2005

Winter, spring and most of the summer were marked by drought except for the month of July which had some rain. The main feature of the 2005 harvest is the 11th August, when it rained 30mm, as this helped the grapes to start their maturing process. From the 11th August, the maturing process sped up and we had nice weather until today. The phenolic maturity is very good.
We started harvesting on September 12th and finished on September 30th 2005. The harvest was small, for red and for white (35hl/ha). As the grapes are very small, firm, and their skin very thick, the red wines will have a much darker colour than usual, and they will be an excellent representation of our terroir. The yield in juice was very low, i.e.30hl/ha after pressing.
As far as the alcohol levels are concerned, white are between 13° and 14.5°; red Crozes Hermitage, have more or less 13° and red Hermitage between 13.5° and 16.5°.
The acidity is good for white wines and exceptionally high for red. The pH is 3.3 for white and 3.3/3.4 for red. This is quite a rare phenomenon which allows a longer maceration and produces wines with a deeper purple hue and that are very well-balanced.
Regarding Hermitage, the soil was extremely dry. The Bessards hill, where we usually note a small level of alcohol, gave a level of 14°, but less acidity. On the contrary, on the Meal hill we find a high acidity despite a high degree of alcohol. The soil on the Meal hill retained the water that fell on the 11th August much better than the Bessards hill.
The yield in juice is situated between 150 and 160 kg of grapes per 100 litres of wine.
This vintage will be very good. It will have a level of acidity that is higher or equivalent to that of the 1996 vintage, and will have the same concentration and low yield as the 1995 vintage. However, even though it resembles both the 1995 and 1996 vintages, this vintage will be of a much higher quality.

2004

Summer was very dry with above average temperatures, more than 26°C in June and 36°C at the end of July. This more or less stopped the maturity process and delayed the change in colour of the grapes.
The difference with 2003 is that the weather was hot, but not scorching. The fresh nights meant the vines did not have the same stress as last year.
The beginning of August was similar with high temperatures, whereas the last two weeks were marked by rain, which nourished the vines that were suffering.
We started the harvest on the 14th September 2004 with dry weather and normal temperatures. This nice weather allowed us to harvest based on the level of maturity of the vines, when necessary we stopped harvesting to allow vines to reach optimum maturity. The only period of dampness was in the afternoon of September 14th when it rained for an hour, but then the sun and the wind took over. This rain was beneficial, but any more could have damaged the harvest.
The grapes are in very good condition, the alcohol levels are high and the acidity normal or superior. As there is a small phenolic maturity and little concentration, the wines are more delicate and less concen-trated, especially the Crozes Hermitage. In Hermitage, the alcohol levels are excellent, around 14°. The wines are, broadly speaking, a little less concentrated than in 2003, but certainly more well-balanced because of a nice acidity which brings out the aromas of red fruits.
The yields vary according to the different appellations, with a normal harvest in Hermitage, but a smaller one than usual in red Crozes Hermitage (average of 38hl).
The rains of August, together with the sun and the north wind in September, have enabled us to gather a very nice harvest which ended on the 5th October 2004 with Cornas 'Domaine de St Pierre', just be-fore the rain came back on October 6th !

2003

The 2003 harvest was marked by a heat wave. The weather was very hot and dry during the whole of the summer, and until November. The advance that had taken place in the vine cycle by June was not slowed down by the drought, and we planned to harvest around the 8th of September, one week earlier than last year.
We started harvesting on Tuesday, 26th August. According to Louis Jaboulet, only the 1947 harvest had begun this early.
The wine is black as ink and both red and white have very little acidity. The alcohol levels are quite high, they are all above 14°. We had to modify the pH during vinification because of a lack of acidity. It was very difficult to get well-balanced wines that do not deteriorate when ageing.
We noticed that the grapes suffered from a loss of water due to evaporation and the grape-berries were withered. The red and white grapes are in perfect condition.
The concentration of phenolics is unique, and the yields are between 15 and 20 hl/ha. The yield in juice is between 155 and 165kg/100 litres of wine.
The white wines can be distinguished by their very low acidity and their high alcohol level. These wines are rich and fleshy in mouth.

