1946 Vintage wine

1946 Vintage wine

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The 1946 vintage is a rare wine, born in the immediate post-war period, between the two legends that are 1945 and 1947. A cold and wet start to the year encouraged coulure and disease, but a hot and dry summer saved the harvest, yielding fine, upright wines, today full of tertiary elegance. The Right Bank of Bordeaux and the finest terroirs produced the most beautiful successes, with Château Mouton Rothschild 1946 and Château Cheval Blanc 1946 as the most sought-after witnesses.
In 2026, the 1946 wine celebrates its 80th anniversary: it is the ideal 80th anniversary wine, as rare as it is moving to give as a gift.

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Grands Crus Classés de Bordeaux

Grands Crus Classés de Bordeaux
1946 vintage - sodivin blog article

Our article on the 1946 vintage
Vintage Guide - SoDivin

SoDivin Vintage Guide
80th anniversary wine - SoDivin

80th anniversary wine

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The FAQ

Le millésime 1946 est-il considéré comme une grande année viticole ?

Le millésime 1946 n’est pas une grande année homogène, mais il offre de très beaux vins issus de terroirs d’exception.

Peut-on encore boire un vin de 1946 aujourd’hui ?

Oui, certains vins de 1946 sont encore parfaitement dégustables lorsqu’ils ont été conservés dans de bonnes conditions.

Pourquoi les vins de 1946 sont-ils rares ?

La faible production de l’époque et les pertes liées au temps expliquent la grande rareté des vins de 1946.

Vintage 1946: the expression of a French vineyard in reconstruction

The 1946 vintage holds a singular place in the history of the French vineyard. It falls in the immediate post-war period, at a time when wine estates were slowly emerging from shortages and human and material constraints, while regaining a degree of agricultural stability. The climatic conditions of 1946 were broadly contrasted across regions, with a relatively cool spring followed by a more favorable summer, allowing progressive ripening of the grapes. Yields remained moderate, sometimes low, but fruit quality proved satisfactory in several major terroirs.

The impact on ripeness was highly dependent on soils and exposure. The best-situated vineyards produced balanced wines, supported by a structuring acidity and moderate alcohol levels. The general style of 1946 wines favors finesse, directness and sincerity of expression, far from the opulent profiles of the great sun-drenched years. Historically, this vintage is today recognized more for its patrimonial and emotional value than for a universal reputation. When kept in good conditions, some 1946 wines still offer remarkable staying power, with an aging potential now fully realized and a precious reading of the long passage of time.

Bordeaux 1946 – The classic expression of a vineyard in reconstruction

In Bordeaux, after a harsh winter and a late spring that delayed the cycle, a hot summer allowed progressive ripening — but the first two weeks of September were rainy, and harvesting that began on September 7th yielded sometimes underripe grapes. Overall quality is judged average to poor, with wines often light in concentration. The style of 1946 reds is characterized by a fine structure, tannins now completely integrated and a tertiary aromatic profile — leather, tobacco, undergrowth. It is the Right Bank, in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, that produced the finest successes thanks to rigorous selection and a merlot better suited to the year than cabernet.

In stock in our cellar, Château Mouton Rothschild 1946 remains the most emblematic witness to the vintage in Bordeaux. On the Right Bank, Château Cheval Blanc and Petrus 1946 rank among the most sought-after bottles, while Château Latour embodies, alongside Margaux and Léoville Las Cases, the consistency of the Médoc in a challenging year.

Burgundy 1946 – The precision of terroirs in the face of climatic hazards

In Burgundy, the year 1946 benefited from a more favorable summer than 1945, allowing a more homogeneous ripening of pinot noir and chardonnay. The limestone soils played a water-regulating role, yielding healthy grapes despite modest yields. The wines stand out for their delicate structure, lively acidity and an aromatic profile now dominated by dried fruits, humus and gentle spices. Chablis, more precise and expressive than average, ranks among the most successful sectors of the vintage.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Armand Rousseau 1946 rank, alongside Leroy and Comte Georges de Vogüé, among the very rare signatures whose bottle from this year merits the attention of collectors — witnesses to the ability of Burgundy's greatest terroirs to traverse the decades with grace, even in non-exceptional years.

Rhône Valley 1946 – Balanced ripeness and elegant profiles

In the Rhône Valley, 1946 was more favorable in the north than in the south. Moderately warm summers allowed adequate ripening of syrah on the northern granite terroirs, while grenache sometimes lacked concentration in the southern sectors. The wines stand out for their aromatic finesse, softened tannins and a freshness still perceptible; the aging potential was fully expressed in the northern crus.

The Hermitage from Domaine Jean-Louis Chave 1946, from the granite hillsides of Tain, embodies the success of the northern Rhône in this vintage, alongside the Côte-Rôtie from Guigal and Jamet and the Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Rayas. These bottles, very rare today, seduce more by their balance and clarity than by their power.

Champagne 1946 – Rarity and historical testimony

In Champagne, 1946 was marked by complex conditions and uneven ripeness; yields remained low and few houses declared the year. The 1946 vintage Champagnes that survive are today extremely rare: their highly evolved style — dried fruits, honey, toasted bread, vinous texture — belongs to pure collecting. Krug 1946, alongside Bollinger, Pol Roger and Louis Roederer, ranks among the rare bottles from that era still sought after at auction, prized for their historical and emotional dimension more than for drinking.

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