1991

A year of slow ripening, late harvests, and sleeper hits — 1991 favored the patient, rewarding producers who waited with wines of elegance and surprising longevity.

🗓️ Historic Moments

  • 🌍 Soviet Union formally dissolves, ending the Cold War

  • 📼 Nirvana’s Nevermind sparks grunge revolution

  • 🌀 Mount Pinatubo erupts, causing global climate effects

  • 📞 First GSM mobile phone call made in Finland

  • 🏳️ South Africa repeals apartheid laws

  • 📉 U.S. economy in recession following Gulf War

  • 🏈 Washington Redskins win Super Bowl XXVI

🇫🇷 Bordeaux (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Frost and rain challenged both flowering and harvest

  • Challenges/Highlights: Spring frost reduced yields; wet harvest hurt ripeness

  • Harvest Window: Late September to early October

  • Reception & Scores: Patchy quality; top estates triumphed in Médoc

  • Aging Potential: Best Médoc wines still alive, but most faded

🇫🇷 Burgundy (1991)

  • Weather Summary: A strong year following challenging early conditions

  • Challenges/Highlights: Low yields from frost but healthy fruit; Côte de Nuits excelled

  • Harvest Window: Mid-to-late September

  • Reception & Scores: Serious, structured reds; aging gracefully

  • Aging Potential: Top Premier and Grand Crus still impressive

🇫🇷 Rhône Valley (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Solid vintage with warm midsummer and autumn rains

  • Challenges/Highlights: Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage showed serious potential

  • Harvest Window: Late September into October

  • Reception & Scores: Underrated; especially strong in Northern Rhône

  • Aging Potential: Northern wines aging well; Southern Rhône less consistent

🇫🇷 Champagne (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Difficult conditions overall, not widely declared

  • Challenges/Highlights: Spring frost, cool summer, early picking

  • Harvest Window: Early to mid-September

  • Reception & Scores: Few vintage bottlings; focus shifted to blending

  • Aging Potential: Mostly base wine for NV blends

🇮🇹 Piedmont (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Rainy summer and cool ripening

  • Challenges/Highlights: Nebbiolo struggled; uneven phenolic ripeness

  • Harvest Window: October

  • Reception & Scores: Light, early-drinking Barolos and Barbarescos

  • Aging Potential: Most past peak

🇮🇹 Tuscany (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Cool and damp with few sunny breaks

  • Challenges/Highlights: Tough for Sangiovese; inconsistent ripening

  • Harvest Window: Late September to early October

  • Reception & Scores: Modest quality; some successes from coastal areas

  • Aging Potential: Early-drinking wines mostly past prime

🇪🇸 Rioja (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Balanced season with late harvest

  • Challenges/Highlights: High acidity, great freshness

  • Harvest Window: October

  • Reception & Scores: Classic, age-worthy vintage; officially rated "Excellent"

  • Aging Potential: Gran Reservas still show beauty and structure

🇩🇪 Mosel (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Cold year with slow ripening

  • Challenges/Highlights: High acid, low sugar; Kabinett-style wines preferred

  • Harvest Window: Late October into November

  • Reception & Scores: Elegant and crisp; not for botrytis fans

  • Aging Potential: Long-lived, especially for feinherb and dry styles

🇺🇸 Napa Valley (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Warm and consistent, nearly ideal for Cabernet

  • Challenges/Highlights: Benchmark year for structured, balanced reds

  • Harvest Window: Mid to late September

  • Reception & Scores: Classic Napa vintage; many iconic wines

  • Aging Potential: Still drinking beautifully; long cellar life

🇺🇸 Sonoma (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Slightly cooler than Napa, but dry and clean

  • Challenges/Highlights: Excellent Pinot Noir and Zinfandel

  • Harvest Window: Mid-to-late September

  • Reception & Scores: Elegant, vibrant wines with aging power

  • Aging Potential: Many still in prime

🇺🇸 Willamette Valley (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Cool, wet season with delayed ripening

  • Challenges/Highlights: Fungal pressure and uneven fruit development

  • Harvest Window: Mid-to-late October

  • Reception & Scores: Light-bodied, high-acid Pinots; mixed critical reception

  • Aging Potential: Most wines faded; few cellar-worthy examples

🇺🇸 Washington State (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Steady ripening season, no major extremes

  • Challenges/Highlights: Quietly strong year for Merlot and Cabernet

  • Harvest Window: September to early October

  • Reception & Scores: Solid quality but overlooked at the time

  • Aging Potential: Surprising longevity in top bottlings

🇦🇺 Australia (1991)

  • Weather Summary: Very good conditions across South Australia

  • Challenges/Highlights: Barossa and Coonawarra excelled with structured Shiraz

  • Harvest Window: February to April

  • Reception & Scores: One of the top Aussie vintages of the decade

  • Aging Potential: Many still powerful and evolving