2004 Vintage Report Europe

Another harvest is over, and the wines are resting in winery cellars. While it's too early to thoroughly assess quality, this is a review by Wine Spectator's editors.

France

REGION: Bordeaux
GRADE: B
A hot and sunny September saved what could have been a disastrous harvest for Bordeaux, allowing some of the top estates to pick very good to excellent quality grapes. "This is a year that will be marked by two key factors," said winemaking consultant Stiphane Derenoncourt, who oversees such famous estates as La Mondotte and Canon-La Gaffelihre. "You had to keep your grape yields down and you had to pick late. Those who didn't couldn't have made serious wines."

The top names in Bordeaux certainly had the wherewithal and financial resources to make good wines in 2004, but the majority of wineries in the region were struggling financially before the harvest and were not expected to be able to make the necessary sacrifices to improve quality. "It's going to be very hard to find quality wines for our blends," said one well-known wine merchant with a global brand. "Most growers just couldn't afford to reduce their yields and make good wines."

--James Suckling

REGION: Burgundy
GRADE: A- (white wines)/B+ (red wines)
Growers in Burgundy were not very optimistic at the end of August, but September and October saved the day for the region's Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. After a large flowering in June, cold, rainy weather during July and August retarded maturity of the grapes. Then, as if by magic, the weather changed to beautiful clear, warm, sunny days. Ripeness advanced quickly, and weather conditions remained favorable throughout the harvest.

The crop was large, and green harvesting was necessary. Powdery mildew was a problem during the growing season, "but with the proper treatments and rigor in the vines one could keep it under control," said Beaune nigociant Alex Gambal. Hail was also a problem (though less so for whites), with a big storm on Aug. 23 that particularly affected Volnay and Pommard, but also parts of the Ctte de Nuits up to Gevrey-Chambertin.

When both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were harvested, "The sugar levels were high, but physiological ripeness was not ideal," said Pascal Marchand, estates manager for Domaine de la Vougeraie, adding that sorting was crucial this year. Still, he said, "I think the wines are very precise, and the terroirs are well-defined."

--Bruce Sanderson

REGION: Champagne
GRADE: A
This year's bumper crop, which producers estimated was twice the normal size, set an all-time record. Due to high yields and the number of acres planted, "2004 is the largest harvest in Champagne history," said Daniel Lorson, spokesman for the Comiti Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, the region's regulatory body.

However, producers do not expect quality to suffer. "Not only [is] the maturity there, but also the acidity is high, which is a great necessity for us in Champagne," said Bruno Paillard of Champagne Bruno Paillard, adding that he believes that 2004 is vintage quality.

The Champagne region suffered no major spring frosts, and the cool summer was followed by warm, sunny weather in September that produced healthy, ripe grapes. "We have nice, satisfactory sugar and alcohol levels," said Philippe Court, director general of Taittinger.

Mokt & Chandon's enology director, Phillippe Coulon, expects the quality of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier to be good to outstanding, but he and Court said the Pinot Noir berries ripened unevenly within the bunches, requiring strict sorting.

--Jacob Gaffney and Bruce Sanderson

REGION: Rhtne Valley
GRADE: A-
Though the 2004 growing season experienced a warm stretch from May through July, it was not nearly as hot and dry as the 2003 vintage. After a rainy winter that rehydrated the region's badly parched soils, budbreak was up to two weeks late. Sugar levels rose quickly during the warm months, but a rainy August helped slow the ripening. The vintage was made by ideal warm, sunny weather in September, which allowed for additional hang time.

Producers who waited until the end of September to pick, such as Michel Chapoutier in the northern Rhtne, brought in grapes whose flavors had finally caught up to their sugars. "The key to 2004 was to wait for ripeness," said Mark Fincham of Domaine du Piga| in Chbteauneuf-du-Pape. "There was plenty of sugar and most people were tempted to start harvesting in early September."

Because of the longer, more moderate season, acidities in 2004 are higher than in recent warm vintages such as 2003 and 2000. Consequently, most growers are comparing the vintage to more classic-styled years, such as 1999.

--James Molesworth

 

Italy

REGION: Tuscany
GRADE: A
Wine producers from the Maremma to Chianti Rufina had huge smiles on their faces following the 2004 harvest. The grape crop was late in most areas in Tuscany, but a warm and sunny September produced good to exceptional grapes for most serious estates. Some winemakers are already making comparisons to the classic 1997 vintage.

High yields are the only concern about the vintage, since vineyards kicked into full-blown production following the ultra-hot, dry weather in 2003 that reduced that year's crop. Some producers cut back at least 60 percent of the grapes hanging on their vines in July and August to ensure that the vines put all of their energy into a solid crop.

"I have never seen Sangiovese with such quality, with perhaps the exception of 1997," said Roberto Guerrini, a few weeks after the harvest at his Brunello estate of Eredi Fuligni. "The young wines already have amazingly dark colors, bright perfumes and rich tannins and fruit. I am extremely optimistic."

