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2018 Vintage — A Great Sunny Vintage Built for Ageing
Buying a 2018 vintage wine means choosing one of the outstanding vintages of recent years. After an exceptionally wet spring marked by severe mildew pressure, a hot, dry and sunny summer allowed the grapes to reach outstanding ripeness. The finest wines combine richness, depth, balance and remarkable ageing potential.
The greatest successes can be found in Bordeaux, the Northern Rhône, Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont and Rioja. Other regions such as Tuscany, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Priorat also produced excellent wines, although careful producer selection remains important.
For the safest purchases, focus on 2018 Bordeaux reds, the great Syrahs of the Northern Rhône, the finest Red Burgundies, Vintage Champagnes, as well as leading Barolo, Barbaresco and Rioja. The best Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Bolgheri wines are also excellent choices for collectors looking for rich, long-lived wines.
The 6 Best Performing Regions of the 2018 Vintage
A selection of the regions that delivered the strongest performances in this generous, sun-filled vintage, designed to help guide your purchasing decisions.
An exceptional vintage with deep, perfectly balanced Syrahs.
A great cellar-worthy vintage, rich and concentrated.
Ripe, generous and beautifully expressive Pinot Noir.
Outstanding ripeness, precision and excellent ageing potential.
Elegant, structured and highly promising Barolo and Barbaresco.
Excellent ripeness with remarkable balance.
World Web Wines editorial ratings are intended as a buying guide. They are based on the consensus of leading international wine references and do not represent a single official score.
The Style of the 2018 Vintage
The 2018 vintage is defined by sunshine, concentration and exceptional ripeness. After a very wet spring marked by severe mildew pressure, a hot, dry and sunny summer allowed the grapes to reach outstanding maturity. The finest wines combine richness, power and depth while maintaining impressive balance thanks to their natural freshness. Many rank among the finest cellar-worthy wines of the decade.
Bordeaux 2018 — Concentration, Depth and Outstanding Ageing Potential
In Bordeaux, 2018 is regarded as one of the great recent vintages. Despite a difficult spring affected by mildew, the outstanding summer weather produced perfectly ripe grapes. The red wines display richness, depth and beautifully ripe tannins with remarkable ageing potential. The finest sweet wines from Barsac and Sauternes are also among the highlights of the vintage.
Look for: Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Margaux, Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Pessac-Léognan, as well as Barsac and Sauternes.
Northern Rhône and Burgundy — Two Outstanding Regions
The Northern Rhône produced one of its finest vintages of recent years, with Syrahs that are deep, concentrated and perfectly balanced. In Burgundy, the reds stand out for their generosity and expressive fruit, while the whites combine ripeness, richness and precision from the region's leading producers.
Look for: Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chablis.
Champagne, Piedmont and Spain — Outstanding Performances Across Europe
In Champagne, an abundant harvest and perfectly ripe grapes produced wines with richness, precision and excellent ageing potential. In Piedmont, the finest Barolo and Barbaresco combine structure with elegance, while in Spain, Rioja confirms another outstanding vintage with concentrated yet beautifully balanced wines. Priorat and Ribera del Duero also produced excellent bottles.
Look for: Vintage Champagne, Barolo, Barbaresco, Rioja, Priorat and Ribera del Duero.
Tuscany and Other Regions — Excellent Wines from Leading Producers
In Tuscany, the finest Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico wines performed exceptionally well. Germany also produced beautifully ripe and precise Rieslings. As with many great vintages, the most respected estates crafted the finest and most age-worthy wines.
Key Takeaways
Best buying opportunities: Northern Rhône, Bordeaux reds, Red Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont and Rioja.
Also worth considering: White Burgundy, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino and the finest German Rieslings.
Select carefully: Chianti Classico, Ribera del Duero, Priorat and other regions that experienced significant mildew pressure during spring.
Vintage summary: The 2018 vintage proves that a difficult spring can be transformed into an outstanding harvest thanks to an exceptional summer. The finest wines combine power, richness and balance with remarkable ageing potential.
Choosing a Bottle from the 2018 Vintage
Whether you're building a cellar, looking for a special gift or choosing a birth-year wine, the 2018 vintage is an outstanding choice for lovers of rich, powerful and long-lived wines. The finest opportunities can be found in Bordeaux, the Northern Rhône, Burgundy, Champagne and the great vineyards of Piedmont and Rioja, where leading estates produced some of the decade's finest bottles.
