In Bordeaux, the year on the label can matter as much as the name of the château. The same vineyard, farmed by the same team, can make a wine that peaks in eight years or one that is still climbing at thirty, depending on what the weather did between April and October.

That is why serious collectors talk in vintages. Buy a great château in a difficult year and you may be disappointed. Buy a modest château in a great year and you often find the best value in the cellar. This guide covers every vintage from 2010 to 2022: what the season was like, which bank did best, and whether to open your bottles now or keep waiting. We update it every year as the wines evolve.

13vintages rated
6outstanding on both banks
5ready to drink now
2022the one to cellar longest

What makes a great Bordeaux vintage?

Bordeaux sits close to the Atlantic, so its weather swings more from year to year than in warmer regions. A great vintage usually needs four things:

Even flowering in Juneso the vines set a full, healthy crop.
A warm, dry summerto concentrate the berries without shutting the vines down.
Cool late-summer nightswhich keep the freshness that lets the wine age.
A dry harvestso each variety is picked fully ripe, not rushed in ahead of rain.

Spring frost, a wet flowering, mildew or a rainy September can each take a vintage down a level.

Left Bank or Right Bank?

The Gironde estuary splits Bordeaux in two, and vintages often favour one side. When the chart below rates the banks differently, it is almost always because of when the rain came.

Left Bank · Médoc, Pessac-Léognan

Cabernet Sauvignon on gravel

Ripens late, so it shines when September is long and dry. Firmer wines that need more time.

Right Bank · Saint-Émilion, Pomerol

Merlot on clay and limestone

Ripens earlier, so it can still excel when autumn rain arrives. Rounder wines that open sooner.

New to the two banks? Read our full guide, Left Bank vs Right Bank.

Quality by vintage, 2010–2022

Each pair of bars shows how the Left Bank and Right Bank performed. Tap a year to jump to its notes.

Left BankRight Bank

Ratings reflect broad critical consensus for classified growths and top estates.

When to drink each vintage

Each bar shows the drinking window for top wines of that year. The black line is today. Use the buttons to see only the vintages you're looking for.

Drink nowDrink or holdCellar
2015Today203520452055

Windows are approximate, for classified growths. Simpler Bordeaux and second wines open several years earlier.

Vintage by vintage

Tap any year for the full story and bottles from our cellar.

2010MonumentalDrink or holdLeft: OutstandingRight: Outstanding

A hot, dry summer with cool nights produced wines with huge tannin and bright acidity at the same time. Together with 2009, it is one of the great back-to-back pairs in Bordeaux history. Top wines are only now starting to show their complexity and will reward another two decades of patience.

2011Classic and leanDrink nowLeft: GoodRight: Good

An early, hot spring was followed by a cooler, uneven summer. The wines are lighter and more savoury than 2010, with fresh acidity. Most are drinking well now and make fine partners for roast meats.

From our cellarChâteau Roc de Boisseaux 2011, a soft, Merlot-led Saint-Émilion at a perfect age.
2012Merlot's yearDrink nowLeft: MixedRight: Very good

A wet spring and harvest rain made life hard for late-ripening Cabernet. Earlier-ripening Merlot on the Right Bank, especially in Pomerol, came through best.

From our cellarChâteau de Camensac 2012, a supple Fifth Growth from the Haut-Médoc.
2013Difficult for reds, brilliant for whitesDrink nowLeft: WeakRight: Weak

Cold weather at flowering and rot at harvest cut the crop sharply. The reds are light and should be drunk now. The silver lining: dry whites and Sauternes from 2013 are precise and fresh.

From our cellarChâteau Joanin Bécot-Phoenix 2013 and Petite Laurence 2013, easy, open Merlots for the dinner table.
2014The late surpriseDrink or holdLeft: Very goodRight: Good

A cool, grey summer looked worrying until a warm, sunny September and October rescued it. Cabernet Sauvignon gained the most, so Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe and Margaux stand out. Many 2014s are classic in style and great value today.