2002

As summer was not as good as we hoped, the week preceding the setting of the date for the start of picking, we were very worried.
On the one hand, we knew that the flowering had not gone as well as the previous years and that the crop would only be average for some parcels.
In order to reach the best quality possible, we decided to carry out a green harvest during the slow maturing of the fruits so that we could limit the yield in some parcels and aerate the bunches of grapes.
Because of the weather conditions and the maturity of the grapes, we decided to in-crease the number of pickers in order to be able to pick in a shorter period of time than the preceding years.
The harvest started on Wednesday, 11th September 2002 with the appellation SAINT PERAY after which we picked :
White Hermitage, white Crozes Hermitage 'Mule Blanche' and 'Domaine Raymond Roure' ; then the red Crozes Hermitage 'Domaine de Thalabert', Saint Joseph 'Le Grand Pompée' white, Cornas ; then, some parcels of red Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage 'Domaine Raymond Roure'.
The red Hermitage was picked between the 19th and 25th September 2002 and then, we transferred to St Joseph 'Le Grand Pompée' red because of their location of the soils where the maturity is always earlier from the other wines. Then, has come the Cornas 'Domaine de St Pierre'.
In some parcels, owing to a rot, we were compelled to sort through the harvest with even more caution than the preceding years in order to press only sound grapes, even if it meant decreasing even more the yields.
During the harvest, there was no rain to disturb its good progress. It is important to note that parcels which were picked last, produced grapes of exceptional quality for this year.
We already knew that the crop would be 30% to 40% lower compared with the previ-ous years. Broadly speaking and after tasting wines that have finished their alcoholic fermentation and others that are in malolactic fermentation, there are some rather good quality wines. There are others that are surprising in terms of colour and acidity, we were not used to and which will enable the wine to keep a nice freshness, with the presence of very low tannins.
To sum up, the year 2002 is a year with a small quantity and better than average quality which highly satisfies us considering the bad weather of the past months of July and August 2002.
It was a difficult vintage and in order to produce good wine, strict selection of the grapes was needed throughout the harvest.
We finished the harvest in Cornas on 2nd October, 2002. It is important to know that we took the risk to leave the Cornas 'Domaine de St Pierre' 10 extra days on vines because we have always had an impeccable harvest in terms of quality and thus, we wished to reach a higher maturity.

2001

Following a summer of below average temperatures, we decided to begin the harvest later than usual. There was no urgency to start the harvest as, the weather was dry and warm and, the grapes were in good condition. We had got into the habit of thinning out the leaves and making a green harvest in order to gather in the healthiest, best aerated and ripest bunches of grapes.
We actually started the harvest on 20th September 2001, in dry, sunny conditions for white Hermitage 'Le Chevalier de Stérimberg' and, also, for white Crozes Hermitage 'Domaine Raymond Roure'.
The following week was marked by the rain towards the end. This did not affect the quality of the grapes in any way as, we dried the vines after the rainfall. Dur-ing this week, we picked both white grape-varieties and Syrah, concentrating only on those bunches that had reached good maturity.
The excellent weather conditions of the week commencing 17thSeptember resulted in a rapid, and important, increase of the potential alcohol content. This gave us a situation where we suddenly had many grapes beginning to reach optimum maturity quite quickly. We, therefore, took the decision to increase the number of pickers in order to harvest red Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage at the same time. This proved to be a very sensible decision as, rain began to fall just after we finished the harvest.
The weather then changed rapidly again and, we had an Indian summer in October that helped us to achieve perfect fermentation and a complete transformation of the sugars.
The first tasting we had revealed the white wines to be very ripe and, rich with a natural acidity, much stronger than in 2000. The red wines were still undergoing malolactic fermentation, although they showed a deep, fleshy colour and much fineness.

