which is the best vintage for red wine and what would be the estimated cost?

Answer 1

There are too many variables to answer your question. Great red wines are produced in dozens of countries, including the US, France, and Italy, to name a few. In addition to that, there is the style of wine that you want: some grape varietals and styles appeal more to certain people.
You might get a great argument about whether, say, Chateau Lafite was better in 1953 or 1961, but not whether Lafite was better than Latour in 1953. Even in Bordeaux, one could get in serious trouble just by purchasing from the vintage. Petrus commands the highest price of all the Bordeaux wines, but is it the best? It is if you are drinking it and everyone else lusts after it. Personally I find that a stupid way to drink wine, but then again, I can't afford Petrus either so maybe it's just sour grapes on my part.

Oftentimes even within a specific area like Bordeaux, there are tremendous variations in a vintage; certain parts of Bordeaux have different soil and are better acclimated to different grape varietals which predominate in their wines. In addition, what might be a great vintage (by and large) in Bordeaux might be a terrible vintage in Burgundy or the Rhone or even the Loire. It gets very complicated. Depending on vintage charts will only get you close, in many cases and, may even lead you astray.

My advice to you, if you wanted a great bottle, would be to first read the reviews of said bottle and then set out to find it. Be aware that you may purchase wine at various wine auctions, sites available on the web, but oftentimes that is no guarantee of the quality.

At a 1961 Bordeaux tasting two years ago, we had to open three bottles of one first growth wine to get one that was drinkable. Of course, one has no way of knowing, outside the general appearance of the bottle, feel of the cork and the ullage. In the present example, all the bottles looked equally good. It was an expensive surprise.

Prices of bottles vary a great deal and the web is a decent starting point for how much you want to pay. You can spend thousands of dollars per bottle easily. Please be aware that buying older wines is almost like throwing the dice. Even when you age wines yourself in air conditioned cellars, it is no guarantee you will end up with a superior product: I had a California Pinot Noir maker whose corks began leaking (bad corks) when they were 8 years old. Fortunately, I saved most of them and they were pretty good, but the wine could have used more bottle age. I wish you better luck.
Also try Michael Broadbent's The Great Vintage Wine Book. It's cover to cover tasting notes. Avoid that moron Robert Parker and The Wine Speculator too. I admit that this is very personal, but I think wineries get the rave reviews if they order advertising!

Answer 2

Your question is too broad. A 1988 Tignanello is spectaular, but a 1988 Franzia Merlot won't be.

Each area in the world may have had a different success in a certain year. A 1975 Chateau Rothschild may be great, but a 1975 Oregon Pinot may not be. And older does not mean better. A 2000 Barolo will be better than a 1972 Barolo.

Your best bet is to pick a type of wine that you like and then talk to someone at a wine shop that carries older vintages along with current years about what vintages are the best. I've linked to a few vinetage charts and a brief explanation/introduction on red wines. Enjoy!

Answer 3

Vintage means the year the grapes grow.

Red wine is made all over the world and different years are better for some places than other. Even in the same state the weather can vary and affect wine from different places.

There is no answer to your question because you do not specify the wine you want the cost of or the area it is made.

Answer 4

I'll make some assumptions and see if I can give you a useful answer:

California, readily available, Red wines:


In the Cabernets, there are excellent vintages currently being released:

The 2002 and 2003 cabs are very good from Napa and Sonoma at the typical $40 to $100 prices. The 2001s are showing excellent right now as well, at higher prices because of the more limited availability and cost of storage.

In Pinot Noir:
The current releases of 2003 and 2004 are solid at reasonable prices (The Sideways factor seems to be fading a bit). We bought several at $32 to $40 last week when we were in Sonoma.

Answer 5

Vintage refers to the year the grapes were grown, I think you may be looking for the varietal or type of grape, Cabernet sauvignon is the most widely grown and most popular red wine grape in the world,
but it has different flavors and body depending on were it is grown in the world, as little difference as 50 to 100 miles can effect the flavors found in wine of the same grapes. As for cost my suggestion to you is try before you buy. go to a wine bar or winery and try several red wines and see how the differ this exploration is fun and in formative. then it comes down to did you like the taste of the wine enough to pay the price they are asking for it.

Answer 6

do no longer brush aside the California wines. There are some super wines from the Napa Valley you will desire to evaluate. The reserve Berringer determination are very solid, as are possibilities from Charles Krug and St. Supery.