1989

1989 / The year that changed the world

If you think you are sometimes spoiled for choice, consider the fate of an editor on the first weekend of June 1989. On the afternoon of Saturday, June 3, the state of Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's Supreme Leader, began to deteriorate rapidly. Just before midnight, Khomeini, 86, died, his death announced on the radio a few hours later. Tehran is 31 and a half hours behind Beijing, so just as crow...

Bordeaux: The 2nd in a trio of great vintages and which produced a large harvest of ripe, rich and fleshy wines which generally possess soft, silky tannins, accompanied by a high alcohol level. It was the hottest summer since 1949 and the harvest began on August 28, the earliest since 1893. The grapes were harvested in dry conditions, the only concern being that some acidity levels were low, which which has led to suggestions that some wines would not be suitable for long-term aging. Ten years later, these fears have proven to be largely unfounded, as the best wines are now showing extremely well, showing concentration and great complexity.

1989 VINTAGE in Burgundy

Weather conditions were exceptional which led to a notably early harvest with perfectly ripened grapes in both colours. The reds with their velvety tannins have a fine colour, showing softer more elegant tendencies than the 88?s. They make a wonderful choice to drink on a special occasion. The whites in general were very precocious; ripe, powerful, rich, generous and well rounded; most should already have been drunk but the Grand Crus are superb for drinking now and over the next few years.

As regards the style of the 1989's, we now have one or two general impressions. The white wines are of great class. The Chardonnay in Burgundy has produced wines with ripe, powerful aromas and rich, generous body tending, in certain cases, almost to unctuosity. Initial comparisons have been drawn with 1971 and perhaps 1964.

The ripening of the Pinot Noir crop was somewhat hindered in several areas by unexpectedly large quantities of second generation grapes and extremely dry conditions. The resulting natural sugar levels were slightly lower than the recent yardstick year, 1985, but the fruit was in perfect condition. Overall quality will be good to very good.

The red wines have fine, deep colour and quite vinous, concentrated fruity aromas. They are well constituted and round and should be capable of ageing well. Initial comparisons have been drawn with 1966 and 1979.

In the Beaujolais, the Gamay has yielded powerful, fleshy wines lacking perhaps the charm of textbook Beaujolais. The wines are reminiscent of the 1978's.

Champagne: A warm vintage, where simply charming wines were produced. However, there was not enough heat throughout the year. Spring frosts killed some of the shoots, reducing the harvest by 20%. The inflorescences were discontinued due to the exceptionally cold weather. This was followed by the maturation of the grapes in two phases. The first harvest was already made at the beginning of September and the second at the beginning of October. Overall, the result was a great harvest of good wines. The vintage has been compared to what others believe to be the legendary hot vintages of the century – 1947, 1959 and 1976. The wines are marked by rich essence, heavy taste, tropical fruitiness and softer acids. The vintage matures noticeably faster than 1988 and 1990, reaching its peak in the following 3 to 5 years.

Italy Vintage Report Tb: 1989 was a difficult and low-yielding year. Piedmont suffered a terrible ordeal in June when a hailstorm cut a swath through Barolo, destroying plantations. Some growers lost up to half of their crops, but Barolo and Barbaresco still managed to produce small, high-quality crops. This vintage is generally considered the best for red wine. In Tuscany, 1989 was one of the most variable on record. Some areas suffered from incessant rain, while others suffered from drought. Montalcino and Montepulciano are doing the best. Indeed, these wines are generally light and mature quickly.

Period report by Angelo Gaja: I believe that 1989 is a beautiful vintage. The vintage is not popular because 1989 was only good in Piedmont and mainly in the Langhe. It rained a lot in Italy in October and November. In Piedmont we had a cloudy period for almost two weeks. It rained in Cuneo, Switzerland, and partially in Asti. But not in the Langhe. We crossed our fingers. The sun returned after a fortnight and we had sunshine from October to early November. Perfectly ripe. The vintage was obscured in 1990, of course.