2000

The first quarter of 2000 was abnormally dry with above average temperatures, except for some rare moments in January (the 27th: 8°c) and in February (the 5th: -2°c) and a few snowflakes.
From April to June, the period was wetter with three notable storms which might have threatened the flowering had not the Mistral (northerly wind) immediately dried the flowers and prevented all risk of basal rot.
The third quarter was in great contrast, with exceptionally low temperatures for the month of July and three heavy showers, notably those of the 23rd and the 27th July.
August was quite the contrary, and brought us very high temperatures, with more than 35°c on the 19th, along with a dry spell. These weather conditions completely upset the ripening of the grapes. Certain winemakers even envisaged harvesting at the end of August but Mother Nature came back to her senses and the month of September - despite two showers, at the beginning and at the end of the harvest - will be remembered for its fine warm days.
The grape harvest began on the 14th September in fine summer sunshine, and the first picking - for the Crozes Hermitage - filled the presses with bronzed bunches of sweet white grapes.
The harvest furnished an exceptional quality in both white and red and continued until the 11th October, when the skies opened and were less clement, with abundant rain.
But this was of no great importance, for the crop was, for the most part, already in the vats and barrels: the fruit of a year's work and the 2000 vintage, the last of this century.
At the dawning of the new millennium, the winemakers of the northern Rhône Valley can only hope to see another decade as great as the one we have just lived.

1999

After flowering a week earlier than in 1998, and under very favourable conditions, the vines suffered climatic conditions during the summer period which necessitated a fight against oïdium.
July was marked by a dry period during the first and last ten days of the month. The only significant rainfall was during the night of the 5th-6th. Temperatures were higher than average for the time of year, with maximum temperatures around 34 à 35°.
The wind was predominantly northerly during this period.
August was stormy during the second fortnight, then a dry period set in, punctuated by several storms of little consequence. The higher-than-normal temperatures of early August dropped under the influence of the Mistral (northerly wind).
September had very high temperatures (32°c) from the 10th to the 15th and went out with a heavy storm on the 25th. The health and quality of the grapes were such that the storm of the 25th had no impact on the quality of the harvest. This began on the 14th September with the Crozes 'Mule Blanche', followed by the whites of the 'Domaine Roure', and finished with the Hermitage 'Chevalier de Stérimberg'. The harvesters, stooped over branches weighed down with golden grapes, had perfect climatic conditions.
Once the harvest of the white grapes was completed, we continued with the red. This year, to go further in the elimination of all traces of water, we tried drying the vegetation by helicopter, as is done in Burgundy or in the Sauternes region. The trial was very conclusive in as far as the number of degrees obtained in the vat. The generous harvest (though curbed a little by early season work on the vines) gives us a foretaste of the very good quality of our wines, with a rich, full body present in force in our whites. The red wines, like the whites, have been conferred a good acid-alcohol balance and the very first tastings from the vats have given a foresight of red wines with an intensity of colour perhaps never before seen.
I feel that the 1999 vintage, both red and white, has rewarded the producer for all his labours throughout the year.
The 1999 vintage is characterised by a paradox : exceptional quantity and quality!!! In spite of all the work carried out in the vineyards (heavy pruning, 'green' harvesting, thinning), even on the old vines up on the higher slopes, the 1999 production was very high. This has given the wines a great richness of complexity and density. The white wines were difficult to press and the yield of juice was quite low. They enjoy a nice acidity and they are 'fatty' in the mouth. The red wines underwent a very long maceration and are thus well-coloured, substantial wines. The well-dispersed, but strong tannins endow the wine with a great potential for keeping. The 1999 vintage will undoubtedly figure amongst the finest wines of the last two decades.

1998

After a very hot weather in August which blocked maturation of the vines, we had to wait two weeks longer than usual before the grapes reached perfect ripeness levels. The official date for the harvest was decreed as 11th September 1998, but here at JABOULET we only began to pick on 21st September.
As far as the left bank of the Horthern Rhône is concerned, the quantity harvested was more-or-less average. Unfortunately, the vineyards on the right bank had suffered severe frost damage, and so their crop was extremely small.
However, ripeness levels were very satisfactory and sometimes even better than that, as we harvested certain white Hermitage grapes at more than 14% potential alcohol, and reds at over 13.5%. Bunches were very healthy and free from rot, but after rain in September and October it was decided te speed-up the rythm of harvesting just in case.
Our harvest ended on Friday 9th October. The first pressing of red wine indicate that the 19998s will be attractive, complex and rich in colour.

