Full review on 1984 wines | Guide vin

Read our complete guide to the wines of 1984. It's a year our wine merchant had to tell you about! Find out more about each French wine region in this article.

> Our 1984 wines in stock

 

• Vintage 1984 in BORDEAUX

1984 is not a year that will be remembered by Bordeaux winegrowers. Except for the wrong reasons... However, everything had started well with a very sunny April, which gave the vegetative cycle vigor. Unfortunately, May proved difficult, cold and wet. As a result, the early flowering of the Merlot grapes was disastrous, and the harvest of this variety was compromised. The 1984 vintage would therefore rest on the shoulders of the Cabernets. Critics were quick to draw conclusions about the catastrophic vintage that the winemakers had to face. However, July and August were hot and dry. A good point for the Cabernets, which will hopefully reach the ripeness needed to produce fine wines. But while September was decent, rather good, THE reason that will stay in people's memories occurred at the beginning of October. A cyclone, the first in the region, hit Bordeaux. A few grapes were lost, but nothing too serious, except for the immense anxiety felt by the winegrowers. Worried by the weather, some growers are going to harvest too early, at the risk of bringing in wines that are not sufficiently concentrated and difficult to make up for in the cellars. Let's be clear: the winemakers who harvested as late as possible will have produced the best wines. But one problem persists. The lack of Merlot will be felt in the wines. There's a lack of black fruit notes, velvetiness and balance on the fruit. Cabernets produce wines that are more tannic, powerful and closed. It will take years for them to open up, at the risk of never opening. 

Bad Merlot means a complicated harvest on Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. And this motto is confirmed by the 1984 vintage. Beautiful properties such as Ausone, Canon or La Dominique will even downgrade their harvest. 

In Bordeaux, we still have several very fine bottles. On Margauxwe have wines from Château Margaux as well as Brane Cantenac on the same appellation.    

 

• Vintage 1984 in BOURGOGNE

Burgundy winegrowers are to be pitied this decade. The vegetative cycle went well, without too many difficulties. July and August were cold, with lots of rain, which hampered the winemakers in their work. Rot will develop on the grapes, but the disease will be stopped by spraying to protect and cure the vines. With the lack of sunshine, the grapes won't reach the maturity they need. Winegrowers will therefore resort to chaptalization (adding sugar to help the grapes reach a sufficient degree of alcohol). But beware of abuse! Too much chaptalization will create an imbalance in the wine. When handled correctly - and chaptalization is commonplace throughout the world - it can be beneficial for the wine, as long as it can provide sufficient fruit and substance to balance it out. The Pinot Noirs in this vintage are soft, aromatic and quite greedy. But that won't be enough to produce great wines for laying down. The same applies to the white wines. Rain will dilute the grapes, and the lack of sunshine and too much freshness will not help them reach maturity. With all these complications, the wines will be acidic and light. The whites of the Côte d'Or are "not as bad" as those of the Chablis region, and will produce slightly fruity but light wines.  

 > Find all our Burgundy wines here.

 

• Vintage 1984 in VALLÉE DU RHÔNE

1984 was no exception for Rhone Valley wines in terms of quality. The weather was no better here than in the rest of France, and the winegrowers had a hard time producing wines that were pleasant to drink. The difficult weather conditions will make it difficult for the grapes to reach full ripeness. Syrah, which loves the sun, will be sorely lacking in it, and won't produce all the concentration and spice we expect from it. In the northern Rhône Valley, the wines remain opulent, powerful and full of tannins that will be hard to forget. It can be interesting to taste Rhône wines today. Tannins have given way to grape expression. So either the wine is very tired, and that's complicated, or it can be a pleasant surprise. The same applies to southern wines. On Châteauneuf du PapeThe summer and the month of September were wet and cold, and did not allow the grapes to reach sufficient ripeness. The winegrowers will wait as long as possible and harvest in October to get as much sun as possible for the grapes, but this will not be enough. Most of the 1984s should have been consumed a few years ago. 

 

• Vintage 1984 in the REST OF FRANCE

The 1984 vintage is no gift to the winegrowers of France. Very few will claim to have produced a great wine in this vintage. 

This is the case in Alsacewhere persistent rain and lack of sunlight prevent the grapes from ripening properly. 

Ditto in Loire with a vintage that was more than average in every respect. And let's not talk about the Champagne where the harvest will be catastrophic!