Off Vintages

[Dionysus]

Seeking the wisdom from the esteemed forum members
At the title suggests, which chateau's generally outperform expectations in so called "off-vintages"?

[JimHow]

Hmm, good question, Dio.
I'm thinking northern Medoc?
Calon Segur and Montrose for starters.

[Nicklasss]

Haut Brion, Léoville Las Cases.

[Musigny 151]

Depends what you mean by off vintage. 2008 and 2014 are assuredly not off vintages but priced like them.
Nobody made a good wine in 2013.

Latour (which doesn’t mean anything as it is still overpriced)
VCC ( you knew I would say that, but it is true)
La Mission
Montrose
Pichon Lalande

[RPCV]

Value: Potensac, Meyney, D'Aighuile and Cantemerle. Recently Tour Saint Christophe
Favs: Leoville Barton, Poyferre and Pichon Baron

[JoelD]

I've really enjoyed Pichon Baron in "off" vintages. 97 and 04 recently have been wonderful. Haut Brion definitely as well. 93 and 02 have been fabulous.

And interesting wrinkle, is that sometimes the more modern producers like Leoville Poyferre and Smith Haut Lafite tend to show better to me in their off vintages than the big ones like 00/05/09/10 etc.

[AlexR]

Good wines are made in all vintages.
Mark, you have thrown down the gauntlet to find you a good 2013 to taste blind!

The obviously advantage of "off-vintages" (I call the good ones "politically correct") is their price.
This can be less than *half* of a back-to-back acclaimed one!
Off vintages often - but not always - mature more quickly too. That's because they don't have the stuffing and structure to age for decades, and also because they are, if well-made, kept in barrel for less long.

It's sort of an existential question: do you want to pay double the price for a safer bet?
In many instances, that is a wise choice. But not in all, by any means.
Anyone accustomed to vertical tastings knows that there are some wonderful surprises among the dissed years, and bargains to be had.

Which years? What estates? What constitues an "off vintage"???
I've got no pat answer to that, going on the assumption that there is no superhighway to wine knowledge.

Best regards,
AlexR

[Ognik]

Wines from Pessac Leognan.
First of all:
La Mission Haut Brion.

[Dionysus]

"Off" vintages, in the context of the question, would include 2017, 2012, 2011, 07, 02, 99, 97, 94, 93, etc.
I wouldn't include 1991, 92 or 2013 for instance, which were all round appalling.
Nor would I include the likes of 2014, 08, 06, 04, which were moderately successful, in some appellations more than others.

I few repeat offenders thus far; Haut Brion, La Mission HB, Montrose & Pichon Baron.

Not surprised to see HB and LMHB in there...in the "bigger" years, at least recently, these are close to 15% ABV so possibly lacking freshness? Montrose is a funny one...don't think I've had a poor Montrose, at least since the turn of the century. Convinced it's something to do with the Gironde, which regulates the heat in hotter years.