A guide to Burgundy vintages

In the world of wine, ‘vintage’ simply refers to the year of the grape harvest. A perfect vintage in Burgundy, typically characterised by dry weather at harvest time, means healthy, ripe grapes and a surfeit of excellent wines. Conversely, cool and wet years cause no end of headaches in the vineyard as they can lead to grape rot and dilution. Collectors place great stock in vintage assessments, using harvest reports as a purchasing guide. Any Burgundy wine lover will understandably want to experience the finest wines from the best years.

Burgundy’s climate

Burgundy enjoys a continental climate, with generally cold winters and warm summers. Overall precipitation corresponds very closely to the Bordeaux region, although Burgundy is prone to heavy storms and hail attacks in the spring, an event that occurred in 2021. However, Burgundy is often blessed with dry autumn weather, helping to prevent rot during the harvest.

Nevertheless, making generalisations about Burgundy vintages is fraught with problems. This is largely because Burgundy is a very diverse and complex area, encompassing many sub-regions with their own macro-climates and particular nuances. The experiences of a grower in Meursault will rarely totally align with a winemaker in the Mâconnais zone further south, for example.

Regional variations

There are important climatic variations between Burgundy’s sub-zones and appellations. For example, the Mâconnais sub-region often experiences hotter summers than the Côte d’Or, due to its more southerly latitude. Likewise, it is usually warmer in the Côte de Beaune than the Côte Chalonnaise, despite the latter being located further south. This is due to the higher altitude of vineyards planted in the Côte Chalonnaise, and the lack of wind shelter. Chablis has the coolest micro-climate in Burgundy and some of its vineyards are susceptible to frost, which is less of a problem in the Mâconnais. A difficult vintage in Chablis will not necessarily set the tone for the rest of Burgundy.

Growers working in the same region will often have wildly contrasting levels of success. A difficult year does not automatically preclude a winemaker from crafting high-quality wines.

Case study: 2013

The 2013 vintage in the Côte d’Or was notoriously challenging, with inclement weather throughout the season. As the harvest date approached, humid weather brought a threat of rot which was exacerbated by rainstorms in early October. There is no doubt that some grapes struggled to ripen, and that certain wines were dilute and fiercely acidic.

Yet to dismiss this vintage would be unfair. In all vintages, however bad, the top growers will craft excellent wines. Many superlative Chardonnay wines were made in 2013, particularly from the appellations of Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne. This is because Chardonnay requires fewer sun-hours to ripen than Pinot Noir. Indeed, Chardonnay can make excellent wine in vintages when Burgundy’s signature red grape really struggles.

Additionally, Burgundy’s Grand Cru sites will be harvested at lower yields (due to the appellation regulations), and enjoy a favourable south-facing aspect. Even in difficult years, a Grand Cru Pinot Noir from the Côte d’Or can triumph. Lesser vineyard sites, however, will probably yield lacklustre red wine. This proved to be the case in the difficult 2006, 2008 and 2011 vintages. Careful selection is required when purchasing these years in order to obtain the top wines made in these three capricious and frustrating growing seasons.

Top vintages of the 21st century

2005

There are vintages in Burgundy where almost every sub-region and appellation produces stupendous wine. 2005 was such a year; flowering occurred in perfectly dry conditions, while a lovely warm summer in every region produced small, thick-skinned berries of concentrated fruit. The harvest took place under dry September skies. It soon became clear that 2005 was a vintage of consistently high quality from Chablis to the Côte Chalonnaise. The top red wines are powerfully structured, based on ripe tannins. The whites are concentrated, fresh and boast lovely acidity. 2005 set the tone for a string of superlative vintages in the 21st century. The Bourgogne Rouge/Blanc appellation offered particular value in 2005.

2015

An early period of flowering in 2015 was followed by a warm and dry summer, with heat spikes in July. However, rainfall in August brought some much-needed relief to the vines, ensuring that growers could harvest a ripe and balanced crop of small berries. Both the white and red wines from this vintage are of superlative quality; concentrated, powerfully structured and very fresh. 2015 is a collectors’ vintage, as prices are likely to rise significantly over the next decade, due to the insatiable demand for blue-chip Burgundy. It is a vintage that delivers endless pleasure.

2017

2017 was a very challenging vintage that nonetheless rewarded the patient and diligent grower. Hopes of an incident-free growing season were shattered by frost attacks in late April, which affected both Chablis and the Côte d’Or. However, the crucial stage of veraison happened during a warm and dry summer which was punctuated by much-needed rain showers and moisture in the soil. In fact, many vines were set to deliver inflated yields, so quality-focused producers had to judiciously prune and curtail growth throughout the season. The harvest was carried out in dry conditions and the wines turned out to be excellent. The whites are ripe, fresh and seductive, while the best Pinot Noir wines have crisp acidity, ripe tannins and beautiful aromatics. They are generally less concentrated than the wines made in 2015 and 2019, but 2017 remains a highly sought-after vintage.

2019

2019 was a low-yielding and fraught vintage that ultimately surpassed all expectations. The spring was unseasonably cool, with frost attacks in the Mâconnais sub-region. A cool June caused uneven flowering, but temperatures skyrocketed in July and August. A prolonged period of drought led to vine stress, causing the plants to ‘shut down’ and halt the ripening process.

Growers were deeply concerned in mid-August, until a cooler September saved the day. Yields were understandably very low, but winemakers were delighted with the result: a small quantity of rich, concentrated and silky wines. The wines were surprisingly fresh and elegant, despite the intense summer heat.

20th century Burgundy vintage: 1990

The plentiful harvest of 1990 produced some truly splendid bottles. The Grand Cru Pinot Noir wines are in a league of their own: richly-textured, powerful and very complex. The top Chardonnay wines are deep, balanced and concentrated. And yet, the season was far from easy. In fact, it was a bit of a nightmare.

It all started to go downhill in June. Cool and wet weather affected the flowering, leading to uneven fruit set and underdeveloped berries. However, July and August were very hot and dry, causing hydric stress and a slower rate of maturation. Thankfully, rain at the beginning of September saved the vintage, giving the vines much-needed moisture that allowed both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to reach high levels of phenolic maturity. Winegrowers harvested a large crop of healthy grapes, with thick skins and ripe tannins. Indeed, the quality of the fruit was extraordinary, considering how difficult the season had been. It was very much a vintage for the long haul, due to the abundant levels of tannin in the red wines. In 1990, the Burgundy region produced some of its most structured and powerful Pinot Noir wines ever. Meanwhile, the top Chardonnay wines were beautifully balanced and aromatically expressive. If you’re lucky enough to come across a bottle of 1990 Burgundy, savour it! Despite the generous volumes made over 30 years ago, there is very little left today.