Vintage Chart Loire Valley
From steely Sancerre to honeyed Chenin Blanc and structured Cabernet Franc reds, the Loire Valley's cool climate makes vintage variation matter. This overview shows which years excelled across the region.
| Vintage | Score | Character | Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 74 | Cool, wet, disease pressure; lighter wines | 7 wines |
| 2023 | 92 | Complicated; flesh of '22, finesse of '21 | 15 wines |
| 2022 | 95 | Sunny, ripe, healthy grapes; outstanding year | 15 wines |
| 2021 | 89 | Frost-hit, cool; light, fragrant, attractive | 11 wines |
| 2020 | 92 | Drought-tinged but excellent, concentrated wines | 9 wines |
| 2019 | 92 | Excellent, well-balanced, ageworthy across styles | 14 wines |
| 2018 | 91 | Warm, ripe, generous across the region | 9 wines |
| 2017 | 91 | Frost again; strong quality, small volumes | 11 wines |
| 2016 | 93 | Frost-reduced yields; excellent concentrated quality | 11 wines |
| 2015 | 91 | Ripe, generous vintage with fresh acidity | 8 wines |
| 2014 | 86 | Growers chose picking dates; fine balance | 9 wines |
| 2013 | 84 | Late, cool harvest; lighter-styled wines | 5 wines |
| 2012 | 85 | Tricky weather; disciplined growers succeeded | 4 wines |
| 2011 | 87 | Warm, early harvest; ripe, approachable wines | 11 wines |
| 2010 | 92 | Fabulous dry whites; superb sweet wines | 6 wines |
| 2009 | 92 | Opulent reds; lived up to '9' reputation | 13 wines |
| 2008 | 87 | Saved by fine autumn; good structure | 5 wines |
| 2007 | 86 | Austere, high-acid whites; light reds | 11 wines |
| 2006 | 84 | Variable; success depended on grower skill | 4 wines |
| 2005 | 92 | Great vintage; perfectly balanced wines | 8 wines |
| 2004 | 89 | Fine, consistent, reliable across styles | 6 wines |
| 2003 | 88 | Heatwave summer; ripe, concentrated reds | 10 wines |
| 2002 | 92 | Pure, attractive fruit across the region | 8 wines |
| 2001 | 80 | Mixed; Muscadet strong, Sancerre struggled | 16 wines |
| 2000 | 81 | Solid for early pickers; uneven overall | 20 wines |
| 1999 | 85 | Mixed; best growers made exceptional wines | 16 wines |
| 1998 | 78 | Weakest of the decade; still respectable | 9 wines |
| 1997 | 93 | Great success; rich, fat, high-alcohol wines | 6 wines |
| 1996 | 94 | Superb reds and whites; classic, ageworthy | 10 wines |
| 1995 | 91 | Best since 1990; structured reds, fine whites | 9 wines |
| 1994 | 72 | Difficult; frost and grey-rot issues | 7 wines |
| 1993 | 75 | Fair commercial vintage; now past best | 6 wines |
| 1992 | 70 | Big yields; dilute, light wines | 14 wines |
| 1991 | 71 | Severe April frost; small, uneven crop | 2 wines |
| 1990 | 95 | Great classic; charming, excellent sweet wines | 16 wines |
| 1989 | 97 | Vintage of the century; superb sweets, reds | 13 wines |
| 1976 | 88 | Hot, dry summer; rich, age-worthy wines | 1 wine |
| 1959 | 96 | Legendary vintage; benchmark sweet wines | 2 wines |
Sources: Wine Spectator — Loire Valley Vintage Charts, Wine Scholar Guild — Loire Valley Vintage Chart, Decanter — Loire Valley vintage reports, Jim's Loire — Loire vintages