The red wines in vintage 20066 for Burgundy have developed significantly since
their first tasting immediately after the harvest and are now an absolute
delight, especially those from the
Côte de Nuits and the best
hillside sites of the
Côte de
Beaune.
Vinification went well, resulting in good colour extraction, and the wines have
put on weight during their élévage. Stylistically everything
depended on the producers' attitude to tannin management.
Some, such as
Roumier and
Drouhin, have
deliberately refrained from extracting tannins in 2006 and have made
beautifully perfumed and charming wines.
Others, including
Barthod
and
Lafarge, have vinified
their wines as usual, producing firmer Red Burgundies for the longer haul.
Where healthy, ripe grapes were used, both styles work in 2006.
The weather
After the very dry summer of 2005 there was plenty of much needed rain and
snow during a winter which dragged on much later than usual. There was
still a wintry feeling in mid March – the grass totally dead and nothing
else stirring even as late as the weekend of 18th/19th
March. The following week was warmer and the first signs of a green renewal in
the grass had appeared by the end of the month.
April was cooler and wetter than usual. However the wind on Palm Sunday was
south and west, suggesting a warm, wet and possibly stormy season. May
continued as April had started, cool and wet, with early morning temperatures
only just above freezing into the first few days of June. There was even a snow
shower at Meuilley in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits on 30th May!
As a result the ‘belle sortie’ of grapes began to abort even before
the flowering which was being delayed by the poor weather.
Happily the weather turned over the weekend of 4th/5th
June, becoming clear hot and sunny for the following two weeks, with forecast
storms on and after the 16th failing to materialise until the
following weekend. The flowering happened therefore in excellent conditions
during the week of 13th June, suggesting a harvest date of about
22nd to 25th September.
July was hot and exceptionally dry throughout with real problems of drought
beginning to emerge by the end of the month. A major hailstorm caused damage in
Chambolle and Gevrey (especially around Griottes- and Chapelle-Chambertin) on
27th July.
August was cooler and notably wetter than usual, especially in the
Côte de Beaune. At first this was welcome but by the end of the month it
was beginning to cause worries about lack of ripeness and risk of rot. Oidium
and mildew were also threatening.
As so often the weather glimpsed on Palm Sunday set in during September,
with warmer temperatures but fairly frequent showers and occasional storms,
including a fairly fierce one in the Côte de Beaune in the evening of
Friday 15th. The Ban de Vendanges was set for Monday 18th
September but some of the best known growers, including Dominique Lafon and
Arnaud Ente, asked for a ‘derogation’ to start early because their
vineyards were fully ready. Unusually, the Ban de Vendanges for Chablis
(16th) was actually earlier than the Côte d’Or
Those who took the trouble to analyse each vineyard in detail found notable
differences in ripening, hence the need to start early but continue slowly as
each vineyard became ready.
There were very few pickers in evidence on Monday 18th and even
on Tuesday there was almost no activity in the red vineyards and only a certain
amount in the whites – mostly the top growers such as Lafon, Ente, Roulot
& Coche Dury. Apart from a small shower on the Monday evening the weather
was fine and warm on both days, becoming hot on Wednesday 20th when
there was much more widespread picking activity, and again on Thursday
21st. The remnants of hurricanes Gordon and Helen were pushing hot
air before them while the bad weather spiralled off to the north over
Scotland.
Bad weather was forecast over the weekend but in fact Friday was fine
(though a bad day for picking according to the lunar calendar) until a light
shower in the evening and most of Saturday (23rd) was hot and sunny,
although with a heavy shower in the morning and light rain again by the
evening. Picking went ahead full swing however because of the very poor
forecast for Sunday which turned out to be overcast with frequent periods of
steady drizzle – but not the torrential rain which had been feared.
The Côte de Beaune was finishing and the Côte de Nuits getting
in full swing by Monday 25th, which was very overcast but dry except
for a sharp shower in Gevrey. Tuesday was somewhat brighter and Wednesday
beautiful. Fine weather continued through to the weekend by which time most
people had finished – though some such as Alain Burguet, Laurent Ponsot
and Thierry Matrot were only just starting. The late picking card was probably
a mistake as the weather turned noticeably wetter as September gave way to
October.
