How do you define a bad vintage? If you’re a grower, you might say it’s a year of poor weather, disease and pests. Low yields, even if quality is acceptable, means producers will be out of pocket. Wine lovers aren’t quite so concerned about conditions or quantity, however – it’s the quality in the bottle that matters most to us.
From anyone’s point of view, therefore, 2021 will not go down as a good Rhône vintage. ‘It’s the year you never wish for,’ said Jean Gonon of Domaine Gonon, with a degree of sangfroid, ‘but it happens.’
The difficulties can all be traced back to the night of 7 April, when temperatures dropped to -7°C. ‘Even my father never saw a frost this bad,’ said Pierre Rostaing
