Vintage Chart

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This Vintage Chart is provided as a guide for you. Vintage charts are always approximations. First, the regions invite the broadest of generalizations. Second, the best wine growers can often deliver little gems when the majority are reduced to lumps of coal. As with vintage charts, the Maturity Advisor is only a guide. We are making the broadest generalizations. Different wine lovers have different expectations: some want more fruit, some more complexity. Also, bottles from older vintages can be highly variable due to cellaring differences and other circumstances. As always, we urge you to taste for yourself, keep an open mind and trust your own palate.

The following keys are used to evaluate the vintages and their maturity:

10
Exceptional
A
Should be aged more

9-8
Excellent
B
Already good, better examples can improve further

7
Very Good
C
Ready to drink

6-5
Good
D
Danger that many wines are becoming too old

4-0
Fair to Poor

FRANCE

Bordeaux Red Sauternes Burgundy Red Burgundy White Alsace Northern Rhône Southern Rhône Loire Champagne

1970 9 C 8 C 7 D 8 D 8 D 9 D 9 D 7 D 8 C

1971 7 D 6 D 7 D 7 D 9 C 7 D 7 D 9 C 8 D

1972 3 D 3 D 8 D 7 D 6 D 7 D 7 D 2 D 4 D

1973 5 D 6 D 6 D 8 D 8 D 7 D 7 D 6 D 8 D

1974 4 D 4 D 7 D 7 D 6 D 7 D 7 D 5 D 5 D

1975 9 D 9 C 5 D 6 D 8 D 6 D 6 D 7 D 9 C

1976 7 D 7 C 9 D 8 D 10 C 8 D 8 D 8 C 8 C

1977 4 D 3 D 5 D 6 D 7 D 5 D 5 D 2 D 3 D

1978 7 C 7 D 9 C 8 D 9 D 8 C 8 C 8 D 7 D

1979 7 C 6 C 7 D 7 D 8 D 6 D 6 D 6 D 8 C

1980 5 D 7 C 6 D 6 D 7 D 8 D 8 D 5 D 7 D

1981 7 C 7 C 7 D 7 D 7 D 7 C 7 C 6 D 8 D

1982 10 B 6 C 5 D 7 D 8 D 7 C 7 C 8 D 9 C

1983 8 B 9 B 8 C 7 C 10 C 8 B 8 B 9 C 7 C

1984 4 D 4 C 6 D 6 D 6 D 7 D 7 D 7 D 4 D

1985 9 B 7 B 6 C 9 C 9 B 9 B 7 C 7 B 9 B

1986 9 B 9 B 6 C 8 C 7 C 7 C 7 C 7 C 7 C

1987 6 C 6 C 7 C 6 D 7 C 7 C 6 C 7 C 5 D

1988 8 B 10 B 9 B 7 B 10 B 9 B 9 B 8 B 9 B

1989 9 B 10 B 9 C 9 B 10 B 10 B 10 B 9 B 8 B

1990 10 B 10 B 10 B 9 C 10 B 10 B 10 B 10 B 10 B

1991 5 C 6 B 7 C 6 C 6 D 9 B 5 C 5 D 6 C

1992 5 C 6 B 6 C 8 B 7 C 5 C 4 C 6 C 7 B

1993 6 B 6 B 9 B 6 C 8 B 4 C 4 C 7 C 8 B

1994 7 B 6 B 7 C 8 C 9 B 8 B 7 B 8 C 7 B

1995 9 A 7 B 8 B 10 B 9 B 9 B 9 B 9 B 9 A

1996 8 B 8 B 9 B 9 B 9 B 8 B 7 B 10 B 10 A

1997 7 B 9 B 8 B 9 B 9 B 7 B 8 B 10 B 7 B

1998 8 A 7 A 8 B 9 B 9 B 9 B 10 B 8 B 7 B

1999 7 A 7 A 9 B 9 B 8 B 10 A 9 B 7 B 8 A

2000 10 A 6 A 7 B 8 A 8 B 9 A 9 A 8 B 8 A

2001 8 A 10 A 7 B 6 B 9 B 9 A 9 A 8 B 6 B

