1993 Bordeaux

So unfair. 1993 was shaping up to be a great Bordeaux vintage until the rains came in early September. Consequently, this year’s greatest selling point is that it followed 1992 and 1991. 

Much of the 1993 growing season was dry, warm, and sunny. Flowering and fruit set went off without a hitch. Just as everyone was getting set for a bountiful harvest following two dismal vintages in a row, it poured. It then continued to do so throughout September and into October. Saint-Éstephe received 200 mm of rain in the month of September alone! Fortunately, the weather also turned cold, which slowed the progression of rot. Still, nothing was to be done about the ensuing dilution and inability to reach full phenolic and flavor ripeness. Regarding dilution, the earlier producers could pick, the better, which gave the dry whites and Merlots a slight advantage over the Cabernet-based wines. Indeed, earlier ripening, Merlot-strong properties such as Palmer managed to pull it out of a bag, but even this wine was never destined for aging beyond the 30–40-year mark and needs drinking up. Many of the top Pomerol wines should have aged better, but incidences of Brettanomyces and bottle variation make them a risky bet for purchasing today. Surprisingly, a few Médoc wines have side-stepped the Brett while aging slowly and gracefully, yielding soft-spoken, perfumed wines today that are elegantly styled, minerally, and refreshing. Montrose is a prime example.

As damp conditions malingered throughout October, Sauternes sadly succumbed to a plague of grey rot, dashing their hopes of a decent harvest. The quality of the sweet wines, like the reds, is average at best.