1978 Wine Guide | Vintage Notice

Here's a comprehensive guide to the success of the 1978 vintage for the French wine industry. Looking for a wine from that year? Find all the vintage details by region. You can also discover our range of 1978 wines on our website: 

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Vintage 1978 in BORDEAUX

The years follow each other, but they are not the same, not at all! 

1978 is considered by many critics to be the miracle vintage, the one we were most looking forward to, especially after the catastrophic start to the weather. From spring onwards, the weather in Bordeaux was cool and damp. A lot of rain fell on the vineyards in June, July and into mid-August. Many winegrowers were beginning to recall the very bad years of 1963 or even the previous year, 1977. However, around mid-August, a high-pressure system moved into the south of France and protected the entire vineyard. For 9 weeks, sunshine and warm weather helped the grapes to catch up on their late ripening. With the grapes behind schedule, the harvest took place at the beginning of October, in excellent conditions with hot, dry weather. A few intermittent light showers did make an appearance, but without much effect. Overall, 1979 was a very good vintage. The majority of appellations produced very fine wines, except those waiting for botrytis, which in the end did not come sufficiently. The Château Gruaud Larose is one of these great success stories. In its youth, the 1978 Gruaud Larose showed concentrated fruit and aromatic herbs. The tannins were present but well refined. Today, it's the more earthy aspect that stands out. The tannins have disappeared, but the wine is still interesting. 

 

Vintage 1978 in BOURGOGNE

1978 was a miracle year for both Bordeaux and Burgundy, with both vineyards enjoying a perfect, magnificent Indian summer, which enabled the Burgundians to make up all the lost ground caused by the difficult start to the year. Rain fell throughout June, July and August. In fact, we had to wait until the third week of August for the sun to show its face before it fully set in. No less than 9 full weeks remain over their heads. By harvest time, the Pinot Noir grapes entering the winery will all have reached maturity. The harvests will be good, even if some vines will not be picked, having accumulated too much backwardness to catch up completely and guarantee a first choice. And while the Pinot Noir grapes caused quite a stir among the winemakers, it was the Chardonnay grapes that were all the rage in the 1978 vintage. It's all the more legendary for the fact that the vintage was in short supply due to a very complicated flowering period caused by the cold weather and all the rain. It was not homogeneous and, above all, was late. And yet, thanks to this slow, gentle development, some superb grapes reached maturity. So slow, in fact, that some people wonder whether the grapes will ever reach their optimum level. Fear not, they did, and for almost all Burgundy whites. From Chablis to the Côte d'Or. The wines are rich, complex, mineral and beautifully pure. Their power and corpulence make them ideal for laying down for more than 20 years. So, yes, we're in 2021 and the wines are very old, but if you come across a white Burgundy from this vintage and you're certain of its ageing potential, you've got to give it a try!

 

Vintage 1978 in VALLÉE DU RHÔNE

There are years when being a winegrower is more like torture than a passionate profession, and even if you learn more and more through difficulty and mistakes, I think some winegrowers could do without it. Then, sometimes, there are miracle years, years in which all the needs of the grape and the vine go in the same direction. Such was the case with the 1978 vintage. The beginning of the year will be complicated, as in the previous two regions, but the 9 weeks of sunshine and warm weather will add an extra touch of soul to Rhône wines. It has to be said that the region's wines love sunshine and heatwaves. But what they love even more is to endure it, with ample water reserves to help maintain the plant's equilibrium. Syrah evolves very slowly, allowing it to develop remarkable concentration and finesse. In both North and South, this was a great vintage. Some even speak of an anthology vintage, comparable to 1945 in Bordeaux or 1982. The Côte-Rôtie appellation should be singled out for special mention for the 1978 vintage, which produced a high-flying, concentrated, highly aromatic vintage with, at the time, excellent cellaring potential. Further south, the flagship Châteauneuf du Pape appellation also enjoyed a magnificent vintage. Surely, when the grapes come in, it will be one of the greatest vintages ever. As further north, the grapes will evolve very slowly. The low volumes of Châteauneuf du Pape will enable the grapes to concentrate beautifully. Accompanied by robust tannins and incredible fruit, this 1978 vintage produced some truly magnificent wines.

Vintage 1978 in the REST OF FRANCE

We're going to be redundant in repeating that the 1978 vintage is a great vintage because of its late weather... This weather will make all the winegrowers in France happy, except those in Champagne who will only bring in average wines. Visit Loire, The wines are powerful, with generous fruit in their youth. Visit Alsace, Rieslings from great terroirs are fantastic. 

One thing's for sure. If you happen to come across a 1978, make sure you stop to pick it up and enjoy it!