My annual "Century of..." article revisits vintages on their decennial anniversaries. This year, we dive into Fives.

The 1990 Hennebelle is a pertinent reminder of the glories of Bordeaux, how a modest quarter-century-old Haut-Médoc could deliver such pleasure.

Bordeaux is facing its biggest crisis since the 1930s. After speaking candidly to people in and outside of Bordeaux, I felt a duty to depict the sheer scale of the calamity the Bordeaux wine industry is up against.

The 2015 vintage in Bordeaux was warmly received on release, but 2016 stole the limelight just 12 months later. How is the vintage faring now that the wines have reached age ten? Blindfolds on.

I have tasted a great deal of mature Bordeaux wine, including Sauternes, but I have not yet achieved the magic number of 100 different vintages from a single estate. I mentioned my goal to Lorenzo Pasquini, Yquem’s head winemaker, when visiting in April, and he promised to do his best to help, cracking open a selection of mainly off-vintages that filled some of the gaps.

Clos Fourtet is one of the most picturesque and ideally located châteaux in Saint-Émilion, blessed with some of the finest terroir on the limestone plateau. Under Mathieu Cuvelier, Clos Fourtet has realised its potential and is now regarded amongst the appellation’s best wines. The heart of this piece is an interview with Cuvelier following a vertical tasting of recent vintages, detailing specifics of the vineyard and winemaking approaches.

Twenty-four was a tough fight for Bordeaux winemakers, but one that some were prepared for. While there are unavoidable shortcomings in the wines, some châteaux succeeded where they would have once failed. This report will not tell you whether to buy the wines or not, since prices are only just being released. But it will tell you exactly what I think about the quality of the unfinished barrel samples.

It’s no secret that Bordeaux endured a challenging growing season in 2024. Despite the ups and downs of a year that featured heavy rainfall and constant disease pressure, among other events, the most skilled winemakers found a way to make gorgeous wines. The 2024s are all over the place in terms of quality and style, so readers will have to be selective. Within that context, the very best wines have a lot to offer.

Head Winemaker Lorenzo Pasquini flew to the UK to present the latest vintage of Château Yquem. Meeting in central London, Italian-born Pasquini gave me the background on the 2022.

Following Antonio Galloni’s take on this year’s late releases from Château Latour (the First Growth having exited the customary primeur campaign in 2012), here is my own take on the trio that will hit the market this March.

The bottled 2022 Bordeaux arrive at a critical point for the region. Whilst 2022 is not an infallible vintage—and this report pulls no punches—the highs are future legends. Now, if they can just get the prices right…

The 2009 and 2010 Cos d'Estournel were among the vintages poured at the Vinous Icons Miami event in November 2024. They provide an enlightening contrast between two stylistically different vintages.

The 2022 Bordeaux elicited quite a bit of enthusiasm at the outset. That’s not surprising, given the challenges of the preceding 2021 harvest. The world and the wine market have changed quite a bit since then in so many ways. But the fundamental question remains: How are the 2022s now that they are in bottle? The short answer is that the very best 2022s are truly spectacular. But there is also some variability, as we will explore below.

Le Lion d’Or is unapologetically traditional and a little quirky. This is hearty, stomach-filling French food that cares little for fad or fashion. That’s why I fell in love with it.

This year’s new releases from Château Latour are especially strong as they span three important vintages, each of which has something to offer. I tasted the wines with Estate Director Hélène Genin during a visit to the château in December 2024.

Maison François comes highly recommended, especially for larger groups looking for a livelier lunch or dinner with quality French cooking accompanied by decent wines. There is a relaxed vibe and the standard is a cut above the rest. It nods to the past and yet it feels contemporary with plenty of Gallic style. Most of all, it belongs to a cadre of London restaurants that treats wine lovers with respect.

After 25 years, I finally re-tasted one of the legendary vintages of Yquem. This extremely rare wine is a joy from start to finish.

The 1982 vintage in Bordeaux was a pivotal moment for Bordeaux—the touchpaper that moved the region into the modern age.

The 2020 growing season rests in a surreal haze of upturned history, so I was naturally intrigued to see how the wines would show when it was 2020’s turn for the annual Southwold tasting in January.

Best vintage of the 20th century? 1945. Few will argue against that. A one-off historical nexus of victory against evil with victory in the vineyard.

A rare century-old bottle of 1924 Gruaud Larose was a late addition to a mouth-watering line-up of fermented grape juice poured at Ming Court restaurant on my final night in Hong Kong.

Marquis de Terme is a Margaux château that flies under the radar. Estate director Ludovic David offered me a rare insight into the property and presented a vertical of over 20 vintages back to the postwar period.

It has been several years since I last tasted the 1985 Cheval Blanc. When this was poured, a guest enquired whether I liked it, to which I replied: “It’s Cheval Blanc…It’s 1985…Of course!”

Last year, I attended the unveiling of the new artist label at Mouton-Rothschild. This was the first time it was held at the First Growth in Pauillac. Once the artist, Chiharu Shiota, had received her round of applause for her 2021 ‘balloon’ label, guests gathered for dinner featuring two vintages.

When visiting this Pauillac Second Growth earlier this year, Nicolas Glumineau poured several vintages blind. The theme turned out to be years ending in eight, though when he invited me to choose another, I headed for one of the more disparaged of the 20th century, not without sound reason…