1999

The 1999 global wine harvest stands as a highly successful, abundant, and structurally opulent vintage across major European and New World regions, serving as a landmark finale to the 20th century. Characterized weather-wise by a warm, sunny growing season and a long autumn, 1999 yielded rich, generous fruit profiles supported by bright acidity and supple tannin structures.

In Burgundy (97/100), 1999 produced an immortal, bumper harvest of...

The 1999 Bordeaux harvest stands as an intriguing, warm, and highly heterogeneous vintage, defined by a humid, sunny growing season punctuated by a notorious August 11 hail storm in Saint-Émilion and localized late-September harvest rains that demanded meticulous vineyard selection. Properties on the Right Bank—particularly in Pomerol and unaffected sectors of Saint-Émilion—harvested early under warm, dry conditions, crafting plush, opulent, Merlot-driven reds with supple tannins and generous black fruit profiles. On the Left Bank, top châteaux in Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Graves—such as Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Margaux—used strict sorting and post-rain selection to deliver aromatic, medium-bodied, and elegantly balanced Cabernets characterized by early accessibility rather than massive structural weight. Over more than two decades of cellaring, the top 1999s evolved into polished, expressive classics, displaying open-knit tertiary aromas of ripe black plum, cassis, cigar box, graphite, damp earth, and dried tobacco leaf, with the best Right Bank and First Growth bottlings maintaining beautiful balance.

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.

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.

The 1999 California wine harvest stands as a classically structured, long-season vintage across Napa Valley, Sonoma, and the Santa Cruz Mountains, characterized by a cool spring that delayed budbreak, a brief July heat spike, and an extended, mild autumn that allowed winemakers to achieve extended hang-time. Reduced yields from cool spring conditions concentrated fruit flavor and retained firm natural acidity, yielding Cabernet Sauvignons defined by dark-fruited density, architectural mountain tannins, and a fresh, European-leaning structural balance. Benchmark producers—including Shafer (Hillside Select), Harlan Estate, Ridge Vineyards (Monte Bello), Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, and Dominus Estate—crafted deeply pigmented, concentrated wines that avoided the over-ripeness of warmer years. Over more than two decades of cellar evolution, top 1999 California Cabernets transformed into polished, expressive classics, displaying harmonious tertiary aromas of cassis, black cherry, graphite, dried sage, cedar, cigar box, and leather, backed by an enduring backbone of fresh acidity and integrated, fine-grained tannins.

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.

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.

The 1999 Portuguese harvest stands as a highly competent, fresh, and historically significant vintage—marking the modern dawn of premium unfortified Douro red wines alongside solid, elegant Vintage Port releases. Following a mild winter and warm early summer, late August heat accelerated sugar accumulation, though intermittent September rains required strategic picking windows across the Douro, Dão, and Bairrada. While major Port houses largely treated 1999 as a single-quinta or un-declared year following the landmark 1997 vintage—yielding fresh, fruit-forward bottlings like Quinta do Vesúvio and Quinta do Noval—the vintage proved a triumph for still dry reds. Pioneering producers, led by the newly formed Douro Boys movement (Barão de Vilar, Quinta do Vallado, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta Vale D. Maria, and Niepoort with Charme/Batuta), captured beautifully balanced Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca with intense blackberry profiles, slate minerality, and vibrant natural acidity. Over two decades of bottle age, top 1999 Portuguese reds have evolved gracefully, displaying tertiary nuances of crushed dried figs, dark chocolate, rockrose (cistus), eucalyptus, leather, and granite dust, sustained by fine-grained tannins and enduring structural freshness.

The 1999 Spanish wine harvest stands as a classically structured, fresh, and highly elegant vintage across Rioja and Ribera del Duero, characterized by a cool spring that moderated yields, a warm summer, and localized September rains that rewarded estates practicing meticulous vineyard sorting. Tempranillo and Garnacha achieved beautiful phenolic maturity alongside bright natural acidity, allowing top historic bodegas—including Vega Sicilia (Único), La Rioja Alta (890 and 904), CVNE (Imperial), Marqués de Murrieta (Castillo Ygay), and López de Heredia—to produce classic Reservas and Gran Reservas with excellent barrel potential and firm structural balance. Over more than two decades of cellar aging, these polished Spanish reds transformed into expressive tertiary masterpieces, exhibiting complex aromas of dried cherries, dill, leather, cigar box, dried citrus peel, sandalwood, and sweet tobacco, all framed by an enduring backbone of vibrant acidity and refined, fully integrated oak tannins.

