1999 Vintage Guide | Wine Reviews

Want to know more about the 1999 vintage for French wines? We share our opinions on the wines of this year 2019, a wine news not to be missed! Here's the complete guide to 1999 wines.

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• THE 1999 BORDEAUX VINTAGE

The 1999 vintage is a very difficult vintage to judge, as it varies greatly from one appellation to another and from one château to another.

As in previous years, the start of the vegetative cycle was looking good. A mild winter and good weather at the start of the year enabled a relatively rapid launch and smooth development. In April and May, temperatures were high, favoring good-quality flowering. The summer of 1999 was warm, without too much rain, and the grapes gradually evolved to reach a decent level of ripeness. However, the grapes needed a little more rain to reach full ripeness. No sooner said than done: rain is due to fall on the Bordeaux vineyards in mid-September. A good omen for completing the ripening process, but the rain still had to stop and allow the winemaker to harvest the grapes in good conditions. Unfortunately, the rain will continue to fall on the vines, starting to damage and dilute the grapes. The grapes will have to be harvested quickly! Properties with considerable resources will recruit a huge number of pickers to harvest as quickly as possible, like Lafite Rothschild, where over 350 people will harvest the 1999 vintage.

The 1999 vintage should therefore be treated with a pinch of salt, as it can be fabulous or very average, depending on the appellation and, above all, on the decisions taken by the châteaux' owners.

In the Médoc, wines with a good proportion of Cabernet do better, as do wines from the right bank that have harvested ripe Merlot at the right time.

For white wines, the dry wines of the Graves and Pessac-Léognan appellations proved interesting for their fine aromatic expression. As for sweet wines, the mid-September rains enabled botrytis to develop. Very aromatic, with an interesting freshness, these wines have good ageing potential.

For Bordeaux lovers, this is surely one of the finest success stories of the vintage! 

  

A few nuggets from Bordeaux this year: 

 

• Château Lafite Rothschild 1999rated 95/100 by Parker.

We're in the thick of it! Château Lafite Rothschild wines express their complexity and aromatic richness to perfection between 15 and 30 years.

 

• Château Pape Clément 1999rated 91/100 by Parker.

Here too, incomparable finesse is expressed (or almost, as the Château benefits from the same microclimate as Château Haut-Brion).

  

• Château Léoville Barton 1999 rated 91/100 by Parker.

A favorite that deserves to be recognized. A superb cru, Château Léoville Barton reveals the full richness of the Saint-Julien terroir.

> Discover our great Bordeaux wines 

 

• THE 1999 VINTAGE IN BURGUNDY

Burgundy's vineyards ended the 1990s on a high note with a 1999 vintage of excellent quality. As in Bordeaux, the summer was mild, and temperatures were high, allowing the vegetative cycle to unfold perfectly. Temperatures were very good, even above seasonal averages. The occasional rainfall did not bother the winegrowers in the slightest, with the exception of very heavy flower development, which led some estates to carry out a few green harvests in order to reduce the presence of bunches of grapes on the vines. Sanitary conditions during the harvest were perfect, and the winegrowers were able to bring in grapes in perfect condition. The Pinot Noir grapes are full-bodied and rich, and will produce full-bodied, powerful wines with excellent ageing potential. The same is true of the white wines, which will benefit from good acidity to complement the fatness already present. Everything you need to produce great white wines for laying down.

We have two wines that are representative of Burgundy wines.

In red, a Chambertin Grand Cru, Héritiers de Latour 1999.

A powerful grand cru with a very dense Pinot revealing notes of undergrowth and red fruit.

In White, a Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet by Louis Latour 1999a wine that will surprise you with its aromatic power, very mineral notes and floral nuances that are still present.

> Discover our great Burgundy wines

 

• THE 1999 VINTAGE IN THE RHONE VALLEY

In the Rhône Valley, 1999 was a good year for all vineyards.

However, the beginning of the year was not looking good, and on the contrary, it was going to put the nerves of the winegrowers to the test. Occasionally sunny and warm, then rainy and cold, the rollercoaster weather didn't please the winegrowers. But then, the weather conditions were almost perfect right up to the harvest. Summer was very hot and sunny, and the rains of mid-September did nothing to disturb the vines. In the north, all the appellations are successful. The wines are powerful and very rich. Once again, the Côte Rôtie appellation stands out for its aromatic complexity and that little something extra that makes its wines the emblem of the northern Rhône Valley. Further south, the weather will also be very good. The wines are just as powerful, generous and highly concentrated. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the leader, will produce some great wines in the 1999 vintage.

As for the white wines, both dry and sweet, they presented a fine aromatic palette and wines that were very rich in texture and taste.

We have some superb reds to offer you from the 1999 vintage.

Hermitage de Jean Louis Chave 1999rated 95/100 by Parker

Fine, delicate, with very expressive Syrah. Earthy, tobacco notes arrive slowly.

Château de Beaucastel 1999rated 91/100 by Parker

A rare Châteauneuf-du-Pape to benefit from all 13 grape varieties in the appellation. Grenache and Mourvèdre dominate, joining the other grape varieties after their respective fermentations.

> Discover the great Rhône wines

 

• THE 1999 VINTAGE IN THE REST OF FRANCE

It's hard to predict the 1999 vintage. It's going to be a year of sweat for the winegrowers, with a smart weather forecast offering a mild, dry winter, ideal for good vine development, but not enough sun everywhere in the vineyards, and above all rain in mid-September, the worst time for the estates.

In ChampagneThe start of the year was looking perfect, but heavy rain is going to spoil the party a little. The big houses are going to do what's necessary on their best plots to produce lovely juices. But overall, only Pinot Meunier will fare a little better, while the other grape varieties will be good, and above all in abundance due to the rains at harvest time. 

In the LoireThe wines are similar to those from Bordeaux, but with very different qualities. 

The warm start to the season will help the vines to develop, but the after-season rains will result in slightly diluted wines for winemakers who have harvested at the wrong time. 

Languedoc-Roussillon, is one of the regions that will fare best. Finally, for the estates that make it through, the wines will be powerful, rich and with good acidity, offering full ageing potential.

 

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