The vintage

2018

A hot year, a big year

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The 2018 vintage, rated

A hot year, a big year

In 2026 a bottle from 2018 marks a 8th birthday or anniversary

The vintage

Excellent · 4/5

A wet spring brought mildew, then a long hot summer made rich, powerful wines. Bordeaux 2018 is opulent and impressive, if not always classic. Burgundy is ripe and generous in both colours. The Rhône is very good, Champagne abundant and very good, Germany excellent. Barolo 2018 is lighter and earlier than its neighbours; Tuscany is good.

What we would buy, and why

For an eighth birthday, 2018 gives plenty of choice. Bordeaux and Burgundy from this year are showy and will please a crowd, and the wines are drinking earlier than the 2016s. Champagne 2018 is a good, festive option that will be around for years.

2018 in the world

In February a Falcon Heavy rocket launched a red Tesla into orbit around the Sun. In July twelve boys and their football coach were rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand, and France won the World Cup in Moscow.

Best bets for 2018

  • Classed-growth Bordeaux 2018 - rich and powerful
  • Red Burgundy 2018 - ripe and generous
  • Vintage Champagne 2018 - abundant and very good
  • German Riesling 2018 - excellent

How we grade a bottle

Fill level, label, capsule and cork, then provenance. Every bottle is checked by hand by people who have handled thousands of old bottles, and we write down the flaws as well as the good news. What the fill levels mean · How to choose a birth-year wine

Real people, not a chatbot

Ask a person about this year

The people who answer are the same people who check and pack the bottles. Ask for photographs, a condition report or advice on a year and you get a straight answer from the ANNO team, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 CET.