1997

Après un mois de juillet déplorable, qui n’avait du mot « été » que le nom, les chaleurs sont arrivées au mois d’août avec de belles journées qui se transformèrent pendant la 2ème quinzaine en canicule. Aussi paradoxal que cela puisse paraître, ces fortes chaleurs eurent pour conséquence un blocage de la maturité, et la précocité annoncée ne s’est finalement pas confirmée.
Cette attente a même été profitable à l’état sanitaire de la vigne. Le 15 septembre, très précisément, nos vendangeurs ont pris d’assaut le vignoble chargé de grappes saines et colorées.

1996

After the Indian summer of October, the thermometer drops and stays at zero in early November, then goes back up again. The autumn has been seasonal : rain, warmth, cold, snow. The winter and the snow arrive on the 15th December, then the rain appears, with mild temperatures, even too mild for the season. All in all, we haven’t had enough cold weather.
The spring is disappointing; lack of warmth and rain, overcast weather... Nature gets behind. In June, the fine weather sets in. Flowering begins and is quickly over, it’s a good sign.
In July, the rain appears : 100mm of rain falls in total over the month, with 60mm in August, which is enormous for the season. In September, we note a delay in maturity as a result of the cool nights. The summer was spoilt, there was a lack of heat and unseasonable rains hit the region.
We didn’t have any rain for the harvest, which allowed us to crop very healthy grapes. The white crop is small and gives a very good wine. The red crop is good, with much acidity. We are going to have some very great wines, certainly for keeping, with a deep colour.
We harvest very healthy grapes, but in small quantities. 1996 will be a good vintage for both reds and whites. This wine will be much sought after.

1995

An Indian summer follows the harvest. The autumn, however, begins with rain and at the end we drift towards a mix of hot and cold air, and we see the first frosts at the beginning of December.
The mild weather continues until January, when the temperature drops below zero, announcing the arrival of winter. At the end of January the rain falls and many areas are flooded.
February is very mild (15°C), but the frost and the snow arrive at the end of the month.
It is too mild a winter where we are, and wet as normal, as we have been spared the flooding.
1995 lacks a good frost to cleanse the earth.
Up to the 24th April we have cool nights and magnificent days : the drought makes itself felt.
In late April, the rain appears, on and off until May. The spring is too erratic; not enough rain at the beginning; lack of warmth at the end.
The summer is very hot; we can see crop failures in the vineyards. The rain comes back just before the harvest, then the fine weather returns.
We harvest very healthy grapes, but in small quantities. 1995 will be a good vintage for both reds and whites. This wine will be much sought after.

1994

This autumn, the season was wet from beginning to end, with fine weather and a cold spell in the middle but, all in all, it remains mild.
The snow comes at Christmas, with nights below zero as a bonus. From the first day of 1994, the mild weather and the sunshine are back.
The winter is wet at first, almost too fine at the end, with some good frosts, but overall, a lack of cold weather.
Spring is so cold and wet that we fear the rising sap will be interrupted. June begins in sunshine and flowering goes well despite everything;
Summer is sunny and warm, almost to heat wave levels. August is spotted with showers right up to the harvest.
The rain deprives us of a great vintage, but the grapes have a hard, thick skin, thanks to the heat wave, which allows us to make some fine wines.

1993

The post-harvest period remains so wet that the water table and the springs come back to life. In December the rains cease, but temperatures remain mild.
Winter really begins on the 30th December and continues until February. It is sunny by day and the frost bites at night. The water shortage is felt in late winter : it hasn’t rained since the 12th December. The first rains fall at the beginning of April, then there is alternating rain and dry weather. This wet spring is beneficial for the growth of the vines. Flowering goes ideally.
The month of July is very wet : we are paying for the winter drought. We’ follow on with a heat wave in August. From the 27th, rain and storms hit the region; it is catastrophic before the harvest. This bad weather continues throughout the harvest.
Severe sorting has to be done for the reds; we don’t make any “Chapelle” and we even downgrade our wines to Côte du Rhône rosé. For our whites the quality remains as usual.

