French Wine Vintage Tables

French wines represent for France a wonderful historical, cultural and economic legacy. The tables below will help you to identify the best years and vintages for some of the most renowned French wines like the Bordeaux and Champagne Wines.


The European laws classify wines in 2 main groups:

The French Table Wines

Made with national or European grapes and varietals, they are not submitted to quality rules.

The French Country Wines

These fine French wines generally inherit the name of the region they are produced in.

High-Quality French wine - The AOC label

These wines are made from grapes harvested from special soils. The Bordeaux area of France (Aquitaine) produces the best example of this type of wine. The wines are obtained according to strict production rules (limited production surface, limited production, minimum alcoholic degree, countryside knowledge etc).

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If it is a good idea to taste French wines within moderation, do not forget that the wine prevents heart diseases while sipped in a moderate and regular way.

French Wines Vintage Table Key: 5 = Exceptional 4 = Very Good 3 = Good 2 = Average 1 = Below Average "/" = Drink up or pour away ! "+" = greater than.

Year Red Bordeaux White Bordeaux Bordeaux Sauternes Red Bourgogne White Bourgogne Red Loire
2003 4 3 5 5 5 5
2002 +2 2 2 4 4 +2
2001 +3 +2 5 +2 4 +2
2000 5 +4 +2 3 +4 +2
1999 3 3 3 4 +4 3
1998 +3 3 +3 +4 +3 +2
1997 3 +2 +4 +3 5 5
1996 +3 +3 +4 5 5 4
1995 4 4 +4 4 +4 4
1994 +3 4 3 3 3 2
1993 3 +3 1 4 +2 4
1992 +2 +3 +1 +3 3 +3
1991 +1 2 +2 2 1 1
1990 +4 5 +4 5 +4 5
1989 5 4 5 +4 4 5
1988 +3 3 5 +4 +3 3
1987 3 2 1 3 / /
1986 4 4 +4 2 / /
1985 4 4 3 +3 4 4


Year Dry white Loire Alsace Champagne Red Rhone White Rhone Languedoc-Rousillon
2003 5 5 5 3 3 3
2002 +4 +3 2 1 2 +1
2001 +2 3 1 +3 2 4
2000 3 +3 3 +4 +4 4
1999 3 3 +2 +4 +4 2
1998 2 +3 3 4 +4 +4
1997 5 4 3 4 3 4
1996 4 4 4 +2 3 2
1995 4 +4 5 +4 4 +4
1994 +2 3 +3 +3 3 4
1993 3 4 +2 +2 3 +4
1992 3 +3 3 +3 3 +1
1991 1 +1 2 +2 3 +4
1990 5 5 5 +4 4 4
1989 5 5 5 +4 5 4
1988 4 +4 +4 4 4 4
1987 / / 1 +2 / +1
1986 3 / +3 +3 / /
1985 +4 4 5 +4 / /

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