Full review of the 1975 vintage | Guide vin

Is 1975 a vintage close to your heart? Is it a year of birth, a year of marriage or some other symbol that makes you want to offer or drink a wine from that year? Let us decipher this vintage for you, to help you buy the bottle that best suits your needs.

> The finest bottles of 1975 

 

• Vintage 1975 in BORDEAUX

Ahh, the 1975 vintage is a vintage like we love them. At last, a vintage of winemakers, where the know-how of the best winemakers will be put to the test to extract the best from the harvest. First of all, it's important to get into the winemakers' minds. The previous three years produced vintages of average quality, but with lots of juice and therefore lots of bottles. Sales of these vintages turned out to be average, and a large number of Bordeaux estates found themselves with stock in the bunkers. That's why most Châteaux directors decided to carry out fairly severe sorting on the 1975 vintage, which ensured the return of moderate and, above all, more concentrated juices, normally of better quality. Lucky were those who made this decision, for the weather during the 1975 vintage was just that. The months of April to June were normal, giving good, even flowering and veraison. The months from July to September were warm, guaranteeing good ripening for the vines. And although Mother Nature once again put the winegrowers to the test with a few localized thunderstorms, on the whole, no damage was incurred. 

Harvesting begins around the third week of September, and will continue under excellent conditions until mid-October. Then the work in the winery begins, and here the right decisions have to be made, because with abundant sunshine, severe sorting and green harvesting (to regulate vine yields) will produce more concentrated, harder grapes. A delicate vinification is therefore required, with enough wood to give character and interesting ageing potential, but without being too pronounced, at the risk of it lingering too long and causing the fruit to disappear. Quite a few winegrowers had their teeth knocked out by the 1975 vintage, which is why it's an amateur vintage for connoisseurs who, having carefully selected the wines to buy, will know how to wait for them, for the best ones, for around thirty years. All the appellations did superbly well in the 1975 vintage, but it's true that the wines of Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Emilion and especially Pomerol stand out from the crowd. 

We still have quite a few Bordeaux wines from the 1975 vintage for you to discover. Our favorite would certainly be the Ducru-Beaucaillou in magnumWe're delighted to be able to offer you this wine, because the container guarantees better storage conditions, and the wine itself is a great success. The Merlot delivers all its fruit, while the Cabernet-Sauvignon lends its power and tertiary aromas. For those with a sweet tooth, the Château Suduiraut will be perfect. Its amber color shows that the wine has evolved well, giving off aromas of candied fruit, jam and hints of sweet spices. A really good bottle.  

 

• The 1975 vintage in BOURGOGNE

In many ways, the 1975 vintage will be a vintage for connoisseurs and enthusiasts. While Bordeaux winemakers are celebrating because the vintage is a great success for them, Burgundy plot owners can't say the same. Whereas the 1972, 1973 and 1974 vintages were not of the highest quality, the 1975 vintage is even less so! The beginning of the year went well, with flowering and veraison coming to an end, quality was homogeneous, and no frost on the horizon. Unfortunately, it was rather the summer that failed to satisfy the winegrowers. First of all, a severe storm hit the vines from mid-August until the harvest. The grapes were waterlogged and terribly lacking in sugar and concentration. Then the rain and humidity caused rot to set in. Many estates had decided in 1974 not to bottle their wines, thus limiting the logistical costs of producing a more than average wine. Reluctantly, they decided to bottle the 1975 vintage, but they soon regretted it. Their wines turned out to be mostly insipid, light and very unbalanced. So let's be honest with you: if you see a Burgundy red from 1975, you might as well skip it, because this one will surely be over. 

The same can be said for the white wines of the Côte-d'Or, which produced light wines lacking in charm and aroma. However, and this is what gives the wine its charm, the 1975 vintage is exceptional for Chablisin northern Burgundy. The Tonnerrois avoided the stormy rains of mid-August and the grapes returned to the winery will be magnificent. Powerful, very aromatic, with good acidity to balance it all. It's hard to say whether Chablis from 1975 is still drinkable, but if you try your luck, go for the Grands Crus. You could be in for a pleasant surprise. 

 

• The 1975 Vintage in the VALLÉE DU RHÔNE

Unfortunately, there's not much to say about the wines of the Rhone Valley on this 1975 vintage. The region, like Burgundy, suffered very heavy rainfall and had to make do with waterlogged vines. The lack of heat generated rot in the vines. Many winemakers have decided not to bottle this year. Apart from the wines of Cornas, which are managing to fare a little better than the rest of the vineyard, the wines have surely passed their or we're writing this article in 2021. 

 

• Vintage 1975 in the REST OF FRANCE

The 1975 vintage will not go down in history. France was hit by a wave of storms and heavy rain that dashed all hopes of a great vintage.  

The only small consolation prize, Champagne which will succeed in producing good quality grapes. Complex, subtle and ripe, the wines of this vintage have great ageing potential.

In the Loire as in AlsaceThe wines suffered from the rain and excessive acidity caused by the grapes' lack of maturity.