The wines of the 1971 vintage: Did they succeed?

Is 1971 an important year for you? Is it a year of birth, a year of marriage or any other symbol that makes you want to offer or drink a wine from this year? We'll help you decipher this vintage and find the right bottle for your needs.

> Our 1971 wines in stock!

 

• Vintage 1971 in BORDEAUX

When we talk about the 1971 vintage, we're talking about a two-speed vintage and, what's more, a vintage that follows a very prolific year of excellent quality. The spring of the 1971 vintage got off to a bad start. It was very wet, favoring mildew and coulure. Almost all the work on the vines, usually carried out by tractor, had to be done by hand, as the soil was so wet and impassable. Once these difficulties had been overcome and the flowering had taken place, the months of July and August unfolded in excellent conditions. The grapes were loaded with sugar and concentration from the blazing sun. For both red and white wines, the bad spring was no longer on our winemakers' minds. Autumn was also very good, with light rains that didn't cause any problems. Unfortunately, with so much rain at the start of the vegetative cycle, disease has taken hold in the vines and will cause a great deal of damage. The Merlot grapes are particularly hard hit by these climatic problems, and low yields are to be expected. All in all, no less than 40% less production will be recorded by Bordeaux winegrowers for this 1971 vintage.

However, a number of appellations have succeeded in producing some fine wines.

This is the case for red wines from Pomerol and Saint-Emilionwhich really stand out with their highly concentrated wines. Unfortunately, we have no more Right Bank wines to share with you about the 1971 vintage. 

Next come the appellations of Grave and MargauxIn addition to the above, we've also included a number of red wines that will produce quite complex and aromatic wineshttps://www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com/saint-emilionre. This time, we have Château Rauzan Gassies 1971, a Grand Cru Classé from 1985 in the Margaux appellation, for wine lovers wishing to discover this vintage.

We are also paying particular attention to the white wines of Sauternes and Barsac, which will produce some real jewels in this vintage. The prolonged late summer in the vineyards, combined with the already high humidity, will enable botrytis to develop well and be harvested in superb conditions. For those curious about Sauternes wines over fifty years old, we still have Château Suduiraut, a Sauternes Grand Cru Classé, on sale. The sweetness has disappeared, replaced by notes of sweet spices and candied apricots.

 

• Vintage 1971 in BOURGOGNE

1971 was not a tender year for winegrowers. As always, having to adapt to climatic conditions, the best of them succeeded in producing wines of good quality, but which are nowadays difficult to buy because there is a good chance of getting a bad, rather than a good, surprise when you open the bottle (at the same time, wine is 50 years old...).

Despite average quality, prices for the 1971 vintage remained relatively high. This was due to the very low yields that winegrowers had to cope with. Spring did not get off to a good start, with lots of damp and cold. The lack of sunshine meant that flowering was poor and, above all, uneven across the vineyard. The sun came out during the summer, and the season was exceptional, with a hot July and a torrid August, but rain and hail caused further losses in the vineyards. September was very sunny, allowing the surviving grapes to concentrate in the sun. Just before this period, millerandage appeared, bringing a slightly "rotten" taste to the wines. Rest assured, after a few years in bottle, this organoleptic defect disappears.

Although all the great estates will have made a success of their 2013 vintage, it's hard to say which wine is still enjoyable today, and if you have a bottle of 1971 Burgundy, it's more likely to be kept for collectors rather than drunk.

The same applies to white wines. Juices of good overall quality, but very low yields. The millerandage which accentuates concentration suggests an imbalance with the acidity so important for white wines. Only Chablisien, spared from the disease, will produce whites that can be kept for twenty years or so.

 

• The 1971 Vintage in the VALLÉE DU RHÔNE

It's hard to find weather records for 1971 in the Rhône Valley. When it comes to tasting notes, however, it's easier said than done!

The 1971 vintage was generally inferior to the 1970 vintage. Due to the lack of sunshine and excessive rainfall in the vineyards, the winemakers were unable to get the most out of the vines. As a result, the grapes returned to the cellars a little less concentrated, fruitier and more supple. However, the wines of Côte-Rôtie wines do very well with a little ageing. The same goes for Hermitage appellation wines, which retain an expansive aromatic bouquet. Further south, the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape will be, in this 1971 vintage, a little rounder and fuller-bodied than in the previous year. It can be interesting to taste them to understand their wines and their terroirs, without having too much structure.

 

• Vintage 1971 in the rest of France

In ChampagneA magnificent vintage for the survivors. We say "survivors" because the vintage was so complicated. First hit by heavy frosts in April, then attacked by cold and color until the end of June, an exceptional month of July gave hope to the winegrowers before hail struck the vineyards at the end of the month. It was a disaster. The result was 150% less yield than the 1971 vintage. But where the grapes survived, they were magnificent, sun-drenched and very ripe.

L'Alsace is the second region in France to produce a great vintage. According to winegrowers' memories, 1971 is on a par with 1988 and 1990, two exceptional vintages. Although harvests were small in some areas, over a large part of the vineyard everything was ripe and harvested early. Rich, powerful and consistent, Alsace wines were undoubtedly one of the great success stories of the French wine industry in 1971.

 

The best wine of 1971

 

Domaine Ponsot - Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 1971

This wine is rated 100/100 by Parker!
Anticipated custody: 2016 - 2030
By Neal Martin in 2016: "The Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru 1971 is one of the best bottles of wine I have ever drunk. I don't think I can make it any clearer than that. To put that statement in perspective, this wine had the unenviable task of following a bottle of Romanée-Conti 1978. That evening, the Ponsot killed it. Without question. The wine is iridescent in the glass, just a slight tawny edge, but lively at the back. The bouquet is astonishing with crystalline kirsch, fresh strawberry, minerals and crushed rose petals, the tension and delineation otherworldly. It never degrades in the glass and even seems to grow in size. The palate is extraordinarily well-balanced, taut from the start thanks to its perfect acidity. The purity is breathtaking, unaffected by age, the apogee of Pinot Noir in all its unfettered glory. It finishes with notes of blood orange, maraschino cherry and minerals, then lingers on the palate for a ridiculous length of time, almost trying to make it go away. This wine convinced me that there are perfect wines, but that they are rare - perfection being reserved only for the most ethereal, profound and religious wine experiences, like this Clos de la Roche 1971. And now, I'll wipe away my tear and thank Jean-Marie Ponsot for creating this elixir. Tasted in December 2015."

 

> The best 1971 wines in stock on the site