1959 Bordeaux Vintage

The 1959 growing season opened with a mild February and a warm, spring-like March that pushed vine growth approximately two weeks ahead of schedule. Summer conditions were near-perfect all the way through to the autumn, when mid-September rains arrived briefly, only to give way to hot, dry weather that set a magnificent stage for harvest. Harvest began on September 20th with roughly half the normal yield, a direct consequence of the devastation wrought by the 1956 winter freeze. The year stood as the hottest and driest Bordeaux had seen in a decade, producing grapes of exceptional ripeness and sugar concentration.

• Spring: Mild February and warm March pushed bud break two weeks ahead of the average schedule
• Summer: Exceptional heat and sunshine through August, among the most intense of the preceding ten years
• September: Mid-month rains were followed by a return to hot, dry conditions ideal for harvest
• Harvest: Began September 20th; reduced crop from 1956 frost legacy concentrated flavors in surviving vines

The 1959 vintage was successful across virtually every Bordeaux appellation, making it one of the most consistent great vintages in the region's history. The Left Bank, led by the gravelly communes of Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Pessac-Leognan, delivered arguably the finest results, with the well-draining soils thriving under hot, dry conditions. The Right Bank overcame the lingering impact of the 1956 frost to produce exceptional wines in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. A critical factor cited by French critic Michel Bettane was that the 1956 freeze had killed all young vines, meaning the 1959 harvest came predominantly from older vines, adding complexity to the wines. Sauternes and Barsac enjoyed the decade's greatest sweet wine vintage.

• Left Bank (Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Pessac-Leognan): Outstanding results; generally considered the most consistent performers of the vintage
• Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Emilion): Also strong, with older surviving vines contributing remarkable depth and complexity
• Graves/Pessac-Leognan: La Mission Haut-Brion earned a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker
• Sauternes and Barsac: The finest sweet wine vintage of the 1950s, with noble rot development encouraged by pre-harvest rain

The 1959 vintage produced benchmark wines at the top estates of both banks, and critical praise was effusive both at release and across the following decades. Time magazine declared it 'the year of the Great Wine,' and the vintage is credited with catalyzing American demand for fine Bordeaux. Michael Broadbent described Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1959 as 'one of the best-ever Lafites, mammoth and superb,' while calling Chateau Latour 'glorious, perfect enough to keep maturing for another quarter century.' Robert Parker singled out Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1959 as one of the greatest Moutons he had ever encountered, noting its youthful black-purple color and extraordinary power even many decades after the vintage. La Mission Haut-Brion earned a perfect 100-point score from Parker. Chateau Margaux, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Leoville-Las Cases, Vieux Chateau Certan, and Trotanoy were also repeatedly cited as outstanding examples.

• Chateau Lafite Rothschild: Described by Michael Broadbent as 'one of the best-ever Lafites, mammoth and superb'
• Chateau Latour: Broadbent called it 'glorious, perfect enough to keep maturing for another quarter century'
• Chateau Mouton Rothschild: Parker described it as 'one of the greatest Moutons produced in the last thirty-five years,' with a youthful black-purple color and extraordinary power
• La Mission Haut-Brion: Received a perfect 100 points from Robert Parker, one of six such scores across the estate's history

When the 1959s were first released, their lush, forward style led many critics and consumers to drink them early, which is precisely why they are rarer today than the harder, more austere 1961s. Yet those who cellared their bottles were amply rewarded. Compared head-to-head with the 1961s, the 1959s have shown greater overall consistency, tasting younger, fresher, more concentrated, and more complex. Most of the better examples are now fully mature and will not improve further, though top First Growths and top-tier properties in excellent storage may still offer magnificent drinking. Provenance and ullage are critical considerations for any purchase of this vintage today.

• Top First Growths and Classed Growths in ideal storage: Fully mature but many still offering magnificent complexity and vitality
• Most bottles at or past peak: The vintage's approachable style at release led to early consumption; surviving bottles should be assessed carefully
• Sauternes (Yquem and peers): Rich, concentrated sweet wines with the structure to continue evolving in exceptional cellars
• Buyer caution: Age, storage history, provenance, and the risk of counterfeits make careful sourcing from trusted auction houses essential

The heat of 1959 created grapes of exceptional ripeness and elevated natural sugar levels, producing wines with high alcohol for the era and relatively low acidity. This sparked immediate controversy: some critics predicted the wines would not age without sufficient acidity, but Professor Emile Peynaud argued persuasively that abundant extract, fruit, alcohol, and tannin rendered high acidity unnecessary. Six decades of bottle development have proven Peynaud correct. Fermentation posed challenges for producers working without modern temperature-control technology, and those who managed the heat successfully produced wines of the highest quality. The reduced crop from surviving older vines, a direct legacy of the catastrophic 1956 freeze, added to overall concentration.

• Natural ripeness: Hot, dry season produced elevated sugars and alcohol, uncommon for the era without chaptalization
• Acidity debate: Low pH prompted early skepticism about aging potential; Professor Emile Peynaud argued concentration and tannin compensated effectively
• Fermentation challenge: High harvest temperatures made temperature control during fermentation difficult for estates without modern equipment
• Vine age contribution: The 1956 frost killed young vines, leaving only older vines to produce the 1959 crop, adding complexity and depth

The 1959 vintage arrived at a pivotal moment for Bordeaux's commercial history. The 1956 frost had devastated vineyards across both banks and imposed severe financial hardship on producers; 1959 was the first vintage of genuine quality and reasonable quantity since that disaster. A timely devaluation of the French franc by President Charles de Gaulle made Bordeaux wines more accessible to American buyers, and the publicity surrounding 'The Vintage of the Century' unleashed a wave of U.S. demand that shifted the export balance away from its centuries-long British dominance. The vintage helped establish American collectors as a major force in the fine Bordeaux market, a dynamic that would only intensify in the decades ahead with the rise of critics like Robert Parker.

• Post-1956 recovery: First great vintage since the catastrophic 1956 frost, restoring producer finances and international confidence in Bordeaux
• American market breakthrough: De Gaulle's franc devaluation made Bordeaux affordable to U.S. buyers just as 'Vintage of the Century' publicity peaked
• Media phenomenon: Time magazine coverage and widespread press attention made 1959 the first Bordeaux vintage to capture broad American popular interest
• Collector scarcity: Early drinking due to the vintage's approachable style means surviving bottles are increasingly rare and valuable, demanding careful provenance verification