1976 Wine Guide | Vintage Reviews

Is 1976 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.

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• Vintage 1976 in BORDEAUX

After several difficult years for Bordeaux's winegrowers, they began to dream of producing the vintage of the century in 1976. It almost was, but as so often happens, Mother Nature decided otherwise. The beginning of the year went well. Temperatures didn't drop too low, and the vineyards didn't suffer frost or grape loss. Flowering and veraison also took place under the best possible conditions, foreshadowing a radiant summer full of hope. From June to September, the sun beat down hard on the Bordeaux vineyards. So strong, in fact, that the average recorded during this period had not been felt since 1945! Just as many winegrowers were announcing it as the vintage of the century, violent rains fell on the Bordeaux region between September 11 and 15, soaking the grapes in their wake. 

As a result, the harvest was large, but the grapes remained ripe. Mouthfeel was decent overall, with present tannins but relatively low acidity. These characteristics made the 1976 wines supple, round and very fruity. A delight to be enjoyed fairly young, but with, in retrospect, excellent ageing potential. Both banks are doing very well. The wines from the left bank are powerful and full-bodied, thanks to an early-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. On the right bank, the wines of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion will also benefit from the blazing summer sun, helping the Merlot grapes to reach their full aromatic potential. As far as sweet white wines are concerned, you can go for 1976 without hesitation. Noble rot developed well in the vineyards, and the wines of Sauternes and Barsac were opulent and complex.   

We still have a wide selection of wines from the 1976 vintage. If we were to recommend one to you, regardless of price, we'd have to recommend the Château Cheval Blanc 1976. The 36-hectare estate is unusual in that its main grape variety is not Merlot. This is unusual for Saint-Emilion. In warm vintages, this gives it extra soul. Well-ripened Cabernets give it character to balance with the fruit. Today, the wine is naturally highly evolved, but could surprise many with its finesse and staying power.  

The second château we are obliged to mention is Sauternes. Château Yquem 1976. A real gem, the 1976 vintage surprised many in its youth with its aromas of sweet spices, honey and exotic fruit. Very complex and long on the palate, it is one of the rare old vintages from the 1970s to reach its peak in 2021. 

 

• Vintage 1976 in BOURGOGNE

The 1976 vintage will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of winegrowers from Burgundy. As with Bordeaux, they expected to have in their hands grapes that would produce the vintage of the century, but this was not the case. This time, it wasn't because of the rain, but because the grapes developed too quickly, ripened far too early, and the skins were forced to thicken. As in much of France, the grapes will spend the spring and summer in the heat, or even under the hot sun, which won't help their balance. For red wines, Pinot Noir will be harvested in early September, in good conditions. But the thick skins prevented the grapes from developing properly, resulting in low juice levels and very low yields. The winemakers originally thought that the wines would be of a high standard. Fuller-bodied and richer than the great Burgundy years such as 1947 or 1964. However, after several tastings, we have to admit that this is not the case. The wines showed good balance, lovely fruit and firm tannins. Unfortunately, the tight tannins won't fall away as quickly as the fruit and acidity of the wines. This will create an imbalance.  

These days, it's hard to find a Burgundy red wine that still has substance. These are light, fine wines with notes of prune and kirch. 

For white wines, it wasn't a great year either. The Chardonnays reached maturity very, very early in the summer, and the winemakers had two choices. Either they decided to harvest their grapes earlier, at the risk of bringing in grapes that were green and therefore highly acidic, with a lack of flavor. Alternatively, they could wait for the Chardonnay grapes to reach full ripeness, but end up with wines overloaded with alcohol, lacking acidity and therefore no backbone. The latter will be pleasant when young, with "bodybuild" fruit, but have no future.  

 

• Vintage 1976 in the rest of France

The 1976 vintage was a great success in other regions of France. Although in Vallée du Rhône the vintage was very good, and the sun will give the wines the volume they need to be balanced and powerful without overdoing the alcohol. 

Next, wines from Loire are truly exceptional. Powerful, deep, some of the best estate wines can still easily be enjoyed today.

La champagne is also one of the wine-growing regions that benefited most from the 1976 vintage. The Chardonnays will have well-controlled acidity. For the fine houses, the 1976 vintage is one of their finest cuvées.