The 1999 German wine harvest stands as an abundant, warm, and highly generous vintage across the Mosel, Saar, Ruwer, Nahe, and Rheingau, marked by an exceptional late summer that drove high natural sugars and lush fruit concentration. While heavy late-September rains diluted grape sugars and lowered natural acidity across over-cropped flatland sites, top producers on steep, slate-rich hillsides implemented rigorous selection to craft expressive, forward Rieslings. The cool microclimate of the Saar enjoyed its finest growing conditions in decades, producing majestic Spätlese and Auslese bottlings with crystalline clarity, while iconic estates—such as Joh. Jos. Prüm, Egon Müller, Dönnhoff, Dr. Loosen, and Weingut Robert Weil—excelled across classic Prädikat categories. Over more than two decades of cellaring, these rich, supple Rieslings have fully integrated their softer acid profiles, evolving into harmonious tertiary classics displaying expressive notes of candied citrus peel, dried apricot, petrol, honeycomb, wet slate, and beeswax.

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.

The 1999 Argentine wine harvest stands as a classically structured, dry, and highly concentrated vintage across Mendoza and Cafayate, rebounding triumphantly after the El Niño-plagued weather of 1998. Marked by a mild winter and a warm, dry summer, the growing season progressed smoothly with optimal sun exposure and zero major frost or Zonda wind interruptions, leading to an early harvest under pristine autumn skies. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon achieved full phenolic and skin maturity alongside sweet, velvety tannins and low-to-moderate potential sugars. Benchmark producers—led by Bodega Catena Zapata (Nicolás Catena Zapata and Estiba Reservada), Trapiche (Medalla), Bodegas Bianchi (Enzo Bianchi), and Achaval-Ferrer—crafted deeply pigmented, mouth-filling reds that captured vibrant varietal purity without heavy over-ripeness. Over more than two decades of bottle age, top-tier 1999 Argentine Malbecs and Bordeaux-style blends have evolved gracefully into elegant tertiary classics, displaying complex aromas of dried blackberries, crushed plum, cocoa powder, leather, sweet tobacco, and dried violet petals, backed by smooth, integrated tannins and enduring savory balance.

The 1999 South African harvest stands as a concentrated, ripe, and structured vintage across Stellenbosch, Paarl, and the wider Western Cape, shaped by an intense, late-summer heatwave preceding harvest that reduced yields and accelerated grape sugars. While the heat stress demanded rapid harvesting and precise cellar cooling to manage ferments, late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and indigenous Pinotage achieved exceptional skin maturity, dense phenolic extraction, and firm structural backbones. Iconic benchmark releases—such as Kanonkop (Paul Sauer and Estate Pinotage), Meerlust (Rubicon), Boekenhoutskloof, Klein Constantia, and Rust en Vrede—traded soft, fruit-forward charm for classic structure, deeper color extraction, and long-term cellaring potential. Over more than two decades of bottle age, top 1999 South African reds evolved into elegant tertiary classics, displaying complex notes of cassis, black plum, rooibos tea, dried fynbos scrub, smoke, dark chocolate, and graphite, supported by fine, integrated tannins and an enduring, savory mineral finish.

The 1999 Hungarian wine harvest stands as a historic, legendary vintage—widely celebrated as one of the greatest harvests in the modern history of Tokaj, alongside strong, balanced red productions in southern regions like Villány and Szekszárd. Defined weather-wise by an exceptionally warm summer followed by an extended, warm, and humid autumn, Tokaj experienced ideal conditions for Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), yielding exceptionally concentrated, shriveled Aszú berries with soaring natural sugar levels and searing, electric acidity. Renowned estates—such as István Szepsy, Royal Tokaji Company, Királyudvar, Disznókő, and Château Pajzos—produced reference-point Tokaji Aszú (5 and 6 Puttonyos), Aszú Eszencia, and rare Eszencia bottlings boasting extraordinary structural balance and decades of cellaring power. Over more than two decades of bottle age, these monumental 1999 sweet wines have evolved into unctuous, immortal masterpieces, offering dizzying layers of dried apricot, orange marmalade, acacia honey, beeswax, candied ginger, saffron, and crushed flint, all perfectly lifted by a vibrant, laser-focused backbone of acidity.

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.

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.