An excellent year for White Burgundy with very high quality wines of harmony, grip, breed and concentration being produced.

The key to the vintage was the exceptionally cold weather in June, which caused coulure, the loss of the tiny berries immediately after flowering. This was particularly prevalent in the villages of Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. The result was that yields were slashed by as much as 50% - Etienne Sauzet produced the smallest harvest since 1984, while Domaine Leflaive produced only 270 barrels in 199,5 against 500 in 1996.

The wines possess excellent depth of fruit, superb ripeness and wonderfully illustrate the subtle distinction between the different villages, and between the individual vineyards within a village. They are beautifully balanced and the top wines will continue to improve for many years to come.