Ten Years On: The 1992 Vintage
As vintages go, 1992 wasn’t a year of great success for much of Europe. In Bordeaux it was a fairly dismal year, although not quite as bad as the washout that was 1991. Burgundy produced some decent reds and whites from a huge crop, from the usual domaines, but the vintage does not have an exalted reputation. Neither was it a great success in the Rhône. In fact in much of Europe it was an unexciting vintage, with neither Spain nor Italy having great success. Germany, though, did produce a decent spread of wines. Where the quality did appear was in Portugal. Although it was a small crop, there were some excellent Vintage Ports and Single Quinta wines made, although not all houses declared, some opting for the 1991 vintage instead.
The New World enjoyed greater fortune than the Old this year. The crop in California was large, but quality was high, and these wines have endured well. The vintage wasn’t an overall success in the various regions of Australia, but there are still some wonderful wines. It was quite good in New Zealand, but at that time wines suitable for ten years in the cellar weren’t New Zealand’s forte. (11/12/02)
