The factors that interest most about wine are region and vintage. I find it incredible and challenging that a grape varietal once made in to a delicious wine can taste different depending on the geographical location in which the grapes is grown. This difference is not only limited to country and region as wines made from the same grapes by the same producer can often taste different depending on where they are planted within the vineyard. There are of course other contributing factors that influence the final flavour but location is a very important one.
I find the vintage equally as fascinating. Climate is extremely important when it comes to nurturing vines and growing quality grapes with which to make wine. Due to this, wine will always vary in quality depending on what has happened over the course of the year to affect the quality of the grape once it is ready to be picked. Other factors contribute to the final outcome but climate is very much the most influential. Many people, (rightly so) refuse to pay for wine if it is from a known poor vintage greatly affecting a producer’s livelihood. However if a top producer produces a great wine in a great year then it will become a collector’s item, reaching astronomic prices.
These two factors always greatly influence my decision making when it comes to purchasing wine, to drink and to add to our ever changing wine list. It is important to select wines that are from a good vintage. This can vary depending on region so it is always worth remembering that the growth of Chardonnay in 2009, for example, may have excelled in Burgundy but disappointed in California as vintages are not consistent across the world. Most importantly though, it is key to know when the wines will be ready to drink. This can be done by either knowing how each region performed that year and when it is likely that the wines will be drinking at their best. To further this and get more accuracy we can also source notes from producers to find out exactly how the wine has been made and when it will be best to drink. Burgundy and Bordeaux both performed very well in 2005, 2009 & 2010. This does not mean though that each wine from those vintages will be drinking well at around the same time. They are strong vintages so it is likely that they will be good regardless of when they are opened but to get them at their best it is worth doing extra research to find out when they will peak. For example some wines are made to be drunk young, within a few years of bottling, others need longer before they fully mature.
So if you are buying wine, know your regions, vintages and most importantly get to know how the producers want each of wines to be perceived.
Our current list is brimming with excellent wines that are all drinking extremely well, spanning many different vintages. We hope you enjoy them!
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