1962 Wine

1962 Wine

Create an alert

The 1962 vintage belongs to the line of great Bordeaux classics, long eclipsed by the neighbouring legend of 1961. A warm, dry May encouraged even flowering, and a season with little rain ripened an abundant, healthy crop: the 1962 reds are balanced, with acidity that has preserved their freshness, and are now reaching full maturity. The Médoc produced the clearest successes, exemplified by Château Latour 1962, while Sauternes reached a rare high point, producing sweet wines rated above those of 1961, epitomised by Château d'Yquem 1962. Burgundy completes the picture with reds full of finesse and whites counted among the decade’s finest. To see where 1962 stands among the vintages of its era, consult our Vintage Guide.

  Read more
Read more
Create an alert
Our article on the 1962 vintage

Our article on the 1962 vintage
Bordeaux Classified Growths

Bordeaux Classified Growths
Our vintage guide

Our vintage guide
See how your order is prepared

See how your order is prepared

Filtrer

Regions
Château
Country
Appellation

Products (13)

Filter

Receive our latest arrivals of 1962 Wine by email!

Sign up and be the first to know about new arrivals.

The F.A.Q

Is 1962 a good vintage?

Yes, 1962 is a very good vintage that remained under the radar because it followed the legendary 1961. A warm, dry May ensured even flowering, while a season with little rain produced a healthy, abundant harvest. In Bordeaux, the reds were balanced from the outset, with acidity that has helped preserve them: the Médoc produced the most consistently good wines, such as Château Lynch-Bages, while Sauternes enjoyed one of its finest years of the decade. These wines are now fully mature and should be chosen for their finesse rather than their power.

Is a 1962 wine a good gift idea?

A 1962 wine is a meaningful gift to mark a birth year, a wedding anniversary or an important date. More than six decades old, it has now reached maturity and offers an emotionally resonant tasting experience, provided you choose a well-preserved bottle. The great wines of the Médoc and the sweet wines of Sauternes are the safest choices for a gift that has stood the test of time. Every bottle offered in our cellar comes with carefully documented provenance and has been stored under controlled conditions, giving you confidence in a wine of this age.

Which 1962 wines should you choose today?

With a vintage now at maturity, careful selection matters more than reputation alone. Well-preserved Médoc Bordeaux Classified Growths remain the most reliable reds, alongside the sweet wines of Sauternes, which rank among the vintage’s finest. Burgundy lovers should look first to the whites, which were exceptionally successful that year, and the finest Pinot Noirs of the Côte de Nuits. Before buying any bottle more than sixty years old, check the fill level, the wine’s colour and the condition of the label.

The 1962 vintage: a great classic to rediscover, long overshadowed by 1961

The 1962 vintage holds a special place among the post-war years: an honest, elegant classic whose misfortune was to follow one of the century’s most legendary vintages. The contrast in conditions explains it all: while 1961 brought a very small, highly concentrated harvest, 1962 produced an abundant, healthy crop after a warm spring and a dry growing season. The result is less showy but wonderfully balanced wines, with an acidity that gave them a longevity few expected. More than sixty years later, 1962 lives up to its promise: mature reds, sweet wines at their peak and white Burgundies among the greatest of their decade.

Bordeaux 1962 — Classic, easy-drinking reds, now mature

In Bordeaux, 1962 is a classic vintage, in the spirit of the great traditional years before winery modernisation. The harvest was abundant and healthy, and the summer’s lack of rain concentrated the ripe grapes without pushing them to excess. The resulting wines are not about power: they charm with their balance, freshness and now-mellow tannins, alongside tertiary aromas of tobacco, forest floor and leather. The Médoc, the most consistent area, produced the year’s clearest successes.

On the Left Bank, Château Léoville Las Cases and Château Montrose are among the vintage’s reliable choices, alongside Château Pichon Longueville Baron and Château Gruaud-Larose, all recognised by critics as offering some of the year’s best value for drinking pleasure. Château Latour, mentioned earlier, remains the benchmark wine of the vintage. On the Right Bank, the finest terroirs of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion complete the picture, though bottles now need careful selection on a case-by-case basis.

Ageing potential: well-preserved Médoc grands crus are ready to drink now; check the fill level and colour, and briefly decant the firmest reds.

