2006- The red wines 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 élevage.
2005 - A glorious vintage for the red wines of Burgundy. A dry,
sunny summer without any exceptional heatwave to worry the growers. These will
be immensely concentrated wines capable of lasting for decades.
2004 - A lighter but very attractive vintage, with the wines
showing good vineyard typicity. There is a big difference between the top
performers who managed their vineyards perfectly and so ripened their grapes,
compared to less conscientious producers with higher yields and less ripe
grapes.
2003 - A unique vintage with the harvest beginning on
12th August, six weeks ahead of normal, after an unparalleled
heatwave. The wines are exotic and for the most part very impressive. Some will
need drinking early but there will also be some great bottles for the long
term.
2002 - A vintage to delight Burgundy lovers - not blockbuster in
style but with beautifully balanced, elegant, ripe fruit with excellent
vineyard definition. Lesser wines may be drunk soon but the best should be
kept.
2001 - An attractive vintage but lacking a little bit of
sunshine for the highest class.
2000 - Patchy in the Côte de Beaune as a result of some rain and
September storms. Better in the Côte de
Nuits, where some very attractive wines were made, an excellent option for
drinking now.
1999 - Superb. Many growers rate this above their
1990. Succulence, balance and great purity. A big crop but the
grapes ripened fully in excellent growing conditions. Do not think of starting
the best wines before their 10th birthday.
1998 - Quite tannic and, outside the best growers' domaines,
inclined to be a bit lean. The best wines, however have lovely structure
and balance and no lack of fruit. Village wines from good producers are
starting to drink very well.
1997 - Charming, fruity, forward, accessible wines.
1996 - A wonderful vintage of balanced wines, with the unusual
combination of high levels of ripeness and firm acidity. Wines built to
last for many years.
1995 - A fine year with ageing potential and lots of fruit and
finesse. One of the best vintages of the 1990s.
1994 - A difficult year, with too much September rain. Avoid all
but the best producers.
1993 - Not quite the opulence of 1990, but there are some
outstanding wines in the Cote de Nuits which need time still for the tannins to
round out. Most Cote de Beaune wines are on the dry side, but with some notable
successes from top growers.
1992 - An attractive year though slightly diluted by rain. The
very best wines are syill good to drink, but lesser appellations will have
faded.
1991 - A small crop after frost damage, but the wines have
turned out evebn better than expected. Beginning to fade now, but premier and
grand cru wines are still a pleasure to drink.
1990 - A classic year. Wines of great ripeness and richness,
produced from healthy fruit. The best wines will last for many more years.
Earlier fine vintages : 1989, 1988, 1985, 1978, 1971, 1969, 1964, 1959,
1957, 1952, 1949, 1947, 1945.
See White
Burgundy - Recent Vintages
