Vintage variation is the difference in a wine's character and quality from year to year, driven by each growing season's weather — temperature, rainfall, sunshine and timing. In marginal climates like Burgundy and Bordeaux, variation is dramatic, making vintage a key buying factor; in stable, warm regions it is smaller. Vintage charts summarise a year's quality, but producer skill can rescue a difficult year.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
Vintage variation is why vintage charts and a producer's track record across years both matter. Great vintages command premiums and age longest, but a top grower in a lesser year often beats a weak one in a great year.
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