Comet vintages are years during which an astronomical event, involving generally a "Great Comet", occurs prior toharvest. Throughout thehistory of wine,winemakers have attributed successfulvintages and ideal weather conditions to the unexplained effects caused by thecomets.[1] Some of the most heralded vintages in the last couple of centuries—such as the 1811, 1826, 1839, 1845, 1852, 1858, 1861, 1985, and 1989 vintages—have coincided with a notable appearance of a comet.[2] There is no scientific basis for any effect of comets onviticulture, but the term nevertheless remains in use.
The term "comet wine" is sometimes used in the wine world to describe awine of exceptional quality in reference to the high reputation that comet vintages have.[3] The 1811 comet vintage, coinciding with the appearance of theGreat Comet of 1811, is perhaps the most famous. The 1811Château d'Yquem has exhibited what wine experts likeRobert Parker have described as exceptionallongevity with Parkerscoring the wine a perfect 100 points when tasted in 1996. The 1811 vintage ofVeuve Clicquot is theorized to have been the first truly "modern"Champagne due to the advancements in theméthode champenoise which Veuve Clicquot pioneered through the technique ofremuage.[2][4]
There is no acceptedviticultural impact of comets on grapevines, and there have been many successful vintages throughout the world in years where there were no noticeable comet sightings.[1] Over centuries a great number of events and phenomena have been attributed to the appearances of comets in the sky—such as devastatingearthquakes, a 1668epidemic among cats inWestphalia, or an increase in the birth oftwins in a particular area. While many of the phenomena associated with comets tend to be negative, the association of comets and wine has almost always been held as beneficial by viticulturists and oenologists.[5]
The 1811 comet vintage has had the most lasting notoriety. The comet that year was theFlaugergues comet, named afterHonoré Flaugergues who first spotted the comet in March. The comet was visible for most of the growing season, which saw optimal conditions for many of the world's major growing regions, but particularly for France. After a string of bad vintages at the start of the 19th century, the 1811 vintage was a reversal of fortune in regions likeBordeaux,Cognac,Champagne andSauternes. ForCognac, the vintage was considered one of the greatest in history, with many producers today including images of stars on their labels as ahomage to the 1811 vintage. Notable wines from this include the 1811 Château d'Yquem, which received a perfect 100-pointwine rating by wine critic Robert Parker at a 1996 tasting over one hundred and eighty years after it was bottled.[2] InGermany, the 1811 vintage was so successful that producers along theRhine would label their wines as "comethock".[1]
The 1811 bottling of vintage Champagne from theChampagne house of Veuve Clicquot has been theorized to have been the first truly "modern" Champagne. The wine was one of the first to be described as "limpid" orsediment-free.[2][4] This was due to the new technique ofremuage orriddling developed by Veuve Cliquot that tackled thehistorical problem of how to remove the ill tasting and unpleasant looking sediments from thesparkling wine without losing the carbon-dioxide gas that makes it bubble. The development of riddling was a hallmark moment in the evolution of the modern Champagne industry. In the early 19th century, Veuve Clicquot tried to keep their techniques a secret, but the clarity and limpidity of their Champagne captured worldwide attention and eventually their secret escaped.[6] In the summer of 1812, followingNapoleon's invasion of Russia, despite a decree fromTsarAlexander I of Russia banning the importation ofFrench wine in bottles,Louis Bohne, lead sales agent for Veuve Clicquot, was able to smuggle a large quantity of the 1811Cuvée de la Comète intoKönigsberg. As word of the wine's quality spread, Bohne found eager customers among the Russian elite,[7] with even the Tsar himself seeking out the wine.[6]
There have been several references in literature to the 1811 vintage, which was often described as the "Year of the Comet". It is referenced in the title ofRay Russell's 1967 short story "Comet Wine", and the vintage contributes to the story's plot.[8]Ernst Jünger's 1939 novelOn the Marble Cliffs has central characters drinking wine from the "year of the comet". In "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk" byArthur Conan Doyle,Dr. Watson describesSherlock Holmes, upon being told the clerk's story, as being pleased, "like a connoisseur who has just taken his first sip of a comet vintage."[2] In the 1992 romantic comedyYear of the Comet, a bottle of 1811Château Lafite is central to the story line.[9] In "The Uncommercial Traveller,"Charles Dickens refers to a clergyman as one "acquainted with 'Twenty port and comet vintages". In is referred to in the 1922 short story "Putois" byAnatole France: "Monsieur Blaise, the registrar, who declared that he had employed Putois to chop wood in his yard, from the 19th until the 23rd of October, in the year of the comet."
The 1858 comet vintage attributed to theDonati Comet was widely praised for the quality of Bordeauxclaret that came out of that vintage. The 1874 comet vintage was considered especially favorable for theGerman wine regions of theMosel andRheingau.[10]
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