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Jaboulet's Rhöne vintage report: The 1999 vintage will undoubtedly rank among the best wines of the last two decades.

After flowering a week earlier than in 1998, and in very favorable conditions, the vines suffered from climatic conditions during the summer period which required a fight against powdery mildew.
July was marked by a dry period during the first and last ten days of the month. The only significant rain occurred on the night of the 5th to the 6th. Temperatures were above average for the time of year, with maximum temperatures around 34 to 35°.
The wind was mainly from the north during this period.


The month of August was stormy during the second half, then a dry period set in, punctuated by several minor storms. The above-normal temperatures at the beginning of August fell under the influence of the Mistral (north wind).
September experienced very high temperatures (32°C) from the 10th to the 15th and ended with a strong storm on the 25th. The health and quality of the grapes were such that the storm of the 25th had no impact on the quality of the harvests. It started on September 14 with the Crozes 'Mule Blanche', followed by the whites from 'Domaine Roure', and ended with the Hermitage 'Chevalier de Stérimberg'. The harvesters, leaning on branches weighed down with golden grapes, had perfect climatic conditions.
Once the white grape harvest was finished, we continued with the red. This year, to go further in eliminating all traces of water, we tried to dry the vegetation by helicopter, as is done in Burgundy or in the Sauternes region. The test was very conclusive in terms of the number of diplomas obtained in the vat. The generous harvest (although hampered a little by the work at the start of the season on the vines) gives us a taste of the very good quality of our wines, with a rich and full body present in force in our whites. Red wines, like whites, were given a good acid-alcohol balance and the very first tank tastings gave a vision of red wines with an intensity of color perhaps never seen before.


I have the feeling that the 1999 vintage, red and white, rewarded the producer for all his work throughout the year.
The 1999 vintage is characterized by a paradox: exceptional quantity and quality!! Despite all the work done in the vines (heavy pruning, “green” harvests, thinning), even on the old vines on the upper slopes, the 1999 production was very high. This gave the wines a great richness of complexity and density. The white wines were difficult to press and the juice yield was quite low. They enjoy a nice acidity and they are “fat” in the mouth. The red wines have undergone a very long maceration and are therefore well colored and substantial wines. The well-dispersed but strong tannins give the wine great aging potential.

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Bordeaux

Bordeaux 1999/ The last year of the millennium was strange. The entire Bordeaux region had very good water reserves after a wet winter. Then, budburst in May under warm temperatures indicated a huge harvest. The weather became even warmer towards summer with some humidity. After early flowering at the end of May, storms made it difficult to pick berries. Then the heat wave followed with humidity and mildew problems in August. The weather changed to ideally dry and sunny well before harvest. Unfortunately, the harvest was largely spoiled by violent autumn storms with hail destroying the harvest of many vineyards on the Right Bank. The quality of the grapes in all regions remains at the same level despite the storms.

This vintage offered more than a hundred wines which are very pleasant at the moment. On the other hand, the fluctuation in quality between the wines was surprising.

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Burgundy

1999 VINTAGE in Burgundy

The last harvest of the century

Generous yields and exceptional quality for Burgundy's 1999 harvest

Burgundy, France, November 1999 ? The 1999 Burgundy wine harvest was as generous in terms of yield as it was exceptional in terms of quality. According to the Burgundy Wine Bureau (BIVB), the climatic conditions permitted, as happens only rarely, the number of grape bunches per plant to exceed the average of the last five years.

The harvest was marked by sunny conditions and record levels of maturity in the crop. Though there was rain in the last few days, well-tended vines yielded a promising harvest of grapes rich in sugar. Volume is expected to total around 1.5 million hectolitres, which is higher than 1998.

The first two weeks of September in Burgundy saw temperature records being broken and, as a result, well-ripened grapes. Sugars were at an average of 180 g/l (16.8g of sugar yields 1% alcohol) for the Chardonnay grapes, the highest average figure reached at the start of the harvest in the last ten years. In the Mâconnais, levels approached those of 1995 (an exceptional vintage). While the sugar level of the grapes in the Côte Chalonnaise left other years far behind, in the Yonne, it fell between that of 1995 and 1996.

The Pinot Noir grapes also experienced record levels of maturity. One vineyard in the Côte de Beaune yielded grapes with sugars at 230g/l at the beginning of September. In the Côte de Beaune, sugars reached 1995 levels, and in the Saône-et-Loire and Yonne records were broken as well. On average, sugar levels were 25g/l above those for 1988. The polyphenolic structure of the grapes (which determines the colour and structure of the wine) was excellent.

