Ten Years On: The 1991 Vintage
Following almost universal success in 1990, it is only natural that there would be many relative disappointments in 1991. Some regions, however, produced fabulous wines, exceeding the quality of the previous vintage. Without doubt the greatest successes were in California, the Northern Rhone and Iberia , but elsewhere some exceedingly good wines were made also.
The vintage was a difficult one for Bordeaux. A spring frost damaged the developing buds of many vines. As the vines recovered they threw out new buds, but as these were developing much later then usual this resulted in a delayed harvest – picking started well into September for the Merlot, and October for the Cabernet. Weather is an important factor with such a delay, and late September saw heavy rainfall. Many top estates declassified their entire crop. Those wines that were made are, generalising, made for early drinking.
In Burgundy there was also frost, with prolonged flowering caused by a generally cold spring, with much coulure and millerandage. A warm summer helped to bring along the development of the fruit. There was trouble with the odd hail-storm, but otherwise things progressed well until a late-September harvest. Not a great vintage, although many good red wines were produced. In the Rhone, as mentioned above, the conditions were excellent. Germany, Spain and Portugal all enjoyed a good vintage, with a number of Port houses choosing to declare, although a couple held out for the 1992 vintage instead.
Further afield California was also a success, as were parts of Australia. (4/12/01)
