In the Barossa, hail and strong winds in the Eden Valley-Springton region had a profound effect on fruit set.

Airbag presses were first introduced at Hardy’s Siegersdorf, offering an improvement in wine quality.

The first refrigeration was installed at Leo Buring – a 20-ton Werner ammonia compressor and a twin-tube Gasquet ultra-cooler. This replaced evaporative water sprays on the outside of steel shipping tanks as the only form of fermentation cooling.

Leo Buring won his first gold medals for Riesling at the Adelaide and Melbourne exhibitions.

Penfolds and the Australian Wine Research Institute have conducted malolactic fermentation trials in the fermentation and maturation of bulk red wine.

Declared by all the major Port houses, 1963 was a monumental vintage against which many others are now judged. Power, dimension and real character are all hallmarks of this most memorable vintage. And even after more than 45 years the best wines never fail to impress with their essential three components of fruit, tannin and elegance. 1963s almost always appear to be younger than they really are.

Bordeaux by Château Latour: Spring passed without problems and the foliage was vigorous at the end of May. June was hot and humid. The heat wave continued throughout July and August. However, August was slightly cooler and wetter. Veraison began on August 9. The grapes were huge and waterlogged. A dry September was essential. Unfortunately, it rained every day for the first two weeks and the rot spread quickly. The harvest took place from October 10 to 23, after the rains stopped. But there wasn't much left to choose from and the quality was seriously compromised.

Port Vintage Report: A classic vintage, intense and balanced, deep purple, fruity and with great aging capacity. “An apotheosis of Vintage”, as Chantal Lecouty said. Almost all producers declared their production. Great production. Normal winter and cold rainy spring, but with good weather during flowering. Hot and dry summer. He only watered just before the harvest. During the harvest (end of September), perfect weather, with very hot days and cool nights.

Declared by all the major port houses, 1963 was a monumental vintage by which many others are judged today. Power, dimension and real character are the characteristics of this most memorable vintage. And even after more than 45 years, the best wines never fail to impress with their three essential components: fruit, tannin and elegance. The 1963s almost always seem younger than they really are.