Every gourmet knows that the right balance between sweetness and acidity with food is crucial. The same is true of grapes. The sugar level determines the alcoholic strength of the wine while acidity is responsible for the perfect balance to give a wine its keeping qualities. It is clear that the high sugar levels seen in the grapes this year are matched by excellent levels of total acidity derived from the tartaric acid naturally present in the fruit. In the Pinot Noir grapes, average levels of tartaric acid, at around 7.5g/l, are higher than the average for the last ten years and close to those of 1991 and 1993. Equally, average total acidity in the Chardonnay grapes matches the average of the last decade.

 

From mid-September onwards Burgundy saw the return of rain, especially at night, and this upset the smooth progress of the harvest to some extent. However, the health of the grapes remained excellent and the rain had only limited effects on the quality of the crop, especially in the case of those growers who had the foresight and concern for quality which led them to carry out crop thinning or a green harvest earlier in the season.

At Domaine Latour the picking started on the 17th September with the vineyards in Beaune, the average sugar levels were 12.5% potential alcohol with some vineyards, including the Corton Charlemagne at 14%! Our harvest was finished by 27th thus we avoided much of the heavy rains.

The wines have now finished their alcoholic fermentation and will spend the next 18 months in barrel acquiring structure, flavour and complexity. 

Our two sister wineries in the Valley of the Ardéche and further south in the Var both reported an excellent crop of healthy ripe fruit. 

In the Ardéche isolated patches of spring frost and summer hail reduced our yield, leaving a small quantity of fully ripe and concentrated fruit. The two week harvest began on 2nd September under clear blue skies as the Chardonnay d?Ardéche came in at 13.2° whilst the Grand Ardéche easily made 13.5°. The wines have good rich fruitiness, and supportive acidity which gives excellent ageing potential to these well balanced young wines.

The Pinot Noir at Domaine de Valmoissine enjoyed an exceptional year with optimal levels of sun and rain throughout the growing season. The harvest began on 13th September, and lasted for 10 days. Whilst there was a little rain on the 8th day, all the fruit was harvested at 13.5°. This will be Valmoissines? best year yet, already the wines are showing ample richness, subtleness and a silky smoothness.

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Champagne

A difficult start to the year led to early budbreak. There were some damaging hailstorms in early May, but the frost ultimately stayed away. The summer was overall warm and thanks to the hot and dry August, the grapes looked promising for the harvest. However, a damp September challenged producers and dilution was an issue for some. The 1999 harvest that started on September 15th produced a large yield (12,989 kg/ha) of sweet grapes that resulted in soft wines, low in acidity, which produced Champagnes that, in many cases, miss linearity and structure. Voluptuous and enjoyable with ripe, fruity, even exotic characters but in most cases for the medium-term only, even if the best seem to be maturing better than initially expected. The red wines of the year were exceptional and resulted in some outstanding prestige cuvée rosés, such as Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé and Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé.

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California

In 1999, welcome spring rains reduced flower counts, decreasing the number of grape berries and increasing flavor concentration. Moderate summer temperatures allowed the vines to thrive and the fruit to ripen at a steady pace. A glorious Indian summer put the final touches of maturity on a fine harvest.

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Australia

Australia Vintage Report:1999 also had a dry winter in Australia, with average temperatures for all months. However, there were a considerable amount of drizzly days at harvest time, causing some headaches with varieties susceptible to Botrytis cluster rot, ie. Grenache. It cleared up and the wines produced were all closed and slightly below average intensity. They look better and better.

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Italia

Italy Vintage Report by Tb: 1999 continued the winning streak of exceptional vintages in Piedmont, Barolo and Barbaresco. This vintage was excellent in all respects, even if the heavy rainfall in August caused some mold problems in the plantations. Although the 1999s almost reached the same level as the 1995s, they did not match the excellence of 1996 and 1997.

In Tuscany, 1999 was an exceptionally warm year, although weather conditions were varied. Because the autumn rains did not arrive until after the harvest, a large percentage of Sangiovese grapes could be saved. In Tuscany, this vintage produced ripe and abundantly fruity wines. Many Chianti producers felt 1999 was a better year than 1997. The 1999s also offer the buyer better value than the high-priced 1997s.

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Vintage Report

Burgundy: The paradox of this vintage is that with such a large harvest the health of the grapes was excellent despite the Mildew attacks of early spring and that the phenolic maturity of the Pinot Noir is good to very good, for the Chardonnay it is more than 'acceptable.

The reds have a beautiful color and are well balanced, with ripe tannins and a good fruity character suggesting a good vintage for average longevity.

The Whites are crisp, with a small portion of malic acid resulting in a presence for rapid malolactic fermentation. The flavors are clean and fresh and the structure is good without being exceptional. The wines will generally be spoken ready to drink quite early. The harvest and character of the wine can be compared to 1979.

