1972 WINE GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 1972

Visit Vintage 1972 is a year close to your heart? Is it a birth year, a wedding year or any other symbol that makes you want to offer or drink a wine from this year? Let us decipher the vintage for you, to help you buy the bottle that best suits your needs.

> Our wines from 1972 in stock

 

 

 

Vintage 1972 in BORDEAUX

We don't have any good news for you on the 1972 vintage. This vintage did not benefit from the right weather conditions to produce a great wine. We believe that, apart from the very, very great châteaux, the wines of this vintage have become difficult to enjoy. 

The start of the vegetative cycle didn't get off to a good start with cloudy, even rainy weather, and flowering was already behind schedule. July was cloudy and cool, not making it easy for the Merlots and Cabernets. Worse still, hail at the beginning of August added further stress to the vignerons and once again slowed down the development of the grape logs. September brought hot, dry weather, but it was too late to make up for lost time. The wines of this vintage are among the worst of the decade... Rich in acidity, this will enable them to hold their substance over time, but the thinness of their juice, lacking volume, fruit and complexity, will not allow them to be enjoyed properly after twenty years or so. As you can see, there were no great successes that year. However, if we had to single out one appellation that stood out from the crowd, it would be the wines of Margaux.
Their light soils, in particular, enabled better water drainage and greater heat absorption. Château Giscours and Rausan-Ségla are among Bordeaux's finest red wines of the 1972 vintage. The Graves wines are also a notch above the others, with the same style of soils as in Margaux. La Mission-Haut-Brion shows more density than its peers. 

The same is true of white wines. The difficult, cold and cloudy year will not allow the production of great ageing wines. 

 

Vintage 1972 in BOURGOGNE

The 1972 vintage is proof that in the 70's, all French wines were going to be subject to the law of Bordeaux wine. If the vintage was of poor quality in Bordeaux, then the international press would label all French wines as poor quality. However, a closer look at Burgundy wines reveals that they are of very high quality. The 1972 vintage is underestimated, whereas the red wines have turned out to be the big surprise of the last two decades. That year's summer was relatively cool, lacking sunshine, but without heavy rainfall. It was not possible to reach the level of grape ripeness expected at this time of year. A hot September allowed the grapes to catch up. The result is ripe grapes with high acidity and good concentration. At first sight, the vintage was difficult to taste. It came after a very flattering 1971, and was unable to develop its full complexity. But as time went by, the 1972 wines evolved smoothly and evenly, producing wines of the highest quality. It's difficult, if not impossible, to find Burgundy wines from this vintage these days. Perhaps at auction. If that's the case, don't hesitate to snap them up - you're sure to find some pleasant surprises. 

While this description of the 1972 vintage is rather flattering, it unfortunately only applies to red wines. The white wines in the Tonnerrois region failed to reach the maturity required to produce top-quality whites. Further south in the Côte d'Or, the wines have been heavily chaptalized: they seem sweet, thick and unbalanced.

 

Vintage 1972 in VALLÉE DU RHÔNE

Another region where the 1972 vintage will suffer from Bordeaux's poor image this year. 

Yes, 1972 was a fine vintage in the Rhône Valley. The weather was relatively similar to Burgundy, with a classic start to April, May and June, without too much sun. The vegetative cycle took shape with a slight delay, but nothing too major. Summer in the Rhône will then be a little less sunny than usual, although once again, the sun will be a little more present than north of Burgundy. The lack of sun, or at least less sun than usual, will enable the grapes to reach a nice ripeness, without being overly gorged with alcohol. Let's just say that for lovers of body-built, powerful and heavy wines, you'll have to pass on this one. If, on the other hand, you like finer, more delicate wines without sacrificing intense fruit, then the 1972 vintage would undoubtedly have been for you. Unfortunately, these days, the fruit has disappeared and been replaced by a lighter wine. Easier. 

If you had to choose an appellation or two from the region, we'd recommend the wines of Hermitage, an underrated appellation, very similar to Côtes-Rôties without its reputation. Then, the pleasant surprise comes from the wines of Cornas, often cited as a superb appellation, which in complicated years always manages to come out on top. Even further south, Châteauneuf du Pape wines are fine, fruity and supple. 

These days, it's also hard to find wines from this vintage... But we can only encourage you to buy them if you come across a good opportunity, but a little amateur advice: wines from the disappointing Côtes-Rôties appellation should be avoided.

 

Vintage 1972 in the REST OF FRANCE

With the exception of Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, 1972 was a mediocre vintage. 

In ChampagneIn fact, it was a disaster, as in addition to the complicated weather conditions that affected the ripeness of the Chardonnay grapes, the latter were to fall in October due to frost. A year to forget for many Champagne winegrowers.
The same observation in the Loire with wines that were often too acidic, lacking sunshine and concentration. With rain having made its appearance in the vineyards, rot had its share of the cake and attacked a good number of grapes. 

Finally with AlsaceRiesling and sylvaner, too often acidic and unbalanced, were also critically panned. A year to forget after an interesting 1971.

The best French wines of 1972

?  And we have three nuggets at the top of the French podium for the complicated year that is 1972! Here are the details:

 

• Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru 1972: 99/100 Parker

One of the legends of the vintage. A vintage of remarkable excellence, which was able to withstand the difficulties of this vintage. A near-perfect score for the Wine Advocate team!

 

• Domaine Gros Frère et Sœur Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru 1972: 95/100 Parker

This 1972 presents a spectacularly flamboyant, fragrant nose of herbs, cedar, smoked meats, oriental spices and sweet fruit. On the palate, the high acidity of the vintage is apparent. But wow! What extraordinary concentration, flavor and power. An underestimated year for some vineyards.

 

• Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes 1972: 95/100 Parker

This cuvée is a testament to the greatness of this vineyard and its namesake winemaker, Michel Lafarge. Deep garnet in color, the nose is rustic and a little ferrous, black plum mixed with blackcurrant leaf, but what freshness and crispness. The palate is
supported by rigid tannins that make it more like a Pommard. The fruit here is more black than red, infused with Japanese nori and tobacco. A fine year for this cuvée.

 

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