Sauternes 1962 — Sweet wines at their peak, surpassing even 1961

It is in Sauternes that 1962 reaches its full potential. After a dry summer, well-timed rains triggered the development of botrytis, the noble rot that concentrates the grapes and gives sweet wines their richness and complexity. Unusually, the year was generous in both quantity and quality, and most commentators rate it above 1961 for sweet wines. The 1962 Sauternes combine richness, notes of honey, candied citrus and spice, and acidity that has held up beautifully over the decades.

Château d’Yquem, mentioned earlier, produced a generous wine that has become a benchmark for the vintage. Alongside it, the classified growths of the Sauternes appellation, such as Château Rabaud-Promis, a Premier Cru Classé, offer a more accessible introduction to older sweet wines, with a mellow texture and aromas of candied apricot and wax. They are among the year’s most reliable wines for ageing for anyone seeking a bottle that is both old and dependable.

Ageing potential: at their peak, the 1962 sweet wines are among the vintage’s safest choices; serve chilled after a brief decanting.

Burgundy 1962 — Reds full of finesse, whites among the decade’s finest

Burgundy, too, enjoyed a very fine 1962, long overshadowed by the brilliance of 1961. A late start and slow ripening through to the October harvest produced elegant, distinguished reds full of finesse, described by critics as easy-drinking and perfectly balanced. These are not powerful wines, but the best, from the great terroirs of the Côte de Nuits, have stood the test of time remarkably well.

The whites, above all, make this vintage distinctive: the 1962 white Burgundy grands crus are described by Decanter as probably the finest of the entire decade, born of a small, concentrated harvest with fine acidity. Among the reds, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti remains the benchmark for an outstanding Pinot Noir from the year, provided its provenance and fill level are checked meticulously.

Ageing potential: drink the whites without delay, choosing only impeccable bottles; for reds, limit purchases to grands crus from the most reliable estates.

Champagne 1962 — A great vintage declared by the leading houses

Champagne counts 1962 among its great vintage years. After a long winter and a spring disrupted by storms, summer turned the season around and allowed the grapes to ripen well. The leading houses declared a vintage, a sign of their confidence in the wines’ quality and ageing potential. Over time, the 1962 Champagnes have developed the complexity of mature wines, with notes of dried fruit, brioche and honey.

From Krug to Louis Roederer, by way of Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon, the 1962 vintage cuvées are among the bottles most sought after by collectors of Champagne. A Champagne of this age requires a reliable provenance and impeccable storage: when checked and inspected, these bottles offer a rare experience best saved for a special occasion.

Ageing potential: for experienced enthusiasts only; buy only a bottle with an impeccable fill level and colour, and drink it without leaving it lying down for too long.

Rhône and age-worthy wines of 1962 — Hermitage leads the way, with fine Armagnacs and port

In the Rhône Valley, 1962 ranks among the good years in the north. On the northern granite slopes, Syrah ripened steadily, producing medium-bodied but well-balanced wines with notes of black fruit, olive and spice. The Hermitage appellation leads the field, ahead of a more robust Côte-Rôtie, in reds that should now be opened without delay.

The 1962 vintage also stands out for its other age-worthy wines. The year’s fine Armagnacs, unaffected by the quality of grapes destined for winemaking, are among the most reliable and highly rated spirits of 1962: made for long keeping, they are equally suited to gifting or cellaring. The ports of the Douro, aged for many years in cask, offer an accessible, dependable introduction to older wines, with notes of walnut, coffee and dried fruit.

Ageing potential: Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie are ready to drink now; Armagnacs and ports can be kept without urgency and will withstand long cellar ageing.

Buy a 1962 wine from SoDivin

A 1962 wine is for the enthusiast seeking the pleasure of a mature classic rather than a show of power: a carefully chosen, distinguished Médoc, a Sauternes at its decade’s peak, a white Burgundy of rare finesse or, for the cellar, a fine age-worthy Armagnac. Every bottle in our 1962 selection is assessed by experts, checked for authenticity and provenance, then stored in optimal conditions before dispatch. Same-day dispatch for orders placed before 2 pm, careful and secure packaging, and high-definition photographs. To compare vintages and refine your choice, consult the SoDivin Vintage Guide.

Read more