1981 Wine: 1981 Vintage Wine Guide

Guide des régions: is 1981 a good vintage?

Is the 1981 vintage close to your heart? Does it mean something to you? year of birtha 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 bottle that best suits your needs.

> Our 1981 wines in stock

 

• Vintage 1981 in BORDEAUX

Critics are often harsh when they talk about the 1981 Bordeaux vintage which, it has to be said, didn't have much luck. It could undoubtedly have been THE post-war vintage, had heavy rains not drowned the vineyards at the start of the harvest. It was also "unlucky" to be followed by two great vintages, especially with such a mature year as 1982. But back to 81. In Bordeaux, the vine cycle followed its course with great regularity and quality. Flowering went very well, in perfect conditions. July had been cool, and preceded August and September with perfect weather conditions, dry and warm, ideal for the grapes to load up with sugar and offer a rich, complex juice. So far, so good... Except that just before the harvest, between October 1 and 5, heavy rains flooded the vines. As a result, the grapes lost their ripeness and were diluted, and disease set in with its share of bunch losses. It's a real shame, because without this rain, the vintage could have been exceptional. As for dry whites, the year was relatively good, offering fruity whites of average intensity, but with relatively low ageing potential. On the other hand, unlike 1980, this time the 1981 vintage took its toll on the sweet wines of the Barsac and Sauternes regions. Although this year offered a hot summer and some rot, the rain made the wines lean, with less sugar and length. Some appellations still managed to produce interesting wines. Some of this year's best had an ageing potential of 10 years, and even 15 years for some. The Pomerol, Saint Julien and Pauillac appellations will be remembered as the best successes of this vintage.

• Vintage 1981 in BOURGOGNE

Pinot Noir was not spared by this complicated vintage either. Although, as in Bordeaux, the spring heralded a vintage of anthology with excellent flowering, the summer was more difficult and morale took a hit. July was cold, but August and the first two weeks of September gave us some hope, with hot weather and not a drop of water. Unfortunately, the rest of the year was less easy to deal with. Torrential rain and hail in the northern Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise disrupted the ripening of the grapes and the organization of the harvest. As a result, the grapes were either diluted or damaged by the rot that had developed. For these reasons, the 1981 vintage is not a good one for Pinot Noirs. The Bourgognes Blancs, on the other hand, did not suffer from this very capricious weather, and on the whole managed to reach a good level of ripeness. Although the harvest was not very abundant, it produced concentrated, well-structured grapes. Rich in acidity and alcohol, they had to wait a few years before opening up and appreciating. The vintage will therefore not be remembered for its short opening phases. As there must be exceptions to the rule, Côte de Beaune wines fared better, notably some fine estates in Meursault and Chassagne Montrachet.

• Vintage 1981 in VALLEE DU RHÔNE

It would be difficult to give a long description of this vintage as far as Rhône Valley wines are concerned. In the northern part, whether in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage or Saint Joseph, the red wines are thin, lacking in substance and complexity. The vintage did, however, reveal some fine red wines, such as the Guigal house or even Michel Ferraton. The same can be said for the wines from the southern part of the region, which were of poor quality. Once again, inclement weather got the better of the winegrowers, who worked hard to save their harvest.

Only one appellation has succeeded in producing great wines: the Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

And although the year began as a standard one, it turned out to be the second vintage of the decade, allowing the red wines to reach superb maturity and rich juiciness. Certain estates such as Beaucastel, Rayas and Pégau were the most successful. As for the white wines, you can't count on them to sparkle at a tasting. Almost all the wines will be light, without too much substance, and should be drunk young. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to enjoy a Rhône white from 1981 in this day and age.

• Vintage 1981 in the REST OF FRANCE

In the rest of France, the vintage was also complicated. Bad weather at the worst possible moment, just before the harvest, will almost always have diluted the grapes and caused rot.

However, there is one region that will have benefited from this weather. It is theAlsaceand more specifically 1981 Riesling. Firstly, because Alsatian vines are more resistant to cold, and this was the case at the beginning of the summer. Secondly, rainfall had less impact on vines than in the rest of France. As a result, Alsatian wines are doing very well, and offer great ageing potential. Visit 1981 Champagne We're also finding a fine vintage, but the wines are very rare as a large part of the vineyard was hit by a wave of frost. For the lucky ones who made it through the frost, they're offering long-lasting Chardonnays and powerful Pinot Noirs. For some houses, a legendary vintage. For Loire wines, on the other hand, it was a catastrophic vintage. Rain, frost, disease, nothing spared the estates, which will have very few bottles to offer, and what's more, of very average quality.

The best wine of 1981 according to the tasters

 

Here is the bottle of 1981 French wine according to the greatest tasters! And the best bottle of 1981 is addressed to : Château Margaux 1981 ! Rated 97/100 by Wine Spectator!

You can find the best wines of 1981 on the site. We advise you to choose a bottle of 1981 wine with a level consistent with its age. The 1981 wine labels are often slightly stained, but this is normal for an old vintage. Thank you for reading. Visit the greatest wines of 1981 on Comptoir des Millésimes :

> The best wines of 1981