From our cellarChâteau Durfort-Vivens 2014, an elegant Second Growth Margaux.
2015Sun-kissedDrink or holdLeft: Very goodRight: Outstanding

A warm, dry year that produced generous, ripe wines. The Right Bank and Margaux were exceptional. Late rain in the northern Médoc made Saint-Estèphe a little less consistent. Lesser wines drink now; top wines can wait.

2016Near-perfectCellarLeft: OutstandingRight: Outstanding

A wet spring, then a long summer drought broken by well-timed September rain. The result was ripe fruit with remarkable freshness and fine tannins, and many critics rank 2016 among the best Médoc vintages in decades. These wines are built to age, so decant generously if you open one now.

From our cellarChâteau Duhart-Milon 2016, Château Branaire-Ducru 2016, Château Gloria 2016, Clos du Marquis 2016, Château Sociando-Mallet 2016, Château Paveil de Luze 2016 and, for the Right Bank, Château Figeac 2016.
2017Frost-touchedDrink nowLeft: GoodRight: Mixed

A severe April frost hit lower-lying vineyards hard, especially on the Right Bank and away from the estuary. The best-sited estates, many on the Left Bank, made elegant, fresh wines that are charming now.

From our cellarChâteau Lafite Rothschild 2017, a poised, classical First Growth.
2018PowerfulCellarLeft: OutstandingRight: Outstanding

A very wet spring brought heavy mildew pressure, then a hot, dry summer ripened what survived to great depth. The wines are rich and full with plenty of structure. Patience is rewarded.

From our cellarChâteau L'Eperon 2018, proof that a great year lifts modest wines too.
2019BalancedCellarLeft: OutstandingRight: Outstanding

Heat waves in summer, but cool nights kept the wines fresh. The result is a vintage of rare harmony across both banks, the first of the celebrated 2018–2019–2020 trio to many palates.

From our cellarChâteau Phélan Ségur 2019, Les Pagodes de Cos 2019, Château Haut-Bergey 2019, Domaine de Chevalier 2019, and the First Growths Château Haut-Brion 2019, Château Mouton Rothschild 2019 and Château Margaux 2019.
2020ConcentratedCellarLeft: OutstandingRight: Outstanding

A wet spring was followed by an exceptionally dry summer that gave small berries with intense flavour. Yields were low, quality high. Hold these.

From our cellarHaut-Bailly II 2020 and Château de la Vieille Tour 2020.
2021Cool and freshDrink nowLeft: GoodRight: Good

Spring frost, a cool summer and mildew made this a grower's vintage. The best wines are lighter, lower in alcohol and classically styled, with a freshness that recalls Bordeaux of decades past. Ready sooner than the vintages around it.

From our cellarChâteau Prieuré-Lichine 2021, a graceful Margaux.
2022Heat with graceCellarLeft: OutstandingRight: Outstanding

Record heat and drought should have produced heavy, jammy wines. Instead, old vines and water-holding clay and limestone soils kept the grapes balanced, and the best wines combine great richness with surprising freshness. A vintage for the long haul.

Looking ahead: the newest vintages

The newest vintages are offered first as futures, known as en primeur. Explore our 2024 Bordeaux en primeur and 2025 Bordeaux en primeur selections, including pre-sale Château Pontet-Canet 2025.

How to buy, store and serve by vintage

For valueBuy good châteaux in great years. A Cru Bourgeois or second wine from 2016 or 2019 often outperforms a grand name from 2013.
For tonightLook to 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2017. They are open and food-friendly today.
For the cellarFocus on 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022. Open one every few years to follow how they change.
StorageBottles on their side at a steady 12–14°C, away from light and vibration.
DecantingYoung wines for one to two hours. Stand older bottles upright for a day, then pour gently off the sediment.
ServingReds at 16–18°C, a little cooler than most rooms.

Find your vintage

Hundreds of Bordeaux across these years, from everyday châteaux to the First Growths, shipped temperature-controlled across Canada.

Shop Bordeaux

Looking for a specific year? Call 780-760-0831 (English), 780-667-5137 (中文), or email care@canadianliquorstore.ca.