2002 8 A 9 A 9 A 9 A 8 A 6 B 4 B 9 B 9 A

2003 9 A 9 A 8 A 7 A 6 A 8 A 8 A 9 A 7A

2004 8 A 7 A 7A 6A 8 A 8 A 9 A 8 B 8 A

2005 10 A 9 A 10 A 8 A 8 A 9 A 10 A 9 A 7 A

2006 9 A - - 9 A - - - - -

GERMANY

ITALY

PORTUGAL

SPAIN

Rhine

Mosel

Piedmont

Tuscany

Veneto

Friuli

Port

Douro Red

Rioja

Ribera del Duero

Priorat

1970

6 D

8 D

9 C

8 D

5 D

9 B

9 C

1971

10 C

10 D

10 C

9 C

8 D

4 D

1972

5 D

6 D

2 D

5 D

8 D

7 D

4 D

1973

6 D

5 D

8 C

7 D

7 C

1974

6 D

9 C

9 D

7 D

6 D

7 C

1975

8 D

9 C

5 D

9 C

8 D

5 D

7 C

9 C

1976

9 C

5 D

6 D

8 D

7 C

1977

4 D

5 D

6 D

9 C

8 C

6 D

10 B

5 D

1978

6 D

9 C

10 C

6 C

8 D

7 C

9 B

1979

7 D

8 C

9 C

6 C

1980

6 D

7 D

5 D

7 C

5 D

6 B

7 C

1981

7 D

6 D

7 C

9 C

1982

6 D

7 D

9 B

7 C

8 B

9 B

7 B

10B

1983

9 B

5 D

7 C

7 B

8 C

7 B

7 C

1984

6 D

6 C

1985

7 B

9 B

9 C

8 B

9 B

7 C

1986

6 C

8 C

9 B

7 C

1987

6 C

7 C

8 C

7 C

8 B

9 B

1988

9 B

8 B

10 B

9 B

7 C

7 B

1989

9 B

10 B

6 C

8 B

9 B

7 B

1990

10 B

9 A

9 B

8 B

1991

6 C

5 C

6 C

6 B

9 A

5 C

9 B

1992

7 B

5 C

6 C

6 B

9 A

6 C

9 B

1993

6 B

8 B

7 B

8 B

5 B

6 C

9 B

1994

6 B

8 B

7 B

8 B

6 B

10 A

8 B

1995

7 B

9 B

8 B

7 B

9 A

9 B

8 B

1996

8 B

10 A

8 B

7 B

9 B

1997

8 B

10 A

10 B

9 B

10 A

8 B

7 B

1998

9 B

9 A

9 B

9 A

9 B

8 B

9 B

1999

9 B

10 B

9 A

9 B

8 A

8 B

6 B

2000

9 A

8 A

8 B

10 A

9 B

7 B

8 B

2001

9 A

9 B

8 A

7 B

9 B

9 A

8 B

2002

8 A

7 B

5 B

6 B

6 C

9 A

2003

8 A

9 A

10 A

8 B

6 B

7 B

9 A

2004

9 A

7 A

9 A

8 A

9 A

8 B

9 A

10 A

2005

9 A

10 A

8 A

10 A

9 A

8 A

2006

7 A

CANADA		AUSTRALIA		UNITED STATES		CHILE	ARGENTINA	SOUTH AFRICA
	Niagara Peninsula	South Australia	Western Australia	California Cabernet	California Chardonnay	Red	Mendoza Red	Red
1970	-	10 C	-	9 C	8 D	-	-	-
1971	-	5 D	-	8 D	7 D	-	-	-
1972	-	7 D	-	6 D	6 D	-	-	-
1973	-	10 C	-	7 D	7 D	-	-	-
1974	-	3 D	-	9 C	8 D	-	-	-
1975	-	7 D	-	7 D	9 D	-	-	-
1976	-	10 C	-	8 D	8 D	-	-	-
1977	-	7 D	-	7 D	8 D	-	-	-
1978	-	7 D	-	9 C	8 D	-	-	-
1979	-	8 D	-	8 D	7 D	-	-	-
1980	8 D	7 C	-	7 C	7 D	-	-	-
1981	3 D	4 D	-	8 C	7 D	-	-	-
1982	6 D	8 C	-	6 D	7 D	-	-	-
1983	7 D	4 D	-	7 C	8 D	-	-	-
1984	4 D	10 B	-	9 B	8 D	-	-	-
1985	9 C	9 B	-	10 B	9 D	-	-	-
1986	4 D	7 C	-	10 B	8 D	-	-	-
1987	7 C	8 C	-	10 B	7 D	-	-	-
1988	9 C	9 B	-	6 C	7 D	-	-	-
1989	6 C	9 B	-	6 C	6 D	-	-	-
1990	9 B	9 B	-	10 B	8 C	-	-	-
1991	5 B	9 B	-	9 B	8 C	-	-	-
1992	8 B	7 C	-	8 B	9 C	&n