How good are 1977 wines? Full review

Is 1977 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 that year? Here's our full review of this special year for the French wine industry.

>1977 Grands Crus in stock!

 

• Vintage 1977 in BORDEAUX

Well... We're sorry for anyone looking for Bordeaux from the 1977 vintage, but unfortunately, even if we still have a few bottles available, they're not going to be great to taste. It has to be said that the 1977 vintage is one of the worst, if not the worst vintage produced over the decade, and we'll go even further than the 1980s. So yes, that's how bad it is! Flowering went well, but already there was a lack of homogeneity. Then, late frosts dashed the hopes of right bank winegrowers of producing wines in quantity. Merlot, a slightly early variety, was hit hard by sub-zero temperatures and suffered heavy losses throughout the vineyard. Then, to make matters worse, a wet, cold summer completed the work of a poor vintage. The scant sunshine and warmth arrived just before the harvest and prevented the grapes from reaching sufficient maturity. As a result, the grapes returned to the winery sugar-free and immature. 

Finally Between a very small harvest and poor-quality grapes, nothing went right for our winegrower friends in the 1977 vintage. A few estates came out on top, but failed to win over the critics. Among these few "successes", we still have Château Gruaud-Larose 1977 or the Château Malescot-Saint-Exupéry 1977.

 

 

• Vintage 1977 in BOURGOGNE

1977 was not a catastrophic year throughout France. The winegrowers of Burgundy will have a little more luck, even if we have to admit that 1977 is not the vintage of the century either. The beginning of the vegetative cycle went rather well, without too many worries, without frost or disease. Summer, on the other hand, did not go well. Humidity and cold are good bedfellows, but in the wrong way... The grapes did not reach phenolic or organoleptic maturity. The red wines are light, fruity and round on the palate. The wines were good when young, but won't have enough character and substance to last over time. If, however, you venture to taste a wine from this vintage, it will be necessary to open the bottle just before tasting, and serve it in large glasses. 

Not everyone was badly off when it comes to the quality of the 1977 vintage. Winemakers who produced white wines will be delighted with this year. It's true that at the first tastings, critics weren't too keen on these wines, which were too acidic. Too much freshness, too much tension and a noticeable lack of fruit. Then, a few years later, the acidity diminished and the fruit came to coat this freshness, giving it another dimension. The texture, fatness and smoothness of the wines will stand out. Unfortunately, these medium-age wines can no longer be enjoyed today.  

  

 

• Vintage 1977 in the REST OF FRANCE

Generally speaking, the 1977 vintage will be average, or even bad for some regions. While Bordeaux was catastrophic, Burgundy saved the day. 

A little further south, in the Rhônesame observation. The wet, cold summer prevented the grapes from reaching the right level of ripeness to produce a good vintage. As a result, the wines produced will have good color, but be fruity and round. 

The Loire also had to put up with bad weather, producing fruity but green wines. Classic and good in their youth, but quickly fading. 

A small victory over France goes to the wines d'Alsace. But you have to be a connoisseur to buy the best terroirs, those that can withstand the rain the best. These will produce healthier, slightly riper grapes, less diluted. This will give rise to the production of very good Riesling-based Grands Crus, for example. 

Complete guides to French wine vintages