Tag Archives: Haut Brion

The 1966 vintage in Bordeaux

A regular SoDivin client in Japan has ordered 10 bottles of 1966 wines: Haut Brion, Palmer and Léoville Barton. The wines will ship today. It got me thinking about the 1966 vintage. While never described as one of the top vintages of the 20th century, it is a favorite vintage of some of the top wine tasters and is considered a classic Bordeaux vintage in its style. Deducing from the experts commentary on this vintage perhaps it’s fair to say that the 1966 vintage, being lean and elegant rather than large-structured and powerful, is in a style of Bordeaux that was appreciated several decades ago and still appreciated by the people who appreciate the subtlety and elegance in Bordeaux rather than the powerhouses that are valued today.
The weather was unusual, the spring started well but the summer was cold and rainy. The press predicted a catastrophic vintage. But at the end of August nice weather returned and September was quite warm. In the end, the weather pattern produced fine grapes .

What the experts say about the 1966 vintage :

Michael Broadbent :
One of my favorite vintages, which I have always described as a ‘lean, long-distance runner’.

Franck Dubourdieu :
Richer than the 1962, better balanced than the 1964, 1966 appears, in red wines, as a good classic vintage of which the acidity preserves the freshness and elegance of the fruit. The best wines will still drink marvelously well for another decade.

The book 1900-2000: A Century of Vintages :
A classic vintage, the 1966 has never been recognized as it should be. It took time to show its roundness but reveals sumptuousness over time.

Here is a link to all of the 1966 wines in the SoDivin cellar.

Rare and Vintage Wines, Reactive Service

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