1995 North America

California's 1995 wine harvest can be characterised as one of very good quality and low yields. After heavy rains, flooding, cool temperatures, and, in some areas, hail besieged the vineyards throughout winter and spring. This had the effect of delaying the bud-break and subsequent flowering by as much as a month.

However, July and August were warm and dry before temperatures fell dramatically at the beginning of September. Cool weather delayed harvest from two to four weeks as winemakers nervously waited for their grapes to ripen. The good news was that the sun shone right into November, allowing grapes to mature fully and cleanly without rot.

The white wines are of good quality, although the vast majority should have been consumed by now. The red wines (especially the Cabernet Sauvignons and Zinfandels) are excellent as a consequence of the long, cool growing season - the best examples are well structured and display very good depth of fruit.They fall short of the stunning 94s but are a cut above the 96s.