2013 Vintage — A Fresh, Selective Year, Outstanding in Champagne

Buying a 2013 wine means choosing a bottle that is still relatively young in the world of mature wines, yet already interesting as a birthday bottle, a birth-year wine or for a tasting of wines gradually entering maturity. The 2013 vintage is a fresh, late and highly selective year, with major differences between regions. It is not a broadly great or homogeneous vintage, but it offers some excellent successes, especially in Champagne, selected Barolo, Burgundy from the best producers, and several great white and sweet wines.

After several warmer years, 2013 stands out for slower ripening, marked acidity and a generally more slender style. The best wines of the vintage favour freshness, precision, tension and aromatic purity rather than power. For buying, it is therefore best to focus on regions and styles naturally suited to this profile: vintage Champagne, classic Barolo, great white wines, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and carefully selected Sauternes.

The Style of the 2013 Vintage

The 2013 vintage was marked by a season that was often cool, late and complicated in several European regions. Ripeness was sometimes difficult to achieve, especially for red wines in areas sensitive to rain or disease pressure. However, wine styles that benefit from naturally high acidity often performed better in this vintage.

The best 2013 wines are defined by freshness, tension, aromatic precision and a certain classical elegance. This vintage is particularly well suited to wine lovers who enjoy firm, fine and less solar styles. More modest cuvées may already be ready to drink, while top Champagnes, Barolo, Rieslings and certain great white wines can continue to evolve favourably.

Which 2013 Wines Should You Buy First?

• Very high priority: 2013 vintage Champagnes, prestige cuvées, great blanc de blancs Champagnes and magnums.
• High priority: 2013 Barolo, 2013 Barbaresco, German Rieslings, great Alsace whites and Loire Chenin Blanc.
• Medium priority: 2013 Burgundy from good producers, 2013 Sauternes/Barsac from top estates, selected Northern Rhône wines.
• Low to medium priority: 2013 red Bordeaux, modest red Burgundy, Southern Rhône and ordinary red wines.

Champagne 2013: The Great Highlight of the Vintage

Champagne 2013 is the main success story of the vintage. After a late growing cycle and slow ripening, the best wines developed a very pure, tense, elegant and precise style. Compared with richer or sunnier years, 2013 favours finesse, freshness, minerality and length.

The best 2013 Champagnes may show notes of ripe lemon, green apple, pear, chalk, white flowers, almond, fine brioche, candied citrus and saline nuances. These are age-worthy Champagnes, often more reserved in youth than more opulent vintages, but capable of gaining significant complexity with time.

Examples of great cuvées to look for:

• Dom Pérignon 2013 — A benchmark cuvée, tense, precise and built for ageing.
• Louis Roederer Cristal 2013 — A Champagne of great purity, sought after for its finesse and precision.
• Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2013 — An elegant, chalky and luminous blanc de blancs.
• Bollinger La Grande Année 2013 — A more vinous, structured and gastronomic style.
• Pol Roger Vintage 2013 — A classic, fresh and balanced Champagne.

Buying priority: very high. Champagne 2013 is one of the best categories of the vintage, especially from leading houses, prestige cuvées, blanc de blancs and magnums.

Italy 2013: A Very Fine Classic Vintage for Barolo and Piedmont

Italy 2013, particularly Piedmont, is one of the major points of interest of the vintage. 2013 Barolo generally offers a classical, fresh, structured and elegant style, with strong ageing potential. The vintage is less solar than some neighbouring years, but it is highly attractive for its finesse, balance and tannin quality.

Great 2013 Barolo may show aromas of red cherry, sour cherry, dried rose, violet, spice, liquorice, fine leather, tobacco, truffle and balsamic notes. For Nebbiolo lovers, 2013 is a very interesting year, especially from historic producers and top crus.

Styles to look for:

• Barolo 2013 — One of the very strong categories of the vintage, with freshness, structure and ageing potential.
• Barbaresco 2013 — Interesting for finesse, elegance and earlier drinkability.
• Great Piedmont crus 2013 — Best chosen from benchmark producers.
• Tuscan wines 2013 — Worth considering from top producers, especially balanced and classical cuvées.

