A very challenging year for growers, with extremely wet weather throughout the growing season, producing light, forward wines. It was the wettest summer for nearly 50 years and you have to go back to 1980 to find a year that had less sunshine hours. 15 years previously, this vintage would have been a total washout - however, technological advances and a rigorous selection procedure by the best producers have produced some soft, elegant and fruity clarets.

The Merlot-based wines from Pomerol and St-Emilion are the best of the bunch, while well-drained sites on the left bank (in particular Pessac-Léognan) also produced some pleasant, soft, easy drinking wines.