The fall of late 1998 was perfectly cold, January and February were milder than usual.

The spring started in late March through early April without significant frost damage. During the 6 to 7 weeks that followed, the rains and the cold caused strong mildew pressure on the vegetation and some additional treatments were necessary until June. Flowering took place at the beginning of June without any particular problem except for some light rain. From July to mid-August, little rain and sun, with more sun intensity for the second half of August. September saved this vintage with three weeks of perfect weather conditions, fresh northerly wind, cool temperatures and very intense sunshine.

 

 

DRC Burgundy Vintage Report: Words fail us when we try to describe the perfection of the grapes that passed through our sorting table in 1999! We have already seen some superb grapes over the last decade, in 1990 or 1996 for example, but this year, in our opinion, they surpass them all in finesse and ripeness. We were able to see many small grapes, "Millerandage", and, a sign of great years, the old vines, generally not very productive, gave this year a generous harvest of extremely fine grapes, sumptuous examples of the most beautiful Pinot Noir.

The history of a vintage is so rich, so rich, that it is not easy to define the most important factors, those which decided the course of events.

Once again, the scenario was disconcerting: who would have believed in spring with the rain falling every day and the threatening mold, with the grass growing in the vines without us being able to plow, that September 20 is that is to say very early in the season, we would harvest grapes which rank among the most beautiful of the century? !

It is precisely thanks to the exceptionally rainy spring that the vines were able to reserve enough water to get through, without suffering, the very hot and dry period that we experienced in Burgundy between August 15 and September 20. This subsequent balance allowed the leaves to fully function in their role as sugar producers and the grapes to ripen completely and harmoniously. This year we observed the almost miraculous combination of high sugar levels (very high degrees), good acidity (concentration in the berries) and perfectly healthy grapes. It is interesting to point out that the combination of these three factors in the same harvest only occurs very rarely.

 

Another exceptional phenomenon: the grapes which were just in the sun had “roasted” and contained concentrated sugar which was only released during fermentation. All the vats had a sort of natural “sweetening”, ending in higher degrees than the already high ones we noted at the start of fermentation.

In addition, although the grapes were in perfect health, we had a very selective harvest, leaving aside for a second the picking of overloaded vines or young ones that were recently replanted.

Only one regret: the good weather abandoned us after a few days of harvest and the rain disrupted the second part of it, but on the one hand the rain fell mainly during the night, which allowed us to harvest normally during the day, on the other hand they arrived too late to create an appreciable dilution.

Regarding the quantity, it is also exceptional: thanks to the beautiful setting of the clusters and the favorable conditions for flowering, the production is approximately the same as in 1990 or 1996.

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Champagne Vintage Report by Salon: :The most abundant grape harvest in the history of Champagne! One of the warmest years of the century! But, on the heels of a fairly mild winter and a warm early spring came a series of hailstorms. The weather settled and the Chardonnay grape flowers bloomed on 11 June – magnificent. Rain in early July and a surprise month of August: a cold spell and an eclipse of the moon on the 11th. The harvest promised to be splendid, started well but ended with rain. Production, which was already significant, increased further. However, some winegrowers were able to reduce the weight of the vines at the right time: as a result, the wines gained in alcohol content (an average of 10%) with a low level of acidity of 6.3% due to the heat of the summer and rain during picking. Powerful, profound, lively and complex wines.

 

 

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The best wines of the 1999 vintage

