A heterogeneous vintage for Bordeaux wines where, despite a cool and dry summer, the harvest was the largest since 1934! The Graves and the Right Bank (Pomerol and Saint Emilion came out on top) and certain classified Médoc Grands Crus such as Margaux produced good, rich, tannic, age-worthy wines. In White Bordeaux the year is weak (lack of ripeness) and in Sauternes, the wines are somewhat dull, marked by the weakness of the botrytis. In Burgundy, 1979 did not deliver the very good quality that had been customary from the last three vintages ending in 9 (1949/1959/1969). The wines are pale and lean in red, but some White Burgundies can retain appeal, such as the Corton Charlemagne. A fine 1979 vintage in Champagne, age-worthy and some are still very good. The 1979 vintage also produced lovely age-worthy wines (not to be overlooked) in the southern Rhône Valley (Châteauneuf du Pape), in the Loire (Vouvray) and in Alsace.