1992

The harvest over, the weather remains wet, with alternating mild and cool weather. The first frosts are felt in late November. We have had a typical autumn, with cold and rain.
We start 1992 with cold, then the snow appears in late January. Winter was dry, cool at night and sunny by day. This drought is even a little worrying for the season.
Spring is wet, despite a break of 15 days between April and May, and this weather affects the vineyards, and agriculture in general. Summer really begins on the 14th July with high temperatures that provoke localised storms. In mid-August the bad weather sets in and at the end of August, torrential rains hit the region.
The harvest begins in the rain. The weather was deplorable for this festival that the harvest represents. Despite the very poor weather, the wines are honourable.

1991

The autumn of 1990 is warm and wet at the beginning, then cold and snowy at the end, with heavy snowfalls above 800m towards the 24th November. The beginning of January is wet, then the temperature drops. In the end, it was a typical winter in our vineyards : cold and wet, with a little snow.
Spring starts well and Nature is ahead of herself. The cold weather returns on the 15th April (-4°C), until mid-May. Flowering begins erratically in early June and becomes widespread by the 10th. In all, the spring was quite poor, with too much wind and not enough warmth.
Summer begins well, with a heat wave from the 15th July. The month of August is torrid. We have some light drizzle at the end of July, and wet weather from mid-September.
The harvest starts on the 19th September and continues in gloomy weather until the 11th October.
The crop is small, and we even downgraded 200 hl, but after tasting, the quality is surprising and very promising.

1990

The summer drought continues until the 19th November. The first rains follow and bring the dried up rivers back to life. Cold weather and the first frosts from the 25th November to the 10th December, when the southerly wind brings a mild period with temperatures unusually high for the season.
A few violets are to be seen at the end of the year!
The cold returns on the 1st January and lasts throughout the month. A mild, rainy period sets in at the beginning of February with the appearance of the first almond blossom. This weather continues throughout the end of the winter, triggering the flowering of the apricot and peach trees on the 26th and 27th of February.
The spring is cool and wet, with rains that help growth. Flowering of the vines is almost over on the 30th May. The summer is very dry with a heat wave. At the end of July, the evening temperature reaches 38°C.
Light rains (3 to 20 mm.) fall just before the harvest, which starts on the 19th September, in ideal weather, and finish on the 1st October. The maturation of the grapes and their harvest take place under ideal conditions.
The wines will be of exceptional quality, especially the Hermitage “La Chapelle” which will come close to the famous 1961.

1989

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 2,676,547 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 12th. September and finished on the 6th. October.
A good autumn, wet at first, but warm for the season. Winter is very dry, not very cold, still no snow. Spring is fine and growth is well under way; flowering starts at the end of May. A hot, dry summer with very little rain. August is torrid.
The harvest has very good weather.
1989 will see another very good vintage for both red and white wines; they will keep well. A great year.

1988

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 2,569,747 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 19th. September and finished on the 8th. October.
A mild and wet early autumn. A winter without snow : even in the Alps, much to the despair of the skiers. Spring is fine and warm, growth is well under way and it rains a little. The summer is hot, with some good rain at the end of July.
August is torrid.The harvest has very good weather.
1988 is a very good vintage with thick, full-bodied reds, full of tang and red fruit flavours; they are keeping wines; The white wines are concentrated, as a result of a small crop.
They have the mark of their origins, very typical.

1987

In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 22nd. September and finished on the 16th. October. An exceptionally mild autumn, with several beneficial showers. It is a good time to note that for the past ten years or so, we have seen a change in the seasons. That is to say, poor springs and good autumns, with many more good vintages as a result. This remark is even further justified by the vintages of 1988, 1989 and 1990.
A mild winter follows at first, but then the end of winter is very cold with a lot of snow : typical wintry weather. Early Spring is pleasant, but later it rains so much that growth is retarded through lack of heat. June and July are bad. On the other hand, August and early September are good. The harvest had relatively good weather and some rain. Finally, with healthy grapes, spraying for rot has given very good results. In red, we have produced some very nice wines with a certain elegance, though not very full-bodied. They will be ready to drink quite soon and they merit ONE STAR. They are very saleable wines.
The white wines are well-formed, with maybe a little lack of tang, but with their acidic foundation they will keep well.