Buying priority: high to very high for Barolo and Barbaresco from top producers; medium to high for great Tuscan wines.

Burgundy 2013: Freshness, Low Yields and Producer-Based Selection

In Burgundy, 2013 is a low-yielding and selective vintage. The season was complicated, but the best producers were able to make wines that are precise, fresh, energetic and sometimes highly expressive. Red wines can show good acidity, vivid red fruit, fine tannins and a fairly classical expression of Pinot Noir.

2013 white Burgundies can also be interesting, with appealing tension and freshness. However, as often in challenging years, the choice of domaine is decisive. Great appellations and rigorous producers should be favoured.

• Red Burgundy 2013 — Worth seeking from serious domaines, with a fresh and tense style.
• Côte de Nuits 2013 — Can offer strong successes from leading producers.
• Côte de Beaune 2013 — Interesting in both red and white, depending on domaine and terroir.
• 2013 grands crus and premiers crus — Best chosen from reliable domaines and with clear provenance.

Buying priority: medium to high from the best domaines; more cautious for modest appellations.

Red Bordeaux 2013: A Difficult Year to Buy with Caution

In Bordeaux, 2013 was a difficult vintage for red wines. Weather conditions complicated ripening, with risks of dilution, lack of structure and incomplete maturity. The best châteaux were able to produce correct wines through strict sorting and severe selection, but this is not a priority category of the vintage.

Today, 2013 red Bordeaux wines are often better suited to relatively near-term drinking than long ageing. They may interest lovers of lighter, classical and accessible Bordeaux, but only from well-known estates, at sensible prices and in perfectly stored bottles.

Styles to consider with caution:

• 2013 classified growths — Buy only when provenance and price are coherent.
• Pomerol and Saint-Émilion 2013 — Some correct wines, but selection is essential.
• Red Pessac-Léognan 2013 — To be judged domaine by domaine.

Buying priority: low to medium. 2013 red Bordeaux is not one of the most recommended areas of the vintage.

Sauternes 2013: A Fine Success Through Careful Selection

In Sauternes and Barsac, 2013 is clearly more interesting than for red Bordeaux. Botrytis allowed some estates to produce fine sweet wines, provided they practised rigorous selection. The best 2013 Sauternes show freshness, sweetness, precision and balance.

The style may evoke apricot, honey, candied orange, pineapple, peach, saffron, white flowers, sweet spices and a fresh finish. For a birthday bottle, 2013 Sauternes can be an interesting option, especially from top estates and in well-preserved formats.

Styles to look for:

• 2013 Sauternes from top estates — Worth seeking for the freshness and precision of the vintage.
• Barsac 2013 — Interesting for finer and more luminous profiles.
• Larger formats — Preferable for great age-worthy cuvées.

Buying priority: medium to high from top estates; higher than red Bordeaux from the same vintage.

Germany and Alsace 2013: Fresh, Tense and Precise Rieslings

Great 2013 Rieslings, especially from Germany and Alsace, can be a very strong option for lovers of vivid, precise and age-worthy white wines. The freshness of the vintage suits grape varieties that naturally retain high acidity.

The best wines may show notes of lemon, grapefruit, green apple, white peach, flowers, flint, noble petrol, light honey and fine spices. German cuvées with residual sugar, Alsace grands crus and historic estates should be favoured.

• German Riesling 2013 — Very interesting in Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese and top sites.
• Alsace Riesling 2013 — Best sought from serious domaines and grands crus.
• Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer 2013 — To be chosen from producers able to preserve balance and freshness.

Buying priority: high for great Rieslings and well-preserved cuvées.

Loire 2013: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Fresh White Wines

Loire 2013 can offer interesting wines, especially white wines. Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc are varieties that can express cool years well when carefully grown. The best wines can show tension, minerality and strong aromatic precision.

For Chenin Blanc, appellations such as Vouvray, Montlouis, Savennières and Anjou can offer fresh, citrus-driven, honeyed and mineral profiles. For Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé can be interesting from leading producers. Loire reds from 2013 should be selected more cautiously.

• Vouvray 2013 — A good option in dry, demi-sec or sweet styles depending on producer.
• Savennières 2013 — Interesting for lovers of dry, structured Chenin Blanc.
• Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé 2013 — Best chosen from benchmark domaines.

