Vintage wines - A look back
Vintage wines as a gift for a special occasion are always a great and unique present. Vintage winesare popular for golden or silver wedding anniversaries. It is simply nice for the person receiving the gift to recall the impressions of their anniversary year through the vintage wine. Vintage wines are also very popular for company anniversaries. Celebrating the date of the company's foundation or a milestone in its development with a high-quality Bordeaux wine and reminiscing about the beginnings is certainly a great experience for managers. Wine lovers or even laymen in the field will certainly agree that vintage wines always represent something nostalgic and reverent.
Vintage wines are available from well-stocked wine merchants and wine mail order companies. Advice is extremely important when selecting vintage wines. If it is a very old vintage wine, the shelf life and ageing potential as well as the quality level of the wine must be discussed. There are wines that can be stored, but also wines that can be drunk young. These wine bottles are then less suitable for a long stay in the wine cellar of merchants or private individuals. If the buyer wants to choose a vintage wine that is more than 20 years old, the selection should be limited to high-quality producers and wine-growing regions, such as Bordeaux as the country of origin, Burgundy with its storable red Burgundies, old Barolos, Barbarescos and Brunellos from Italy, but also German wines from the Rheingau or Mosel. However, the quality level should be carefully considered when choosing vintage wines from Germany, and the grape variety is also a critical factor. In Germany, almost only the Riesling grape variety, naturally sweet, is suitable for ageing. The Kabinett and Spätlese quality categories should be chosen less if it is an old vintage wine. Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines are more suitable because they have enormous ageing potential. 50 years is hardly an age for a German Beerenauslese, while Trockenbeerenauslese wines will certainly keep for 100 years or more!
A critical success factor in the selection of a good vintage wineis the storage of this wine in its history. A wine cellar with a maximum temperature of 16 degrees and a humidity of 70 per cent is the ideal place to store vintage wines. It is also not always possible to compare vintages with each other. If an anniversary falls on a vintage wine that is consistently rated as poor in the wine-growing regions, the selection is difficult. For example, the vintage wines from 1958 or 1968 and 1969 were rather weak, but in 1958 you can easily switch to an old Barolo and in 1969 outstanding vintage wines were produced in Burgundy. As you can see, there are many factors to consider in order to be able to enjoy vintage wines without a rude awakening. Good advice when buying vintage wines is therefore essential and should be part of a well-stocked wine merchant's daily business.
If you are looking for very old vintage wines, port wines and Madeira wines are also worth considering. These have an even longer ageing potential. Port wines are therefore particularly suitable for selecting good vintage wines from before 1940. You can buy and enjoy old port wines from the middle of the 19th century without hesitation. Madeira wines still exist today from the 18th century and earlier. Vintage wines and wine rarities are also the noble sweet Sauternes growths such as Chateau D 'Yquem or Chateau Rieussec or Chateau Grillon. If the person celebrating was born in a
century wine year, the choice is not difficult. Giving a 1945 Lafite Rothschild, a 1959 Chateau Latour or a 1985 Domaine Romanée Conti - Romanée Conti as a vintage wine is a great idea. The 1955 Chateau Mouton Rothschild and the 1961 Chateau Petrus are also very popular in the wine world. However, vintage wines from 1900, one of the best years of the last 200 years, are rare. There are always bargains and good offers on vintage wines and you can buy a vintage wine for as little as 50 euros.
If it doesn't always have to be the big name, choosing a vintage wine is even easier. You will find a large selection of vintage wines and wine rarities from all wine-growing regions of the world at the wine merchant Jahrhundertweine.de with an illustrated range and a selection of wines from the 1850 vintage to the present day. Nothing stands in the way of a competent selection of vintage wines.
1. definition & meaning
What is a vintage wine?
A wine made exclusively from grapes from a single harvest year.
It cannot be blended with other vintages (unlike cuvées or non-vintage wines).
Why are they special?
Terroir expression: Each vintage tells the story of a year's weather.
Collector's value: The best vintages increase in value (e.g. Bordeaux 1982, Mosel 1971).
2. important vintages worldwide
| Region | Legendary vintages | Speciality |
|---|---|---|
| Bordeaux | 1945, 1961, 1982, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016 | Long shelf life |
| Burgundy | 1945, 1959, 1978, 1990, 1999, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018 | Sensitive Pinot Noir vintages |
| Rheingau/Moselle | 1971, 1976, 1983, 1990, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2015, 2019 | Riesling with extreme longevity |
| Piedmont | 1978, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2016 | Barolo & Barbaresco top years |
| California | 1991, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016 | Opulent Cabernets |
3. climate & vintage quality
✅ Influencing factors:
Sunshine duration (e.g. 2003 Europe = extremely hot)
Precipitation (too much → dilution, too little → stress)
Late frost (e.g. Burgundy 2016: 70% crop loss)
Vintage types:
"Sunny vintages" (e.g. 2009): Ripe, fruit-emphasised
"Fresh vintages" (e.g. 2014): Acidic, elegant
💡 Note:
Top vintages are doubly worthwhile: to savour and as an investment.
Poor vintages can hold surprises (e.g. light, easy-drinking wines).
📍 C uriosity:
The 1811 Tokaj is considered the oldest drinkable wine - proof of the eternity of great vintages!
4. economic significance
Price differences:
A top vintage (e.g. Bordeaux 2009) often costs 3-5 times the price of an average year.
Investment:
Best vintages rise 10-20% p.a. (Liv-ex index).
Auction records:
Bordeaux 1787 (€156,000)
Burgundy 1945 (€558,000)
5. sensory properties & ageing potential
✅ Young vintages:
Primary aromas (fruit, flowers)
Tannin/robe still dominant (for red wine)
✅ Mature vintages:
Tertiary flavours (tobacco, leather, truffle)
Peak: 10-50 years, depending on the wine
6. current highlights (2020s)
2020:
Bordeaux (dry, but balanced)
Burgundy (fresh, elegant)
2021:
Europe (frost-plagued, small harvest)
2022:
Extremely hot → potential "wines of the century"?
7. tips for collectors
✅ S torage:
12-14°C, 70% humidity
Dark & vibration-free
✅ Buy the wine:
Check provenance (risk of forgery!)
Invest early (e.g. en primeur)
✅ Drinking:
Consultvintage tables (e.g. Wine Advocate)
Do not open too early (especially Barolo/Bordeaux)
Time capsules made from grapes
Vintage wines are liquid history books - they preserve the sun, rain and winemaking skills of a year. Whether 1982 Bordeaux or 2015 Riesling, they offer a unique flavour experience.