1986

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 2,500,724 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 22nd. September and finished on the 11th.October.
In Autumn, the fine weather continues and the drought persists; The work in the fields is delayed. The Autumn is fine at the beginning and wet later on. Winter is long and cold, with much snow in the mountains. The Spring is not warm enough. June is mediocre, but July and August turn out very warm.
A very good show of grapes – we have to thin them, especially on the young vines. There is a light rain at the beginning of the harvest, then an anticyclone sets in until the end , and even beyond that.
A selection is necessary to obtain fine red wines that will be keeping wines.
The white wines are abundant, with good local tang, as the grapes were picked before the rain.

1985

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 2,432,095 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 23rd. September and finished on the 8th. October.
A very good Autumn with mild, showery weather.
Winter is long, particularly cold, with heavy frosts. The early Spring is fine but turns colder.
The warm weather arrives in June. A good summer, very hot, with a little rain on the 15th August.
The harvest takes place amid fine weather; it is even very warm.
The 1985 vintage is very good – the drought has not harmed the vines. The reds have very good, deep local tang and are keeping wines. The SYRAH wines are particularly successful.
The white wines are more jealous; a small amount, but of good quality.

1984

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 2,105,676 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 27th. September and finished on the 15th. October.
Fine weather in early Autumn; a substantial rain falls on the 25th. October only after five and a half months of drought. The end of this season is normal (rain and fine weather).
Winter is too dry, too mild. The Spring is cold and wet. The early summer is fine, but the weather turns bad at the end of August. September isn’t warm enough; it rains before the harvest.
The harvest sees mediocre weather.
The reds have good colour, but they are a little underdeveloped and lack the local tang. They will be ready quite quickly.
The white wines were produced with a little rot and can be forgotten today.

1983

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,932,971 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 16th. September and finished on the 6th. October.
A good Autumn. Winter is very wet and snowy ( typical wintry weather). The Spring is wet too. In early June the warm weather breaks out. Flowering goes well. This fine weather lasts until the harvest, with a little rain in early September. The fine weather continues throughout the harvest.
All being said and done, in order to have a good season and produce great wines, what matters is not the Autumn, the Winter, or the Spring, but to have a warm July and August, with a little rain at the maturation of the grapes, and good weather for the harvest. That’s the recipe! This vintage turns out to be an exceptional year in terms of quality, both for red and white, with an average harvest.
The reds have a deep colour, very distinguished tannins, and a good acidic base.
They are keeping wines “par excellence”.

1982

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 2,484,541Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 13th. September and finished on the 30th.September.
A very good, mild Autumn. In early December the Japanese quince is in bloom.
There is no winter either. A very good, dry summer with very little rain and thus drought. Growth is well under way, with flowering in early June.
Hence the harvest is early, and takes place in fine, warm weather and the grapes are well ripened.
This is a good vintage that has not received sufficient attention. The whites are heady and the reds are rounded, supple and richly coloured. In general there is a good harvest.
The SYRAH wines that can still be found are of surprising quality and are now ready for drinking.

1981

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,750,814 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 22nd. September and finished on the 8th. October.
A cold Autumn, with few fine days, with snow in the nearby mountains. The winter is the same – and a long one at that. The early Spring is sunny, but the second part is cold, with frosts. The early summer and August are hot. Early September brings rain. The harvest is affected by the bad weather. It’s a bad climatic season.
It is a mediocre vintage. The Maison Jaboulet doesn’t lay down any HERMITAGE “La Chapelle”. On the other hand, the whites are perfectly acceptable and need to be drunk rapidly.

