Is the 1986 vintage a good year? Wine Reviews

Here's our review of the 1986 vintage for the French vineyards. Let's take a look at all the major wine-growing regions! An interesting vintage for lovers of great wines. Find out more about our great finds from wines of the year 1986 on the site and 100% in stock :

> 1986 Grands Crus in stock

 

• Vintage 1986 in BORDEAUX

The 1986 vintage is a vintage for wine lovers. It's a vintage of great quality, with very ripe grapes, and one that required the Châteaux to make decisions in order to extract the best from their estates. It was also one of the most prolific vintages of the 80s, with very high yields throughout the vineyard. It has to be said that everything went smoothly for all the Châteaux during the vegetative cycle. April was ideal for good, even flowering, then May and June followed suit with clement weather to kick-start flowering and veraison. In the end, winegrowers enjoyed a quiet "vacation", as even July and August passed off without a hitch. September was very dry and hot, ideal for ripening grapes. The weather could even have turned catastrophic if the heat had lasted, but fortunately a shower arrived between September 14 and 15, helping the grapes to ripen and reducing the risk of drought. This rain was welcomed by the winegrowers, who had feared that they wouldn't have enough water and that the grapes would have stopped ripening. But the rains didn't stop there, and on September 23, a heavy thunderstorm hit part of the vineyard. Bordeaux, Graves and the right bank, Pomerol and Saint-Émilion will experience the wrath of Mother Nature. The crazy thing about this storm is that it's very localized. That's why the northern vineyards of the Médoc, in other words Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Margaux will avoid the raindrops. Unfortunately, not everyone can say the same, and the Merlots on the right bank will take on water and swell a little. And that's where it gets interesting. Depending on the date of harvest by the Châteaux, the grapes harvested will be more or less diluted. In fact, the greatest wines of the 1986 vintage are those that were harvested within a fortnight of the violent storm. Châteaux that decided to harvest later (after October 6th) will produce wines of magnificent depth and complexity. As you will understand, 1986 is the vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. That's why the very powerful, rich wines are wines you'll need to wait several years to enjoy in the best possible conditions. The greatest Bordeaux wines of 1986 are undoubtedly Château Margaux and Château Mouton Rothschild, which come out of the tastings with flying colors. And for the time being, we still have Mouton Rothschild in stock. So yes, the price of the bottle isn't cheap, but it's perfectly representative of the 1986 vintage. The 1986 vintage is full of superb bottles, so we invite you to take a look at the references we offer, and indulge yourself according to the appellation you like.

• Vintage 1986 in BOURGOGNE

To drink good bottles of 1986, you'll have to pay close attention to the work done in the vineyard and the cellars. It has to be said that the weather was not necessarily kind. Things had got off to a good start with a very normal veraison and flowering. Rather homogeneous and balanced. During the summer, however, the weather took a turn for the worse, with several periods of rain. This diluted the grapes, swelling them. Even if the rains came late, the winemakers who waited the longest were not rewarded this time. The quality of the juice will now depend on how the grapes are managed and how decisions are made. Let's just say that for the worst winegrowers, the decision to seek volume, attracted by the lure of profit, their wines will be light, acidic and lacking in fruit. However, some owners have succeeded in producing fine wines. They are based mainly in northern Burgundy, more specifically in the Côte de Nuits. A little more conscientious in their work, grape sorting will be more drastic, and volumes lower, but the payoff is worth it. The wines are more concentrated and won't have a hint of rot. Burgundy wines from 1986 are at their peak nowadays, or even a little past their prime, so it may be worth tasting them quickly to be sure of their staying power.

For white wines, 1986 is considered a miracle vintage. Due to the difficult weather conditions at the end of summer, the grapes, which had reached near-ripeness, generated rain. This brought good acidity to the white wines, but sometimes a little too much dilution. Some grapes were even affected by botrytis (noble rot), resulting in fatness and an explosion of aromas. The 1986 vintage is remarkable for Chablis wines, but will be magnificent for prestigious appellations such as Meursault, Puligny Montrachetor Pouilly-Fuissé.

 

• The 1986 VALLÉE-DU-RHÔNE Vintage

The 1986 vintage was a difficult one for the Vallée-du-Rhône. It has to be said that the rain that fell between the end of August and the beginning of September didn't make things any easier. Then, the rest of the month went well, with plenty of sunshine and harvests taking place in healthy conditions. So far, so good. The winemakers have been able to carry out good vinifications to produce rich, very fruity juices. When the wines were released, they were rather fruity and rich in flavor, with very present tannins. Nowadays, you have to choose rich appellations with concentrated juices to be sure of volume on the palate.

   

• Vintage 1986 in the REST OF FRANCE

1986 was a very complicated year just about everywhere in France. And the characteristics of the wines are relatively similar.

In the Loire for example, the sweet, gourmet wines will be of excellent quality. Botrytis has developed very well, and the sunny weather in October has enabled it to do so. For the reds, Cabernet grapes lacking in maturity will come out hard.

In Alsacevintage is complicated to understand. Some winemakers will produce wines that are acidic and lacking in aroma, while others will succeed in producing wines that are interesting and rich in flavor. Once again, you have to choose carefully.