Name Tb Producer Location
1 La Turque 100 E.Guigal Rhône, France
2 Chambertin 100 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
3 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 100 Domaine Ponsot Burgundy, France
4 Richebourg 100 Maison Leroy Burgundy, France
5 Montrachet 100 Maison Leroy Burgundy, France
6 La Tâche 99 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
7 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 99 E.Guigal Rhône, France
8 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 99 E.Guigal Rhône, France
9 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 99 Henri Jayer Burgundy, France
10 Richebourg 99 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
11 Clos de la Roche 99 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
12 Maya 99 Dalla Valle Napa Valley, United States
13 La Landonne 99 Domaine Rostaing Rhône, France
14 Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde 99 Domaine Rostaing Rhône, France
15 Dom Pérignon P2 99 Moët & Chandon Champagne, France
16 Chambertin 99 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
17 Charmes-Chambertin 99 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
18 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 99 E.Guigal Rhône, France
19 Barolo Gran Bussia Riserva 99 Poderi Aldo Conterno Piedmont, Italy
20 Echezeaux 99 Henri Jayer Burgundy, France
21 Gevrey-Chambertin aux Combottes 99 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
22 Romanée Conti 98 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
23 Screaming Eagle 98 Screaming Eagle Napa Valley, United States
24 Richebourg 98 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
25 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 98 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
26 Chambertin Clos de Bèze 98 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
27 Corton-Charlemagne 98 Coche Dury Burgundy, France
28 Musigny 98 Domaine Georges Roumier Burgundy, France
29 Richebourg 98 Méo-Camuzet Burgundy, France
30 Meursault-Perrières 98 Coche Dury Burgundy, France
31 Clos de Tart 98 Mommessin Burgundy, France
32 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Araujo Estate Napa Valley, United States
33 Montrachet 98 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Burgundy, France
34 Musigny 98 Louis Jadot Burgundy, France
35 Chevalier-Montrachet 98 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
36 Cristal Vinothèque 98 Louis Roederer Champagne, France
37 Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet 98 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
38 Chambertin 98 Joseph Drouhin Burgundy, France
39 Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco 98 Azelia Piedmont, Italy
40 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana 98 Domenico Clerico Piedmont, Italy
41 Clos De Vougeot 98 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
42 Clos St-Denis Grand Cru 98 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
43 Charmes-Chambertin 98 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
44 Grüner Veltliner Vinothekfüllung Smaragd 98 Emmerich Knoll Wachau, Austria
45 Honivogl Grüner Veltliner 98 Franz Hirtzberger Wachau, Austria
46 Brokenwood Hermitage Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz 98 Graveyard Vineyards Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
47 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux 98 Emmanuel Rouget Burgundy, France
48 Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru 98 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
49 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque 98 Louis Roederer Champagne, France
50 Ermitage le Pavillon 98 M. Chapoutier Rhône, France
51 Ermitage L´Ermite 98 M. Chapoutier Rhône, France
52 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 98 Domaine Guy Roulot Burgundy, France
53 Corton-Charlemagne 98 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
54 Montrachet 97 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
55 Batard-Montrachet 97 Domaine Ramonet Burgundy, France
56 Chambertin 97 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
57 Redigaffi 97 Tua Rita Italy, Italy
58 Vieilles Vignes Françaises 97 Bollinger Champagne, France
59 Musigny 97 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Burgundy, France
60 Opus One 97 Opus One Napa Valley, United States
61 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Bryant Family Vineyard Napa Valley, United States
62 Hermitage 97 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Rhône, France
63 Montrachet 97 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
64 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge 97 Marcassin California, United States
65 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrieres 97 Domaine Guy Roulot Burgundy, France
66 Le Montrachet 97 Bouchard Père & Fils Burgundy, France
67 Hermitage 97 Tardieu-Laurent Rhône, France
68 Comtes de Champagne Rosé 97 Taittinger Champagne, France
69 Musigny 97 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
70 Batard-Montrachet 97 Domaine Michel Niellon Burgundy, France
71 Vintage Brut 97 Lanson Champagne, France
72 Grands-Echezeaux 97 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Burgundy, France
73 Barolo 97 Cantina Bartolo Mascarello Piedmont, Italy
74 Hermitage Blanc 97 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Rhône, France
75 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 97 Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
76 Mr. K. Semillon Vin de Paille 97 Sine Qua Non California, United States
77 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 97 Maison Leroy Burgundy, France
78 Singerriedel 97 Franz Hirtzberger Wachau, Austria
79 Belle Epoque Vinothèque 97 Perrier-Jouët Champagne, France
80 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 97 Billecart-Salmon Champagne, France
81 Chambertin 97 Bouchard Père & Fils Burgundy, France
82 Grand Vintage 97 Comtes de Dampierre Champagne, France
83 Chevalier-Montrachet 97 Domaine Étienne Sauzet Burgundy, France
84 La Romanée 97 Bouchard Père & Fils Burgundy, France
85 Nacional Vintage Port 97 Quinta do Noval Douro, Portugal
86 Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru 97 Domaine Stéphane Magnien Burgundy, France
87 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 97 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
88 Krug Clos du Mesnil 97 Krug Champagne, France
89 Château Ausone 97 Château Ausone Bordeaux, France
90 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 97 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Bordeaux, France
91 Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg 97 Georg Breuer Rheingau, Germany
92 Cristal 96 Louis Roederer Champagne, France
93 Harlan Estate 96 Harlan Estate Napa Valley, United States
94 Salon 96 Salon Champagne, France
95 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Shafer Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
96 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Lail Vineyards Napa Valley, United States
97 Montrachet 96 Domaine Ramonet Burgundy, France
98 d'Yquem 96 Château d'Yquem Bordeaux, France
99 Romanee Saint Vivant 96 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
100 Cheval Blanc 96 Château Cheval Blanc Bordeaux, France
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