2000 Wine

2000 Wine

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The millennium ends in magnificent style with this exceptional 2000 vintage, which has become the stuff of legend in Bordeaux. Yet the year had not started well, with an execrable spring followed by a wet and cool June and July. Two very fine months of heat and dryness then followed. The result is some of the most monumental wines ever made: dark in colour, concentrated, powerful and tannic. Remarkable successes in the Médoc and exceptional Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. 'The very best possess the most impressive length, structure, concentration and definition I have encountered in all my years of tasting new Bordeaux vintages' — Robert Parker.

Among the reference wines of this 2000 vintage are Château Palmer 2000, Château Haut Brion 2000, Château Mouton Rothschild 2000, Petrus 2000, Château Ausone 2000

In Burgundy, winemakers were also affected by the difficult spring, yet the result is some fine Burgundy white wines. On the red wine side, quality falls slightly short. The finest achievements are to be found among the Burgundy grands crus and premiers crus. Finally, in the Rhône Valley, wines from the Cornas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellations show real potential.

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Our article on the 2000 vintage

Our article on the 2000 vintage
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Bordeaux - Grand Cru Classé from 2000

Bordeaux - Grand Cru Classé from 2000
Vintage guide - SoDivin

Vintage guide

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The F.A.Q

The 2000 Bordeaux vintage: should you choose the Left Bank or the Right Bank?

Both: 2000 is unusual in having succeeded across Bordeaux in the same year. On the Left Bank, Médoc Cabernet produced firm, deep reds built to age; on the Right Bank, the Merlot and Cabernet Franc of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol yielded fleshier, more aromatic wines that are a little more approachable on opening. Domaine de Chevalier exemplifies the success of Graves, combining density and finesse. Bear in mind that the greatness of 2000 lies chiefly in its reds: sweet wines and dry whites play a secondary role.

Does a 2000 wine make a good birth-year gift?

Yes, with particular significance: giving the first vintage of the new century carries powerful symbolism. It is also a dependable choice, as the year’s great Bordeaux reds are now mature and a pleasure to drink. A bottle from 2000 therefore makes a birth-year gift that is as meaningful as it is reliable. Depending on the recipient’s tastes, choose a ready-to-drink Médoc classified growth, an age-worthy Saint-Émilion or a vintage Champagne.

Which 2000 wines should you choose for a sound purchase?

The best approach is to focus on Bordeaux, using appellations and classifications as your guide. The Bordeaux classified growths offer the clearest picture of the vintage, with wines that have now opened up and a readily discernible range of styles. The most structured wines benefit from decanting; second wines and mid-tier estates are ready to drink now. Beyond Bordeaux, look to the Southern Rhône for immediate pleasure and white Burgundy for freshness.

The 2000 vintage region by region: a greatness that is first and foremost Bordeaux's

Few years have been as eagerly anticipated as 2000, a symbol of the turn of the new millennium. Its reputation was ultimately built on one vineyard above all others: Bordeaux, where a dry summer and a luminous late season produced one of the finest red harvests of the late 20th century. Elsewhere, the picture is more nuanced — Burgundy relies on its whites, the southern Rhône shines, the north falls a notch below 1999, and Champagne is divided between houses that declared the vintage and those that did not. It is therefore a year that rewards targeted selection, and whose finest wines are now entering their drinking window.

Bordeaux 2000: the pinnacle of the vintage, patient then brilliant

Nothing suggested a great year was coming: after a cold winter and a wet spring, the vineyards suffered one of the most severe outbreaks of mildew in a long time, followed by a grey start to summer. The turnaround came in mid-July, with nearly two months of dry heat and near-continuous sunshine; a welcome rain in mid-September relieved the stressed vines without harming the harvest, which began around 14 September on the Right Bank. The reds emerged deeply coloured, rich and built on powerful tannins — initially austere, magnificent with time.

Success spans the entire vineyard and reaches its peak with the most sought-after crus. On the Right Bank, Château Ausone and Petrus reach absolute heights, alongside Château Troplong Mondot in Saint-Émilion. On the Left Bank, Château Mouton Rothschild embodies the vintage at the highest level, while in Pessac-Léognan, Domaine de Chevalier and Château Pape Clément confirm the excellent form of the Graves. The tannic style of the year, long considered severe, explains why these wines only revealed their full potential relatively recently.

Burgundy 2000: the year of the whites, with Chablis and Mâconnais leading the way

In Burgundy, 2000 played out in stark contrast to Bordeaux. A cool and wet July, followed by a milder August, produced a generous harvest whose whites are its greatest asset. Favoured at key moments, Chablis and the Mâconnais produced ripe and flavoursome wines; in the Côte de Beaune, the whites proved more uneven. The reds, lighter in style, were conceived for near- to medium-term drinking pleasure.

At the top end, selection makes all the difference on the great terroirs of the Côte d'Or: the finest climats of the Côte de Nuits have aged better than expected, and a few exceptional reds — such as La Tâche from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti — rank among the most accomplished wines of the year. This is a Burgundy vintage best approached first through its whites, targeting terroirs that have retained tension, while not overlooking its greatest reds.

Rhône Valley 2000: the south shines, the north a tone below

In the Rhône, 2000 shows a clear north-south asymmetry. In the south, a very hot and dry summer — tempered opportunely by a few rains — yielded healthy, thick-skinned grapes and full-bodied wines: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras rank among the great successes of the year. In the north, quality is real but remains a notch below the 1999 vintage, as high yields diluted some of the Syrah.

The finest wines of the northern Rhône come from the most quality-driven slopes: M. Chapoutier elevates Hermitage to its highest level with the cuvée Le Pavillon, while the great Syrahs of Côte-Rôtie and Cornas confirm the north's potential on its finest terroirs. A two-faced Rhône vintage, then, where the south offers the most immediate pleasure and the north its handful of exceptional bottles.

Champagne 2000: the millennium vintage, variably declared

In Champagne, 2000 is a year saved by a sunny September after a contrasting season. Not all houses declared the vintage, but those that did produced fruity, supple cuvées that are now at full maturity. The symbolic significance of the turn of the year 2000 naturally prompted several major houses to release a prestige cuvée that year.

The Champagne house Deutz exemplifies this generous and accomplished profile, from the William Deutz cuvée to the Amour de Deutz, conceived as a vintage Champagne ready to drink. This is a year chosen as much for its symbolic significance as for its immediate pleasure.

Buy a great 2000 wine from SoDivin

Choosing 2000 means looking first to the great Bordeaux reds — Médoc, Graves and the Right Bank —, now in their prime after years of patience, while not overlooking the successes of the southern Rhône or the whites of Burgundy. To compare this vintage with neighbouring years and find the right bottle, consult the SoDivin Vintage Guide.

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