1995

Bordeaux / An excellent year for both sides of the Gironde and just the vintage that Bordeaux needed after the rain affected vintages of the previous 4 years. A mild winter and early spring was followed by a dry, hot summer. It did rain in early September but the rain was less than in the previous 4 vintages and, crucially, there was perfect weather from September 20th through to October.

Quality is high across all levels and appellations, with the Merlot-dominated wines of St-Emilion andPomerol being particularly successful. The best wines are very ripe and display good concentration and structure.

A small crop of high quality for long ageing. As in 1985, the acidity in the white wines is hidden behind the ripe fruit. 

An early frost and cool June weather severely reduced the size of the 1995 crop. July and August were fine, dry and warm, but cooler conditions arrived in September, bringing showers and overcast skies. Fortunately the rains were more spread out and did not do as much damage as in 1994. The harvest took place in cooler but dry weather. Careful selection was essential. The 1995 wines showed great potential in barrel, the silky tannins and fine acidity giving the wines a soft mouthfeel. 

Very attractive white wines, with creamy structure balanced by fine-tuned acidity.

A welcome relief after some difficult years in the region. Quantity-wise, it was the seventh high-cropping year in a row. But, in 1995, the quality also excelled, and particularly so for Chardonnay. There were significant frost damages during the spring and the warm but wet weather in the summer ignited mildew and rot problems. The vines cropped heavily and rigorous vineyard work and selection during harvest led to best results. Harvest commenced on September 18th and yielded grapes of a fine balance of sugar and acidity. The vintage has turned out to be much better than first expected and it has emerged from the shadow of the much-hyped 1996. This vintage is marked by elegance of its inviting fruitiness, beautiful balance and slow-building finesse. Its greatest examples include Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires, Dom Pérignon (whole range), Louis Roederer Cristal and Cristal Rosé, Bollinger R.D, Krug Vintage and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne.

A year of weather extremes marked the 1995 vintage, which saw winter floods, spring rains and a June hailstorm. The dramatic weather events got the growing season off to a late start, and although summer heat pushed grapes to maturity, harvest was late and yields were down. Moderate Indian Summer temperatures permitted extended hang time for red varieties, important to the development of rich flavors and deep color. Overall, vintners characterized the year as late, light and luscious.

1995 marked the beginning of a series of strong vintages. Indeed, 1995 itself was a year that saw tribulations transformed into triumphs. Spring started off nicely with warm weather only to turn rainy during the blooming period, which effectively stopped fertilisation at its halfway point. An extremely hot July made a dramatic transition into a chilly August. Excess moisture also led to the spread of mold-related diseases. This moisture, however, was duly evaporated by the Indian summer that followed, thus saving the vintage. In Piedmont August hailstorms destroyed as much as 70% of plantations in some areas. Tuscany was spared from the hail and the hot topic of discussion that autumn was the 45-day stretch without rain just before the harvest.

Wines from this vintage are very long-lasting and still require further bottle maturation to reach their full potential. In my opinion, the Chianti Classicos should be drunk right now, even though they could do with a bit more maturation.

Burgundy Vintage by Leflaive: Following a very mild winter and a rainy spring, flowering for Chardonnay was early at the beginning of June. Cool temperatures at that time caused partial flowering and low yields (20-25 hl/ha). 
The fine weather and heat of the summer made up for the spring delay, enabling good ripening in August and September. 
Given the small volumes involved, the harvest went very quickly, starting on 25 September and continuing in sunshine for 5 days. 
The cool nights preserved the healthy state of the grapes. The wines are structured, solid and well constituted, with exceptional aromatic intensity. 

They will need waiting for, because the 1995 vintage is definitely among those Burgundian vintages with great wines for ageing.

1995 Rhône Vintage Report by Jaboulet  / An Indian summer follows the harvest. The autumn, however, begins with rain and at the end we drift towards a mix of hot and cold air, and we see the first frosts at the beginning of December.

The mild weather continues until January, when the temperature drops below zero, announcing the arrival of winter. At the end of January the rain falls and many areas are flooded. February is very mild (15°C), but the frost and the snow arrive at the end of the month. It is too mild a winter where we are, and wet as normal, as we have been spared the flooding.
1995 lacks a good frost to cleanse the earth.

Up to the 24th April we have cool nights and magnificent days : the drought makes itself felt.
In late April, the rain appears, on and off until May. The spring is too erratic; not enough rain at the beginning; lack of warmth at the end.
The summer is very hot; we can see crop failures in the vineyards. The rain comes back just before the harvest, then the fine weather returns. We harvest very healthy grapes, but in small quantities. 1995 will be a good vintage for both reds and whites. This wine will be much sought after.