Vintage Weather
2003 across the wine world
Every region on record for 2003, read the same way: temperature, rain, harvest timing, and the events that shaped the season.
Mendoza's hottest year on record produced concentrated, high-alcohol Malbec.
Harvested autumn 2003
Severe drought cut yields but produced deep, concentrated Shiraz and Cabernet.
Harvested autumn 2003
Europe's hottest summer since 1540 scorched Bordeaux into extreme concentration.
A catastrophic heatwave made the earliest harvest since 1893 and record-low acidity.
Frost then a record heatwave made a tiny, opulent, low-acid vintage.
Europe's hottest summer since 1540 built extreme concentration and heat stress.
Europe's most extreme heatwave in 500 years split producers into stars, letdowns.
Europe's hottest summer since 1540 built soft, low-acid Barolo.
The hottest summer in 150 years made concentrated but uneven wines.
Europe's infamous heatwave was tempered by rain timed at the right moments.
A cold wet spring ran a month late before September heat compressed harvest.
A hot, dry season that gave richly ripe wines with high alcohol and low acid.
A roller-coaster season of cold spring, heat spikes, and a September storm.
Late heat then a cool September gave one of Washington's most admired years.