1995 Bordeaux

1995 was a year when having some clay and/or limestone in the soil profile proved an advantage, though, counterintuitively, in the long run, it proved to be a slightly better year for the Cabernets than the Merlots.

Abundant winter rainfall and a warm spring led to an early budburst, followed by smooth flowering and fruit set and, ultimately, a bumper crop. The heat settled in early this year, helping to set small berries with thick skins. Summer was hotter than average with a sustained period of drought, causing stress for younger vines and sites with deep gravel or mainly sand. Rain fell towards the end of the first week of September, providing much-needed water for the parched vines and offering an opportunity to complete ripening. However, it was bad timing for the earlier ripening Merlots, which suffered from varying degrees of dilution.

The 1995 Bordeaux reds tend to have a lot of tannin with a moderate amount of fruit. This was still in that era when extraction was more by the hell-for-leather formula than better judgment. Coupled with the fact that the drought caused vines to struggle to achieve complete phenolic ripeness, some of the wines turned out to be pretty rugged and chewy in their youths, without enough fruit to sustain the time it would take for the tannins to subside. However, there are also some beautiful, slow-maturing wines that shine like a beacon compared to the previous four dismal vintages (1991-1994). I’ve recently enjoyed a number of 1995 Pauillacs, including a very fragrant, elegantly styled Lynch-Bages. On the other side of the Gironde, a ’95 Lafleur enjoyed with friends recently was mind-blowing, no doubt side-stepping some of the Merlot dilution thanks to its predominance of Cabernet Franc planted on gravel and clay. As for Pessac, Château Haut-Brion crafted a beguiling beauty, which is still very fresh and, while possessing plenty of tertiary cigar box and leather nuances at this stage, is aging slowly and gracefully.

The dry whites were less successful this year than the reds, producing straightforward fruity styles generally lacking backbone and that were pleasant for early drinking.

It also turned out to be a good but not outstanding vintage for Sauternes, featuring wines expressing more of the exotic/opulent side of this style, which have come into their drinking windows earlier than usual and are more for mid-term rather than long-term drinking.