First
a word of warning: all vintage charts are subjective and generalizations
- this one, going back over 150 years, is necessarily more so than most.
Marks refer to bottles still available (although some vintages are very
rare indeed) and older vintages necessarily refer to wines from the best
properties or shippers. It must be remembered that part of the enjoyment
of wine is the variation in quality from one vineyard to another within
a single vintage. Provenance is crucial, of course - the most expensive
wines from the best, most recent vintages can turn to vinegar within
months if stored badly - and we have assumed perfect maturation
conditions.
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