What a difference a year makes. Or so many wine geeks would have you believe. Truth is, at the price point where the vast majority of us shop, the year on the label matters very little. (Unless it's too old; that display of 2000 chardonnays labeled "special deal" is marked down for a reason.)
These days, thanks to advances in enology, the science of winemaking, wines costing less than $25 are somewhat immune to the vagaries of vintage years.
Yes, when it comes to high-end Burgundies, Barolos and Bordeaux, the year can make a huge difference, largely because of the volatile climate in those regions and, of course, the money involved.
But at all levels nowadays, there are basically good years, great years and "vintages of the century" (which seem to hit a couple of times per decade, oddly enough). Even when the climate is untoward, vintners know how to make adjustments. The wines will have different flavors and styles, but should be at least drinkable.
"Enology means there are no more bad vintages these days," said Laurent Drouhin, proprietor of the fabled Burgundy winery that bears his surname. "A vintage like 2004 in Burgundy, 40 years ago they would have dumped it in the street."
That year, heavy rains caused a lot of mildew on the fruit. But through some viticultural legerdemain, Drouhin and other Burgundy houses offered up agreeable, if rarely profound, wines.
There were climatic challenges in 2006 in Burgundy, as well, and expectations were that the vintage would fall far short of the ballyhooed 2005s. But the 2006 red and white Burgundies that Drouhin was pouring at a trade tasting at St. Paul's Commodore Hotel last week were quite impressive. "A year ago, I would not have bid on these wines," said Drouhin. "But they are now very expressive wines."
So are those vintage charts in stores and magazines of any use?
