Unless you’re amassing a wine collection (no, me, neither), you probably don’t pay a whole lot of attention to vintages, but, while their importance can be overstated, it can be useful to know what to expect. You’re no doubt aware that the southern hemisphere harvests six months ahead of Europe, so their 2023 vintages are already on the shelves. Is it too soon to buy them, though? Depends what you’re shopping for: it suits sauvignon blanc and bright breezy reds, but is less good for more complex wines.
And what about those older vintages that you often find on sale at this time of year? Does older always mean better? Not necessarily, because they may already be dried out. A lot has to do with price. More recent releases are by and large better for cheaper whites and reds, but once you’re spending more than £12, say, an earlier vintage may offer the complexity you’re paying for. For instance, a 2021 such as the Sainsbury’s pouilly-fumé in my pick below, offers more than the typical 2022. And I see no point in spending £20-plus on a 2021 or 2022 châteauneuf-du-pape – you might as well just buy a decent côtes du Rhône instead.