1980

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 2,054,554 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 8th. October and finished on the 30th. October.
Autumn is fine and typically seasonal. The beginning of winter is rather cold, whereas the end is mild with some rain. The rain and the cold ruin the Spring. Flowering is very late, finishing only in early July. The early summer is too cold, with the warm days arriving only after the 15th. July. August is very good. Growth is late. The nights are cool.
The harvest is late and is disturbed by a light rain, dried by the Mistral, but lowering the temperature. The whites hold their own well; they have a well balanced acidity. Finally the reds come out well, despite an anarchical, irregular climatic season. They have good colour. They are wines to be drunk fairly young. They are pleasant.
This is the first time that the harvest exceeds 2 million hectolitres. This is due to the PLC, better yields and, above all, to the increased planting of “appellation” vines.

1979

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,882,892 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 25th. September and finished on the 22nd. October.
Autumn is fine, but with foggy mornings; the drought continues.
Winter is long, mild at first, cold later on. The Spring is neither warm nor cold. Then a very dry summer which stunts growth a little.
However, the harvest starts on the 25th September and in the middle of it there is some rain which is rapidly dried by the Mistral. The white wines are good, distinguished, and rapidly taken up.
The reds, on the other hand, are keeping wines, very good, with perhaps a slight lack of acidity as a result of the drought. This is a very good vintage that has announced itself too modestly, given its quality.

1978

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,858,004 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 5th. October and finished on the 23rd. October.
The Autumn turns cold after several fine days. The winter is cold and snowy. Spring is cold and very wet; growth is slowed down. Helicopter spraying is tried out on the HERMITAGE for the first time, with good results. Flowering begins only on the 15th. June. July, August and September are very good months.
There is good weather for the harvest, and very healthy grapes which give very good wines and, in some cases such as in the north (HERMITAGE, COTE ROTIE) some exceptional red wines, still closed(?), which will keep well. The whites are rare, rounded, and heady.

1977

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,601,280 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 10th. October and finished on the 21st. October.
The Autumn is so wet that there are floods. The winter is just as wet and the flooding even greater. At the beginning of Spring, growth is well under way but it is to be cold, so much so that the heating is kept on in homes for another month. The summer isn’t warm enough, resulting in some severe attacks of mildew. It is only from early September that the weather improves, but not enough to give a good, regular maturity. Climatically, it is a poor year.
The wines of 1977 are to be forgotten.

1976

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,776,423 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 6th. September and finished on the 21st. September.
Once again a rainy Autumn, which is beneficial, considering the previous drought.
The beginning of winter is cold, then mild and cold weather alternate. The Spring is neither good nor very cold.
Flowering takes place in early June and then in the summer, the months of June, July, and August are extremely dry. An enormous drought, but with some rain in mid-July which accelerates the growth of the vines. It is, climatically, an almost perfect year for the vine.
The harvest is early and goes well. The 1976 vintage gives a large quantity of good wines, and sometimes very good wines, of which neither the food and wine writers, nor the media, have talked about – to their discredit.
Today, the well-keeping wines of the SYRAH are witness to the quality of this vintage.

1975

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,513,291 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 23rd. September and finished on the 11th. October.
A typical Autumn, a mild winter.
Spring is relatively good.
The flowering goes well in June and July is good without being too hot.
However, August is torrid and drought sets in.
A seemingly beneficial rain falls in early September.
The harvest starts on the 23rd September, unfortunately with alternating rain and sun. A few zones of rot appear.
The 1974 vintage will not leave great memories because of the rain that fell before and during the harvest.

1973

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,743,713 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 24th. September and finished on the 13th. October.
A good Autumn follows the 1972 harvest. The winter is quite cold with a few frosts, and rain, which is usual. A good start to June, which helps the flowering. July is gloomy, but August is very good, very dry, even too dry at the period of maturation.
The weather is good for the harvest, then towards the end it rains heavily in the South and it becomes cooler.
Altogether, a good vintage, especially considering the quantities. The lactic fermentation proceeds rapidly. A good vintage, saleable.

1972

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,386,449 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 26th. September and finished on the 19th. October.
A good Autumn follows the 1971 harvest, warm for the season, too dry even. The winter is drizzly, too mild, with no frosts, which is rare. In April, a few weeks of good weather but then the weather turns bad and finally the Spring is neither good nor warm : even cold for the season. The summer which follows is no better. So, altogether, a poor season for growth.
The harvest is good at the beginning, then towards the end it rains.
A mediocre vintage, to be forgotten, except for the wines produced on the slopes which are very good wines in small quantities.

