1962 Bordeaux Vintage

The 1962 growing season was characterized above all by warmth and dryness. A warm, dry, sunny May promoted good flowering across the region, setting the stage for a large crop. The summer was warm, September was hot, and only minor rain fell throughout the entire growing season. The main defining characteristic of 1962 Bordeaux was, in fact, the lack of water. Harvest began at the end of September and was fully underway across all châteaux by October 1. This stands in sharp contrast to 1961, where a devastating late May frost had slashed yields to around 11 hectolitres per hectare and created intense concentration.

• A warm, dry, sunny May encouraged even flowering and set up a large crop across the appellation
• The main seasonal characteristic: low rainfall throughout, with a hot September accelerating ripening
• Harvest ran from late September through early October for red varieties; in Sauternes, botrytis-affected grapes were not ready to pick until after October 15
• The large crop contrasted sharply with the tiny, frost-reduced 1961 harvest, resulting in less concentration in the red wines

The Left Bank produced consistently good wines across Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, and Graves, with Pauillac delivering the most age-worthy expressions. The Right Bank, including Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, offered rounder, more accessible wines. However, the vintage's undisputed strength lay in Sauternes, where a late harvest beginning around October 15 yielded botrytis-affected grapes of remarkable richness. According to vintage notes, 1962 was generous in both quantity and quality in Sauternes, a rarity.

• Sauternes: The vintage's standout appellation, with ideal noble rot conditions producing richly concentrated sweet wines of real quality
• Pauillac: Château Latour produced the vintage's most celebrated red wine, still drinking well decades later with impeccable provenance
• Pomerol and Saint-Émilion: Château Pétrus and Château Cheval Blanc are cited among the red wine standouts of the vintage
• Médoc broadly: Château Mouton Rothschild also produced a well-regarded wine, noted as one of the vintage's better red expressions

Among red wines, Château Latour towers above the rest in 1962. Experienced tasters who have tried the vintage broadly agree that Latour is the wine of the year, and a note from a 2004 tasting described it as 'superior to Lafite,' with a 'seamless, wonderfully balanced palate, rich with glycerol and fruit,' scoring 95 out of 100. Château Cheval Blanc, Pétrus, and Mouton Rothschild are also highlighted as the vintage's better red expressions. In Sauternes, Château d'Yquem produced a wine described as 'wonderful in quality,' with an amber-gold colour and complex notes of tropical fruits, quince, honey, and spice.

• Château Latour 1962 (Pauillac): The wine of the vintage, with concentrated aromatics of cassis, smoke, truffle, and cedar; rated 95/100 in one notable 2004 assessment
• Château d'Yquem 1962 (Sauternes): Critics have scored this wine 90 points; described as rich and generous in both quantity and quality, with aromas of tropical fruits, honey, and spice
• Château Cheval Blanc and Pétrus 1962: Both cited by Wine-Searcher as standout red wines from the vintage
• Château Mouton Rothschild 1962: Also recognised as one of the better red expressions, with the vintage label famously illustrated by Chilean Surrealist artist Roberto Matta

The 1962 vintage was built for relatively early drinking, with charm and accessibility outweighing concentration and structural longevity. Most bottles tasted in 2012, on the vintage's 50th anniversary, were well past their prime. The vintage is best compared to 2001 Bordeaux: charming wines of genuine quality that drank well early but attracted little collector attention because they followed a truly legendary predecessor. For the rare surviving bottle today, careful provenance verification is essential, and expectations should be realistic.

• Most 1962 red Bordeaux were considered well past their prime when tasted around 2012; only exceptional examples with perfect storage may still offer reward
• Château Latour remains the one red wine of the vintage that has demonstrated genuine staying power, still impressive in recent tastings
• Château d'Yquem 1962 has the natural longevity of great Sauternes and may still offer pleasure with impeccable provenance
• Provenance is paramount: high-shoulder fills, correct storage conditions, and reliable chain of custody are essential before opening any 1962

The 1962 vintage reflects the traditional winemaking practices of early 1960s Bordeaux, before many of the cellar and vineyard improvements that would transform the region in subsequent decades. The large crop size meant that château selection was critical to quality. Fermentation techniques of the era relied on older wooden vats at most estates; notably, Château Latour was still using ageing wooden vats in 1962, which were replaced with stainless steel only in 1964. This was also a period before the widespread use of new oak became standard, meaning the wines were typically aged in a mix of older barrels.

• Traditional winemaking dominated: older fermentation vessels, limited new oak, and minimal intervention in the cellar
• Château Latour's 1962 was among the last vintages fermented in the estate's historic wooden vats, replaced by stainless steel in 1964
• The large crop required rigorous selection by quality-focused estates; lesser châteaux often lacked sufficient fruit concentration
• Natural alcohol levels were moderate, typical of the era, contributing to the vintage's lighter, more food-friendly style

Critical retrospective assessments consistently place 1962 at 87 points, classified as 'better than average.' It is widely acknowledged to live in the shadow of the legendary 1961, which earned a 96-point rating and is counted among the greatest Bordeaux vintages of all time. The 1962 vintage is not listed among the great post-war Bordeaux years, which include 1945, 1947, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1966, 1970, and 1982, among others. Its legacy is one of honest quality and early-drinking charm, with Sauternes its most lasting claim to distinction. The vintage is today largely forgotten by all but committed historians of older Bordeaux.

• Rated 87 points by The Wine Cellar Insider, classified as 'better than average'; the 1961 by comparison earned 96 points
• The vintage exists 'in the shadows of the legendary 1961 vintage,' according to multiple authoritative sources
• Best comparison vintage: 2001 Bordeaux, another charming, quality year overshadowed by its famous predecessor (2000)
• Today largely forgotten, though bottles with sound provenance remain worth exploring, particularly Château Latour and Sauternes from the vintage