1948 Wine

1948 Wine

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Sandwiched between two legends, 1947 and 1949, the 1948 vintage is the most modest of the four great post-war vintages, and undoubtedly the least known. A difficult flowering after a cold and wet June, followed by a hot and dry summer relayed by cool September nights, produced tannic wines that were slow to open and are today at perfect maturity, showing cedar, tobacco and dried fruits. On the left bank, Château Latour produces the wine of the year, of remarkable bearing and breed; on the right bank, Pomerol succeeds brilliantly. Our cellar holds two rare bottles from this vintage: the Château Margaux 1948, a grand cru from the Médoc still vibrant with acidity, and the Domaine des Lambrays 1948, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru from the Cosson era. To place 1948 among the years of its century, consult our Vintage Guide.

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Bordeaux Grand Cru Classés

Bordeaux Grand Cru Classés
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SoDivin Vintage Guide

Vintage Guide

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The F.A.Q

Is the 1948 vintage a great vintage?

The 1948 vintage is considered a very good post-war vintage, without reaching the mythical status of 1945 or 1947. It produced structured wines, classic and well-constituted, particularly in Bordeaux and in certain appellations of Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. The finest terroirs produced bottles capable of spanning the decades with elegance, which makes it today a sought-after vintage by lovers of old wines.

Is a wine from 1948 still drinkable?

Yes, a wine from 1948 can still be drinkable, provided it comes from a great terroir and has been perfectly stored. The finest Bordeaux, Burgundy or Rhône wines from 1948 have demonstrated genuine ageing potential.

Today, these old wines are at advanced maturity and offer above all great aromatic complexity (leather, undergrowth, truffle, spices). The state of preservation, the bottle level and provenance remain essential to guarantee a successful tasting.

What are the best regions for the 1948 vintage?

Bordeaux is among the most consistent regions in 1948, particularly in the Médoc, in Saint-Émilion and in Pomerol. In Burgundy, several grands crus from the Côte de Nuits have evolved well over time. In the Rhône Valley, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and certain northern appellations such as Hermitage produced structured and profound wines. In Champagne, vintage 1948 cuvées are extremely rare and constitute primarily collectors' pieces.

Vintage 1948: the classic tannic wine that remained in the shadow of 1947 and 1949

The 1948 vintage long suffered from an overwhelming neighbourhood: bracketed by the sun-drenched 1947 and the powerful 1949, it remained the most discreet of the four great post-war vintages. And yet it is a year of true character. Flowering hindered by a cold and wet June reduced volumes, before a hot and dry summer, followed by cool September nights, shaped tannic, upright wines built for long ageing. It took decades for the finest to reveal themselves, and it is today, at perfect maturity, that they deliver the full measure of an unjustly overlooked vintage.

Bordeaux 1948: Latour defines the vintage, Pomerol shines

In Bordeaux, 1948 is the most modest of the four great post-war vintages, but by no means the weakest. A cold and wet June complicated flowering, before a hot and dry summer — reaching 34°C on 20 July — relaunched ripening, aided by cool September nights around 3°C that preserved the freshness of the grapes. The harvest, healthy but limited in quantity, produced tannic, slow-to-open wines, which explains their long-discreet reputation compared to 1947 and 1949. Nearly eighty years on, the finest are medium-bodied, with melted tannins, showing cedar, tobacco and dried fruits.

The left bank reaches its peak here with Château Latour, whose 1948 from Pauillac is regularly cited as the wine of the year in the Médoc, refined and elegant. On the right bank, Pomerol succeeds brilliantly: the Vieux Château Certan 1948 is the most spectacular expression, alongside Petrus, one of the most complete wines of the vintage. At Pessac-Léognan, Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Haut-Brion confirm the consistency of their gravelly soils in a demanding year.

Burgundy 1948: a modest year, the Clos des Lambrays as a piece of history

In Burgundy, 1948 was a demanding year. A harsh winter, a late spring and a cool, wet summer delayed both budburst and flowering, before a warmer and drier September brought a welcome respite. The reds from the Côte de Nuits emerged light to medium-bodied, with supple tannins and without the depth of the truly great Burgundian years. The finest surviving bottles, patinated by time, seduce today through their delicacy rather than their power.

In this type of year, the hand of the estate makes all the difference. The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1948 ranks among the rare cuvées to have traversed the decades with authority. Our cellar holds above all a piece of history: the Domaine des Lambrays 1948, from the Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru during the era of Renée Cosson, owner since 1938 — a period marked by the refusal of chaptalization, long macerations and extended ageing in wood, whose wines retain a remarkable freshness.

Rhône Valley 1948: the north on the eve of the great 1949

In the Rhône Valley, 1948 stands out as part of a fruitful decade for northern Syrah, just before the great 1949. The north, around Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, relies on granite slopes conducive to longevity, producing structured and spicy wines. The year nonetheless remains less celebrated than the Rhône peaks surrounding it, and surviving bottles are today a true rarity.

The house of Paul Jaboulet Aîné, whose Hermitage La Chapelle would become legendary with the 1961 vintage, embodies this tradition of ageing in the northern Rhône. The rare bottles from the late 1940s still in circulation are aimed at lovers of very old Syrah, seeking an evolved profile of dark fruits, leather and spice.

Champagne 1948: a great harvest, a handful of rare cellar-worthy cuvées

In Champagne, 1948 was first and foremost a large harvest, abundant and healthy, the bulk of which fed non-vintage blends. A cold winter and a cool, wet spring were offset by a dry and sunny September, conducive to ripeness. Few houses ultimately declared the vintage, making the rare vintage cuvées of the year particularly sought after.

These bottles today belong to the realm of collecting: their evolved profile blends candied citrus, dried fruits, honey and toasted bread, over a quieter but still present bubble. From the great long-ageing houses such as Krug, only wines with perfectly documented provenance merit opening, as the risk from storage uncertainty grows with every passing decade.

Buy a 1948 wine from SoDivin

Choosing a 1948 wine is to bet on a wine of character, long underestimated, where the great terroirs of the left bank and Pomerol produced tannic wines that have, with time, become refined and profound. It is also an opportunity to give a rare and meaningful birth year. Our cellar currently offers two exceptional bottles from 1948, a Château Margaux from the Médoc and a Domaine des Lambrays from Morey-Saint-Denis, each assessed and verified for fill level, label and provenance before dispatch. To compare vintages and refine your choice, consult the SoDivin Vintage Guide. Same-day dispatch for orders placed before 2pm, careful and secure packaging, supported by high-definition photographs.

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