--James Suckling

REGION: Piedmont
GRADE: A-
Most producers in Italy's northeastern wine region began picking their Nebbiolos in early October, and they were more than satisfied with the results. "People who managed their vineyards well made very, very good wines," said Enrico Scavino, the owner and winemaker of Paolo Scavino, one of Barolo's top labels. He already thinks the quality of his wines is close to such outstanding years as 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996.

Like other parts of Europe, vineyards in Piedmont had a large crop of grapes this summer following the hot, dry 2003 vintage. The vines overcompensated this year for the shortages of the year before. A visit to Piedmont vineyards in late September showed many vines with masses of grapes, many at different stages of maturation. However, those producers who thinned their crops during the summer harvested very good to outstanding grapes with good maturation. "We are very happy with the 2004 harvest," said Luciano Sandrone, another great name in Barolo. "Thank goodness for the excellent weather in September."

--James Suckling

Austria

REGION: Austria
GRADE: A (sweet wines)/B (dry wines)
Sweet wine producers in the Burgenland region were elated with the vintage, due to the abundance of botrytis, which is key to producing the country's luscious beerenauslese and trockenbeerenauslese wines. "This harvest was like a gift from the Godfather!" said Alois Kracher.

Dry white wine districts, such as the Wachau, had a tougher go of it in 2004. The flowering was later than usual, and cool temperatures dominated much of the year. June and July saw plenty of rainfall, but a sunny, warm August helped jump-start the ripening of the grapes. This was slowed by more rain in September and a damp, foggy October. Even with green harvesting and arduous care, many Riesling vineyards struggled to reach full ripeness. Gr|ner Veltliner reaped the benefits of dry, warm mid-November winds--and even botrytis--to yield good natural sugar levels and should produce fine, full-bodied late-harvest Smaragd wines.

Cool temperatures also marked the red wine regions, such as Mittelburgenland and the Neusiedlersee, but a mild, generally sunny October improved ripeness levels. There was no shortage of botrytis in these areas, giving red sweet wines their time to shine.

--Darrel Joseph

 

Germany

REGION: Germany
GRADE: A-
Germany experienced a typical harvest for Riesling in 2004. Quality looks very good at this stage, with crisp acidities, fruity aromas and true kabinetts and spdtlesen. Quantities are close to average for most estates.

Temperatures in June, July and August were warmer than average, but not as hot as in 2003. The Rheingau, Mosel and Nahe regions received much-needed rain during the summer, but Philipp Wittmann of Weingut Wittmann in the Rheinhessen reported it was drier inland. The flowering period extended longer than usual, and several growers noted the need to green harvest to reduce the crop size.

Expect elegant, classically styled Rieslings from 2004, which producers are comparing to several earlier outstanding vintages, such as 2002, 2001, 1990 and 1988. But don't expect to see much of Germany's greatest sweet wines. Botrytis came late, around Oct. 25 at Gunderloch in the Rheinhessen, and at many estates, there wasn't much of the noble rot, making it a struggle to harvest beerenauslese and trockenbeerenauslese wines.

--Bruce Sanderson

Portugal

REGION: Portugal/Port
GRADE: B+
Port producers who gambled on a late harvest appeared to have made very good to exceptional wines in 2004, following an extremely variable growing season. The weather was sunny and warm for most of September and early October, correcting the effects of a wet, cool August and enabling many vineyard owners to pick their grapes at near-perfect maturity.

"The 2004 harvest could have been a total wipe-out, with some early rain causing dilution, and some rot starting to appear," said Rupert Symington, a director of the Symington family Port group, which includes such well-known names as Graham, Warre and Dow. "Luckily it dried and warmed up completely, and we made some really good wines."

"It was an extraordinary year, with low yields and very high concentrations of sugar," said Christian Seely, who oversees Quinta do Noval and the newly acquired Quinta da Romaneira. "Fermentations were slow and not always easy, but there were some lagares of seriously high quality and with a distinctive character of the year. We'll see how they evolve, but certainly there were some exceptional wines."

Still, the biggest talk from the Douro Valley concerns the 2003 vintage, even though an official declaration won't come until spring. Many producers are already saying 2003 could top the legendary 1994 or even 1963 vintages.

--James Suckling

Spain

REGION: Spain
GRADE: B
A mild winter, followed by a rainy spring and a dry, cool summer led to later-than-normal harvests in most areas. In Rioja, the governing body reported that the crop was a bit smaller than in 2003, but overall quality was higher. Still one producer said that 2004 was a "very complicated year," and the quality of the Tempranillos could be uneven. Some vineyards, especially in Rioja Baja, received torrential summer rains, which were followed by a dry spell.

Winemakers in Ribera del Duero were more optimistic, expecting to produce powerful, structured wines with deep color and harmonious acidity. Yields varied, up or down, in different vineyards. In Penedis, a dry September helped ripen local varieties, such as Macabeo, Monastrell and Xarello, to a very good level. Other varieties, such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, were reported to be exceptional. Priorat vintners reported that old vines produced better-than-average grapes, which should yield strong, concentrated wines. But the younger vines did not ripen as well, which is likely to lead to wines that are lighter in structure and color.