The 2009 Bordeaux vintage is widely considered one of the finest ever made.

Wine Advocate founder Robert Parker said upon its en primeur release that it "could turn out to be the finest vintage I have tasted in 32 years covering Bordeaux", while certain examples from the Medoc and Graves regions exhibited "peaks in quality that could turn out to be historic".

Parker's ratings, which carry enormous weight within the wine world and can make or break a chateau's year, produced no fewer than 21 potentially perfect scores, with top marks for the likes of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Latour.

Imagine their surprise, then, when Bordeaux winemakers first tasted the 2010 vintage. Most were stunned to find that the 2010 was immediately comparable to its predecessor, and on some estates, better.

Parker lauded the consistency across Bordeaux with the 2010s, highlighting their freshness, purity and "astonishing longevity". A further ten potentially perfect scores were dished out.

Now, the grapes are in for the 2011 wines. A hat-trick of classic vintages perhaps?

In short, no. But many Bordeaux vintners are openly relieved that 2011 will not be another spectacular year.

It seems that Bordeaux vineyards are glad that 2011 will allow them to restore some balance to wine values, having set record en primeur prices for the 2009s and the 2010s.

One owner of a renowned left bank chateau told Decanter: "We need an ordinary vintage this year. The market would not stand another great vintage."

He went on to explain that his estate will be likely to drop its prices by 20 per cent or more when the wines are finally ready for their en primeur release.

"After 2009 and 2010, 2011 brings us back to reality," David Pernet of consultants Sovivins added.

"The gap between first and second wines is likely to be significant, but the best wines this year will be somewhere between 1996 and 2006 [in quality]."

This difference between first and second wines is largely due to the low yield achieved this year, which itself was the result of some bizarre weather this summer.

Spring was unseasonably hot, with warm dry days causing vines to develop well ahead of schedule.

Then came a heatwave at the end of June, further developing the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec grapes, followed by a cooler, damper July.

As September began and the vineyards began planning their harvests, hailstorms swept the region, causing significant damage to some estates, such as Cos Labory and Cos d'Estournel and prompting them to start harvests earlier than they would have liked.

The latter's managing director Jean-Guillaume Prats said the estate was "lucky" that the grapes had developed so early in the growing season, so that the hail was not as damaging. However, the humidity that came with storms has brought the threat of rot.

Mr Pernet says that the result is a mixed bag for Bordeaux: "There will be a range of wine styles across the region. Certain sectors have been affected by hail, others by the springtime drought, or the heatwave at the end of June."

Paul Pontallier at Chateau Margaux told Decanter that yields are down ten per cent, but the quality of the surviving grapes he has brought in so far is "excellent".

So most Bordeaux estates are relishing the opportunity to catch their breath with a good but less-than-stellar vintage, allowing 2009 and 2010 to stand out as true classics.

But one or two remain quietly optimistic that 2011 may just be another one to look out for.