1967 WINE GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 1967

Is 1967 a year 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 this year? Let us help you decipher this vintage and find the right bottle to suit your needs.

> Our 1967 wines in stock

 

 

• Vintage 1967 in BORDEAUX

The 1967 vintage will not follow in the footsteps of such fine vintages of the decade as 1961, 1964 and 1966. But neither will it be one of the very bad vintages of the 1960s. We can therefore say that, as a general rule, this 1967 vintage is a Bordeaux standard which, for the best wine bargain hunters, represents very good value for money. It has to be said that after a very good and over-rated '66, the prices of a lesser vintage go down. And this was the case, despite the fact that some appellations and estates did rather well, even very well, in this vintage.

If we look at this year's weather, it wasn't exactly ideal. The end of winter was good, and the good months of April and May enabled the vines to develop perfectly. On the other hand, the grape ripening period was more delicate. June, July and August were sunny and warm, which augured well for a great vintage. But September dashed all hopes, as rain set in, which wasn't exactly good news. The harvest, which had been postponed as long as possible, didn't get off to the best start, as it was raining and a little diluted. The lack of ripe grapes will force growers to chaptalize (add sugar to improve concentration and alcohol content), but this may not be enough.

For red wines, the appellations that fare best are those with the highest proportion of Merlot. This grape variety, which matures earlier than the Cabernet, will have reached maturity more quickly, thus avoiding rainy harvests. The wines of Graves, Pomerol and Saint-Emilion fared best. For the most supple, they were enjoyed in their youth, after 3-5 years of cellaring. For the best-worked, and here we're thinking of Petrus, Trotanoy, Cheval Blanc or even Haut-BrionThe wines were tasted after quite a few years. As far as the red wines are concerned, we have quite a few to choose from for the 1967 vintage. If we had to choose one to really understand the 1967 vintage, it would surely be the Château Troplong Mondot 1967 1er Grand Cru Classé B de Saint-Emilion. It is the perfect expression of its terroir.

White wines are not to be outdone in this vintage. The Pessac-Léognan wines are quite good, but we're going to focus on the sweet white wines, which are excellent. September's humidity allowed Botrytis to develop, and the late-harvested grapes reached perfect ripeness before the harvest. Two châteaux really stand out in this vintage. They are Château Yquem and Château Suduiraut 19671er grand cru classé de Sauternesthat we have in stock. A pure marvel. Obviously, the wine no longer has the exotic, apricot aromas of its youth. But its richness and creaminess are still there.

 

• Vintage 1967 in BOURGOGNE

The 1967 vintage was hardly better in Burgundy than in the rest of France. The 1967 vintage was just as bad as the rest of the vineyards. After a superb start, with a good spring and early summer, rain set in during September. Rot also made its presence felt in the vineyard, giving some wines a rotten taste. Then the rain intensified, and the winegrowers had to harvest with it, which didn't help the mediocre quality of the harvest. The grapes were under-ripe due to the lack of sunshine in September, and diluted by the waterlogging caused by the rain. It will therefore be no mean feat for the winemakers to produce a decent wine. However, some on the Côte de Nuit have managed to produce good quality reds.

This is the case of the'Echezeaux from Domaine Mongeard Mugneret who proposed a high-flying Grand Cru de Bourgogne. We still have one last bottle, but it must have very soft tannins.

White wines are reputed to be better than reds in this 1967 vintage. And even though climatic conditions were virtually the same as for the reds, the chardonnay, which was a little earlier than the pinot noir, was able to be harvested a little earlier. Winemakers who succeeded in producing parcel wines from their best Chardonnays can now look forward to a high-quality white wine. It's worth noting that the Chablisien vineyards benefited from a more forgiving climate than the rest of Burgundy as far as rain is concerned, and growers will have harvested relatively healthy grapes.

 

• Vintage 1967 in the rest of France

Wine lovers often think, wrongly, that if the vintage is bad in Bordeaux and Burgundy, it's the same for the rest of France's vineyards. But for the 1967 vintage, the wines of the Rhône Valley prove the contrary and produce magnificent wines. All the appellations will be very pretty, complete and complex. If we had to pick one appellation that stands out in this vintage, it would obviously be the wines of Châteauneuf-du-pape. Powerful, with tight tannins in their youth and accompanied by beautiful acidity. A perfect alchemy that only great vintages can offer.

In ChampagneIt was a very difficult year, with spring frosts and rain during the harvest producing wines that lacked structure, but had an interesting aromatic palette. The 1967 Champagne grapes will therefore be found in the blends.

As with the sweet Bordeaux wines, the sweet wines from Loire have come out on top. These include Coteaux du Layon and Bonnezeaux, which boast good acidity and concentration.

 

The best French wines of 1967

?  And we have two legends at the top of the French podium for 1967! We're talking about two of Bordeaux's most famous winegrowers, but in two very different styles!

•  Petrus 1967: 99/100 Parker

• Yquem 1967: 99/100 Parker

 

> The best 1967 wines in stock!