The Highs and Lows of the 2001 Vintage

Dana Nigro
Posted: January 3, 2002

		Austria
		Canada
		France
		Germany
		Italy
		Portugal
		Spain
		United States
		Also:
		2001 Harvest Diaries
		2000 Vintage Report

Now that the anticipated economic slowdown has set in and there isn't a "millennium" vintage to hype, winemakers were especially hoping for great weather this year to produce top-notch wines that would fly off the shelves. As often happens, the sun shone brightly on some, while others always seemed to need an umbrella.

The United States had a hard year on many fronts, but when it came to grapegrowing, everything seems to have turned out favorably. Vintners throughout California, New York, Oregon and Washington were excited about the quality of their young wines, with Cabernet and other unusually ripe reds standing out in a quality crowd.

France did not share in those across-the-board blessings. Champagne had a wet year, and Burgundy and the Rhône expect uneven quality. Bordeaux seems to be the star of 2001, with both the reds and the sweet whites being compared to classic vintages.

Italy was a mixed bag from north to south, but top producers in Piedmont and Tuscany believe 2001 will be outstanding for them. Fans of Austria and Germany's whites have reason for enthusiasm, as dry and sweet styles are turning out well. Port producers are relieved that favorable weather late in the season saved the day, and in Spain, Rioja producers anticipate ageable reds.

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Read Wine Spectator's coverage of individual winegrowing regions:

Austria

A hot, dry growing season produced healthy grapes, and those who waited out September rains to harvest during a sunny October and November expect high-quality wines.

Canada

An unusually warm and dry summer in both Ontario and British Columbia allowed for riper reds than usual in these cool-climate regions. But it's still uncertain if much icewine will be made.

France

Alsace
A warm October saved the day, allowing growers to harvest ripe grapes, and in some cases, make sweet late-harvest wines.

Bordeaux
A late harvest under sunny skies gave estates another outstanding vintage. The young reds have been compared to top years such as 1986, and the sweet whites in Sauternes and Barsac are said to resemble the legendary 1990 vintage.

Burgundy
Challenged by weather problems, winemakers predicted uneven quality for the year. Chardonnay fared better than Pinot Noir, at least in the Côte de Beaune, although Chablis struggled with rain.

Champagne
A very wet year resulted in wines that are not of vintage quality, but are suitable for blending into non-vintage cuvées.

Loire Valley
Recent vintages have tested producers, but despite some odd weather, 2001 looks to be a step up in quality -- perhaps the best year since 1997.

Rhône Valley
Caught between a summer scorcher and late September rains, vintners say overall quality is uneven, but those who picked at the right time will do well. There's no clear winner yet between the north and south, but both areas made very fine whites.

Germany

Producers are upbeat about a potentially outstanding vintage for everything from kabinett to TBA, although quantities are 25 to 30 percent lower than average.

Italy

Piedmont
In what may be their sixth excellent year in a row, leading producers are seeing rich, balanced reds, such as Barolo and Barbaresco.

Tuscany
Top estates said they made some outstanding wines, despite a harvest-time deluge and April's frost and hail, which reduced crops in Montalcino.

Other Italy
Challenging weather -- mostly notably a long summer drought -- led to reduced yields and some unbalanced wines in the south, while autumn rains further complicated matters in the northeast. But high-quality whites are expected in Friuli, Umbria and Campania.

Portugal

After a damp growing season, the Port harvest was saved by a hot, dry fall, and the young wines appear above average in quality.

Spain

New restrictions on yields in Rioja, spring frosts in Ribera del Duero and hot weather elsewhere resulted in smaller crops than usual, and often more-concentrated wines.

United States

California
Heavyweight Cabernets from Napa and Sonoma stand out in a year when many varieties fared well in the North and Central Coasts.

Washington/Oregon
Both states saw record crops and high quality for the fourth year in a row, but thinning was needed to make top Oregon Pinot Noir.

New York
Long Island hit a high note with Merlot, and a warm fall allowed reds to ripen fully in the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley.