Trilogies have long been popular in literature and movies, providing plenty of space for a story to unfold around the basic structure of beginning, middle, and end. It’s tempting to describe Burgundy 2018-2019-2020 as a trilogy, but it’s more complicated than that. Each vintage has its own story to tell, and 2020 clearly isn’t the end of the tale. This vintage arrives with 2021 on the horizon, and the dramatic reductions in volumes for 2021 are already affecting pricing and supply for 2020.

2020 is a remarkable vintage, the product of a long, hot summer and for many growers their earliest ever harvest in August. What is truly striking is that the vintage has amplified the qualities of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the most positive way, in 2020 we have more freshness, more acidity, and more expression of terroir.

In general terms, 2020 is a relatively homogenous vintage, with consistently high quality across most appellations and classifications. The wines taste cool in the context of warmer vintages and global warming; there’s a surprising freshness but this isn’t a classically styled vintage of old and the buzzword ‘new normal’ can be applied here. The quality of regional and village appellations is generally superb; they often have extra depth and class than could be found even a decade ago. Ripeness is no longer a problem, and vineyards that were historically on the margins and couldn’t be depended upon every year are now producing wonderfully fresh and expressive wines of tension and verve. In the modern Burgundy it really pays off to seek altitude and aspect for additional freshness.

The white wines from the Côte de Beaune confound expectations, combining the generosity of fruit of warmer vintages with the acidity and terroir expression of cooler vintages. Acidity has been concentrated in 2020, and diurnal temperature variation has helped retain freshness. It’s a vintage where the volume has been dialled up, and each terroir speaks loudly of its origins. With distressingly small volumes for 2021 on the horizon (some producers report losses of up to 80%), 2020 is a ‘back-up-the-truck’ vintage for white Burgundy.

Chablis follows 2019 with another very successful vintage in 2020. The minerality comes from the warmer end of the spectrum but it is there in abundance. The wines have a wonderful petrichor quality that evokes freshness after a hot day. Returning to the subject of global warming, Chablis was traditionally a region of precarious ripeness, and the Grand Crus were the slopes where it was most assured. In the modern era this isn’t an issue, and the gap between the Premier and Grand Crus has never been closer. In particular, the Premier Crus of the Left Bank have never been better, and the canny consumer should seek out the wines of Vaillons and Montmains and their sub-climats.

The red wines from the Côte de Nuits showcase the essence of Pinot Noir through the lens of the 2020 vintage. To be clear, this is a ripe vintage, but we found no overripe or raisined characters with our producers. There is a wonderful purity of fruit, which feels decidedly cool and fresh in character despite the warmth of the season. The word ‘puissant’ recurred throughout our tastings with growers, and the wines clearly have a power to them, but one that is balanced and harnessed around freshness and acidity. Winemaking has never been more sympathetic, and many spoke of infusion rather than extraction, and the need to step back and not overwork the wines.

The 2020 vintage looks destined to become a modern-day classic for Burgundy. The white wines we tasted are almost without exception world class from regional level to Grand Cru, and given the storm clouds of 2021 on the horizon the 2020s are likely to disappear from the market quickly. The red wines have more competition coming after the 2018 and 2019 vintages, and consumers lucky enough to own the three will find great pleasure in comparing them. Some producers have made 2020s that exceed the previous two vintages, others have made wines that are around the same level and the medal places will be debated over dinner tables long into the future.

Martin Tickle
Fine Wine Buyer

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Whilst waiting for the 2020 launch, why not have a browse of our 2019 Burgundy.