1938 Wine

1938 Wine

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The 1938 vintage is the last harvest brought in during peacetime, one year before mobilisation. In Bordeaux, the grapes lacked sunshine and the rains of late September forced estates to sort relentlessly to ward off rot: the harvest was average, correct but without distinction. The reds, supple and fragile, were for the most part consumed during the war, so that the bottles crossing the decades today are above all profiles built to last — concentrated sweet wines, fortified wines and spirits. Château d'Yquem 1938 remains the most moving testament to the Sauternes of the year, while Château Latour 1938 embodies the consistency of the Médoc in delicate vintages. To situate 1938 among the years of its century, consult our Vintage Guide.

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The FAQ

Le millésime 1938 était-il un bon millésime pour le vin ?

Le millésime 1938 est considéré comme une année correcte, avec des résultats variables selon les régions. Dans plusieurs vignobles français, les conditions climatiques ont permis d’obtenir des vins équilibrés, parfois légers dans leur jeunesse mais capables d’évoluer avec finesse au fil des décennies.

Peut-on encore boire un vin de 1938 aujourd’hui ?

Oui, certaines bouteilles de 1938 peuvent encore être dégustées aujourd’hui, à condition d’avoir été conservées dans de bonnes conditions. Les vins les mieux structurés à l’origine, notamment issus de grands domaines ou de régions réputées pour leur potentiel de garde, peuvent encore offrir une dégustation intéressante, marquée par des arômes tertiaires et une texture délicate.

Un vin de 1938 doit-il être carafé avant dégustation ?

En général, il est préférable d’éviter un carafage prolongé pour un vin aussi ancien. Une ouverture délicate et une légère aération dans le verre suffisent souvent, car ces vins sont fragiles et peuvent perdre rapidement leurs arômes après ouverture.

Vintage 1938: the last peacetime harvest put to the test of time

The 1938 vintage closes a contrasted decade just before the war upended the French wine industry. The year does not have the stature of the neighbouring great vintages: a grey summer and late-cycle rains produced wines of average character, often drunk young during the years of Occupation. What makes 1938 compelling today owes less to its intrinsic quality than to its rarity and the natural selection wrought by time — only bottles conceived to last have survived. That is why this page reads region by region, from the Médoc to the fortified wines of the South-West, distinguishing at each step what still merits opening from what belongs purely to the collector's realm.

Bordeaux 1938 — an average harvest saved by selection

The Bordeaux harvest began around 13 September with a crop of average size and quality. The lack of sunshine delayed ripeness and the rains of late September forced estates to work hard to avoid rot, sorting out affected grapes. The left-bank reds emerged firm but with little concentration, supported by an acidity that ensured longevity for the most rigorous; many, however, were consumed during the war. The sweet wines of Sauternes, harvested at the end of September, fared better than the reds without reaching the brilliance of the neighbouring great 1937.

On the best-drained gravelly terroirs, Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion, along with Latour and Margaux, are among the rare names whose well-preserved 1938 still deserves attention. In sweet whites, Yquem remains the reference of the year, supported at Barsac by Château Coutet, whose taut style suited this fresh vintage. The lesson of 1938 in Bordeaux can be summed up in one word: producer selection makes all the difference, and every surviving bottle is a case unto itself.

Burgundy 1938 — the spring frost, the light of October

Burgundy experienced a harsh spring, marked by frost and hail, before a sunny late season partially recovered the cycle. The Pinot Noirs ripened slowly and the harvest stretched into early October, with grapes that took time to reach their peak. The moderate yields produced reds built on tension and delicacy rather than substance, judged to be correct in quality but without brilliance. The whites, also honest, lacked the same extra sparkle.

In such a context, only the very greatest terroirs produced wines capable of crossing the decades. The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and the Armand Rousseau estate, whose domaine-bottlings from this era stand as benchmarks, are among the rarest 1938 Burgundies worthy of interest for the collector. These bottles can be counted on the fingers of one hand and are appreciated more for their aromatic evolution — undergrowth, dried fruits, gentle spices — than for their power.

Rhône Valley 1938 — a weak year in the wake of the cold

The Rhône Valley is among the regions most penalised in 1938, rated as a weak year. The cooler north produced strict and sometimes lean Syrahs, while the sunnier south brought its Grenaches to a more convincing ripeness without reaching the generosity of the great solar vintages. Consistency was not on the agenda, and bottles built for ageing remain the exception. The best examples owe their survival to a firm structure and careful storage.

In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one signature dominates the memory of these years: Château Rayas. In the Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage produced some solid cuvées, but their presence today is more a matter of lucky finds than regular availability.

Champagne 1938 — the vintage that almost no one declared

In Champagne, at Louis Roederer in particular, 1938 was above all a year of high yields, disrupted by coulure and millerandage at flowering. Few houses claimed a vintage that year: the bulk of the grapes went into non-vintage blends. The vintage-dated 1938 cuvées that survive display a highly evolved profile sought by lovers of old Champagne when the bubble has retained its finesse.

South-West and fortified wines — the true survivors of 1938

This is where 1938 takes on its full meaning for today's enthusiast. Where the still wines of the year run out of steam, spirits and fortified wines are built to defy time: the sugar richness of Port and the strength of old Armagnac act as natural preservatives, capable of carrying a vintage well beyond eighty years. It is precisely these profiles that survive in good condition for the year 1938, making them the finest choice for a birth-year gift.

The old Armagnac Gelas 1938, a Gers house known for long ageing, illustrates the longevity of South-West spirits; on the Portuguese side, a Reserva de Porto from the same year extends the demonstration.

Buy a 1938 wine from SoDivin

Choosing a 1938 wine means accepting the rule of old vintages: quality depends less on the reputation of the year than on the origin terroir and storage conditions. Bottles from this harvest appear only as we acquire cellars; create an alert on this page to be notified of each new arrival, and situate 1938 among the years of its century using the SoDivin Vintage Guide. Every bottle offered is expertised and inspected — level, label, provenance — then dispatched the same day before 2 p.m. in secure packaging, with high-definition photographs provided.

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