Nutfield Wine Club Vintage Chart

The origins of vintage ratings can be traced to 1855, when an endeavour was made to rate the most highly respected wines of the time, those of Bordeaux. The ratings were based on the reputation of each wine and reflected their value at auction.

Nowadays, the wine industry is rapidly changing with an incredible range of countries and wineries to pick from. No one can buy and taste every wine on the shelf, leaving vintage charts to give a clear guide to the vintages.

A vintage chart generally consists of two or three bits of important information to give you that extra information. Firstly, there is a numerical rating of the vintage, scored out of anything from five stars to hundred point scales. Along with a numerical rating, other bits of information are often included to give you a better idea of the qualities of a vintage. As different vintages mature at different speeds, some years will have aged nicely and are now just right for drinking, while another year's vintage may start showing some signs of age-drink up soon! Obviously, as people's palates differ, describing the many qualities of a vintage numerically is very difficult.

There is also variety in the wines that make up a vintage. This means that vintage charts can be very useful if used as a guide and not as a cast-iron guarantee of quality. Wine vintage charts have validity as they cover a certain discrete area. All the yearly issues that help determine how good the vintage is, from weather to grape quality, can be seen as mirrored by a vintage chart rating. Thus, vintage charts are more useful than a wine taster's personal opinion on a single wine from a vintage. In addition, vintage charts exist to make your life easier and give you a reliable source of information so you can choose a vintage that will hopefully be one of your future favourites.

*** SORRY THIS NOW SIX YEARS OLD - IT NEEDS UPDATING! ***

WINE VINTAGE CHART (Key)

REGIONS/WINES	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994	1993	1992	1991	1990	1989	1988	1987	1986
Cabernet Sauvignon Napa/Sonoma/North Coast	89	92	85	95	92	92	97	90	93	95	93	83	80	93	90
Chardonnay Napa/Sonoma/North Coast	90	90	89	95	90	93	90	90	92	92	93	82	88	80	91
Pinot Noir Napa/Sonoma/North Coast	90	91	90	94	91	91	93	90	90	93	90	85	92	89	88
Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Central Coast/Santa Barbara	91	90	89	95	89	89	92	85	89	91	91	86	88	87	86
Zinfandel Napa/Sonoma/North Coast	88	91	87	89	93	92	95	92	91	92	92	85	84	92	88
Oregon Pinot Noir	90	92	92	84	86	87	94	91	90	90	92	88	89	80	86
Washington Red	94	96	93	91	90	87	92	89	92	91	89	95	87	93	82
Bordeaux/Red Medoc & Graves	98	88	89	86	93	91	88	85	80	80	98	96	89	81	95
Bordeaux/Red St. Emilion & Pomerol	97	89	92	85	87	93	90	86	NR	NR	98	93	90	81	90
Bordeaux/White Sauternes & Barsac	81	90	88	90	88	88	80	NR	NR	NR	96	90	97	NR	95
Burgundy/ Red	84	89	88	89	92	90	85	88	80	85	95	91	88	90	NR
Burgundy/ White	88	87	89	89	92	91	87	83	91	NR	92	91	84	NR	92
Rhône/ North	90	93	92	91	87	91	89	NR	NR	93	93	97	92	86	86
Rhône/ South	93	89	97	85	85	93	88	87	NR	NR	96	95	89	NR	80
Loire/ Dry and Sweet White	84	89	86	85	92	91	82	89	83	NR	91	92	87	NR	89
Alsace	86	84	89	96	90	88	86	84	80	NR	93	96	89	NR	NR
Champagne/ Vintage	85	88	87	85	92	89	NV	87	NV	NV	98	90	88	NV	87
Piedmont	93	92	95	93	95	88	81	87	NR	NR	98	97	91	81	NR
Tuscany	90	89	88	95	86	92	85	87	NR	86	93	82	91	NR	85
Veneto/ Amarone	87	88	89	95	NR	94	87	88	NR	NR	95	NR	93	NR	NR
Rioja	87	90	88	85	89	95	94	85	84	88	90	90	85	87	84
Catalonia	89	90	88	88	89	91	91	89	80	82	88	86	86	88	NR
Ribera del Duero	88	89	88	87	98	95	92	NR	82	94	91	95	NR	84	98
Portugal/ Port/Vintage, Quinta or LBV	90	86	87	93	85	91	96	NR	92	91	85	86	83	85	82
Rhine Regions	87	91	89	88	95	88	92	87	87	85	94	91	87	NR	83
Mosel/Saar/Ruwer	85	90	89	89	93	93	92	90	87	85	95	90	90	80	80
Barossa	84	89	93	90	94	93	89	88	81	92	93	84	87	83	90
Coonwarra	89	93	93	95	87	82	86	91	84	94	96	82	89	86	94
Hunter Valley	88	91	92	87	89	88	89	86	85	94	86	87	83	89	92
Chile	88	92	84	91	90	89	90	89	85	86	89	87	86	85	82
Argentina	87	90	83	89	95	95	90	93	88	87	93	90	83	NR	NR
South Africa	86	92	93	89	82	91	86	84	87	88	85
New Zealand	89	91	95	88	90	80	91	81	85	93

KEY TO RATINGS

KEY TO MATURITY

OTHER EXCEPTIONAL VINTAGES

98-100 = Superlative
94-97   = Classic
90-93   = Excellent
87-89   = Very Good
83-86   = Good
80-82   = Acceptable

NV = Nonvintage
NV? = Undeclared, but probably nonvintage
NR = Not Rated

	Hold
	Can drink, not yet at peak
	Ready, at peak maturity
	Can drink, maybe past peak
	In decline, maybe undrinkable
	Not a declared vintage, or no data

Bordeaux: 1982, 1978, 1966, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1949, 1947, 1945, 1937, 1934
Champagne: 1982
Rhone Reds:Southern: 1983, 1981, 1978
Burgundy: 1978, 1976, 1972, 1969, 1959, 1952, 1949, 1947, 1945
Tuscany: 1982, 1978, 1971
Veneto: 1983, 1979, 1976, 1974, 1971, 1970
Rioja: 1982, 1981, 1978
Calif. Cabernet: 1984, 1978
Calif. Chardonnay: 1980