1971

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,348,190 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 26th. September and finished on the 8th. October.
In December 1970, a metre of snow fell in the Rhône valley (in three flurries), which is exceptional. The motorway is blocked. In all, the winter is long and hard.
The Spring is not very good either; flowering is late and there is some crop failure. The warm days arrive only in July, then the summer is warm and dry. The weather is good for the harvest.
The 1971 vintage gave an average quantity crop of well balanced, good, pleasant wines. In HERMITAGE, the reds are very good. It’s not a much talked-about, or written-about vintage, which is a shame as it merits TWO STARS.

1970

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 1,498,354 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 22nd. September and finished on the 17th. October. In 1969, the winter came early and was long. For Whitsun, the warm weather has still not yet shown up. The vineyards are behind in growth. On the 25th. May the warm days arrive.
The following months of July and August are very hot. On the 20th August, there is a favourable gentle rain and on the 22nd.September the harvest begins.
RESULTS: a quite large harvest, good healthy wines which, in all, will develop quite rapidly. A good commercial year, especially for the northern wines, those based on the Syrah grape. The tannins are supple and distinguished.

1969

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 678,345 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 23rd. September and finished on the 18th. October. Winter not cold enough, not too cold in Spring. In June, the heating has to be put back on: something unheard of in living memory. The warm days arrive in July and August is a good month. The harvest goes well.
There is a large crop and the grapes are healthy. We have good red wines that will keep well, with rich colour.
The white wines are correct: fruity and well balanced with acidity. They are elegant.

1966

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 951,282 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 23rd. September and finished on the 8th. October.
Mild winter, bad spring. Good weather is becoming rare in springtime. Summer not bad until August, then good weather until the end of the harvest.
A vintage one could not have hoped for, springing from the last two fine months and nevertheless a great red vintage (3 stars) especially in the Hermitage. A lot of local tang, a great Syrah wine.

1964

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 918,471 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 16th. September and finished on the 4th. October.
A long, cold winter, a poor Spring. The warm days arrive in June, a very good summer.
A good year for the red, supple wines, low in acidity, which will keep well, in good quantity.
For the whites, the Maison Jaboulet is trying a low-temperature fermentation on a clean must for the first time. The results are excellent; the method will be continued in the future.

1963

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 634,965 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 30th. September and finished on the 15th. October.
The worst year ever.
Bad weather, continuous rain throughout the year and for the harvest.

1962

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 893,467 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 28th. September and finished on the 13th. October.
A normal winter with a few frosts.
No Spring, no warm days until the beginning of July.
Summer very hot and very dry.
Good harvest.
Small crop of white and good red crop.
It will be a good year both in quantity and quality for the reds, somewhat outshone by the 1961 vintage.
For the whites, a small crop, but very fruity, fresh wines with character.

1961

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 535,039 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 13th. September and finished on the 23rd. September.
A very good winter, a good early spring, the vines have a good start.
Unfortunately, a lot of rain in early June, causing a significant crop failure.
Afterwards, ideal weather until the end of the grape harvest, which produces an exceptional (four star) red vintage.
On the other hand, the white wines escaped the bad weather at flowering time, resulting in a good-sized crop and well-balanced wines, with a lot of character.

1959

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 607,319 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 17th. September and finished on the 2nd. October.
A very good growing season, with good weather for the grape harvest.
Very good wines despite the considerable quantity.

1955

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 545,997 Hl.
In the northernmost part, the grape harvests began on the 26th. September and finished on the 10th. October.
A rainy spring, a dry summer.
Very good red and white wines.

1953

The total harvest of the Côtes du Rhône wines is 362,691 Hl.
In the northern most part, the grape harvests began on the 21st. September and finished on the 8th. October.
It is a very good vintage, produced from a rather small crop.
The rare bottles of HERMITAGE “La Chapelle” that can still be found, give a wine which is ready to drink and of great class, with notes of humus and truffle; a real delight to accompany a woodcock.