Buying priority: medium to high for great white wines; more selective for reds.

Rhône 2013: Careful Selection Required, Especially for Reds

Rhône 2013 is a vintage to select carefully. In the Northern Rhône, some producers made fresh, peppery and elegant Syrah, but ripeness can vary depending on site and producer. In the Southern Rhône, results are more heterogeneous and require greater caution.

The best wines may show notes of fresh dark fruit, pepper, violet, black olive, smoke, dried herbs and spice. For buying, favour benchmark producers and avoid modest cuvées that may lack ripeness.

• Côte-Rôtie 2013 — Interesting from serious producers, with a fresh and peppery style.
• Hermitage 2013 — Best sought from top domaines and in good storage condition.
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2013 — Requires stricter selection.

Buying priority: medium in the Northern Rhône; more cautious in the Southern Rhône.

California 2013: A Great Vintage for Napa Valley

California 2013, especially Napa Valley, is an important strength of the vintage. Great 2013 Napa Cabernet Sauvignons are often powerful, concentrated, structured and built for ageing. For lovers of New World wines, 2013 can be one of the best options of the vintage.

The style of great 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon may evoke blackcurrant, blackberry, black plum, cedar, graphite, dark chocolate, mint, tobacco, spice and an important tannic structure. These wines are often still in a youthful or early-maturity phase, especially from benchmark producers.

• Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 — One of the great choices of the vintage for lovers of powerful, age-worthy wines.
• Great Californian wines 2013 — Best chosen from historic producers and benchmark cuvées.
• Magnums of 2013 Cabernet — Very interesting for extended ageing.

Buying priority: high for great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons and collectible cuvées.

Buying a 2013 Wine: Essential Criteria

When buying a 2013 bottle, the first step is to identify the regions that truly succeeded in this vintage. 2013 Champagnes, great Barolo, Rieslings, certain top white wines and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons are often the strongest options. Red Bordeaux, modest reds and regions more sensitive to cool conditions should be selected with greater caution.

• Producer: favour estates able to perform well in cool or difficult vintages.
• Wine style: favour wines of freshness, precision and ageing potential rather than reds lacking ripeness.
• Storage: check provenance, storage history, fill level, capsule and overall bottle condition.
• Format: magnums are especially attractive for great Champagnes, Barolo, Rieslings and Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Drinking window: open modest cuvées, but be patient with top wines that are still structured.

Serving Advice for a 2013 Bottle

2013 Champagnes should be served cool but not ice-cold, in order to preserve their finesse, tension and complexity. Barolo and other structured reds may benefit from early opening or measured decanting, depending on the wine and its level of maturity.

Rieslings, Chenins and great white wines should be served slightly cool, but not too cold, so that evolved aromas can emerge. 2013 Sauternes can pair with foie gras, blue cheeses, fruit-based desserts or be served alone as a contemplative wine.

Summary of the 2013 Vintage

• Champagne 2013 — The great highlight of the vintage, with finesse, freshness, purity and strong ageing potential.
• Italy 2013 — A very fine classic vintage for Barolo, Barbaresco and great Piedmont wines.
• Burgundy 2013 — A fresh year, successful from good producers, with low yields and necessary selection.
• Red Bordeaux 2013 — Difficult vintage, not a priority, best reserved for famous names and sensible prices.
• Sauternes 2013 — Good success possible from estates that selected rigorously.
• Germany and Alsace 2013 — Good Rieslings are possible, fresh, tense and precise.
• Loire 2013 — Interesting for Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc from good producers.
• California 2013 — A very strong vintage for Napa Valley and age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon.

2013: A Fresh Vintage to Choose Intelligently

The 2013 vintage is a contrasted but fascinating year when selected carefully. Its greatest successes are found in vintage Champagnes, great Barolo, selected Burgundy, Rieslings, carefully selected Sauternes and great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

When buying a 2013 wine, it is best to favour benchmark producers, styles naturally suited to cool vintages and perfectly stored bottles. Well chosen, a 2013 wine can offer an appealing combination of freshness, elegance, tension and ageing potential.