For many months there has been a lot of excited whispers and murmurs in the trade regarding the excellent potential of the 2020 Burgundy vintage; one of low yields (again), yet superb quality for both white, and red wines. For the first time in two years, Andrew and I were thrilled to plan for our return to Burgundy to taste the latest vintage; an experience we never take for granted. It is quite simply a moment in time where we are incredibly fortunate to be given the access, and the opportunity to taste direct from the barrel, discuss openly and at length with producers about all their hard work in both the vineyard, and cellar, over the last 12 months.
Sadly, at the very last moment I was unable to travel and therefore my fellow Wine Buyer, Andrew Ray, and Trade Account Manager, Charles Willoughby, took up the mantle and headed off to Beaune…
Although we are still in the midst of the pandemic and the world continues to be full of doubt; one thing we can be certain of is the 2020 Burgundy vintage, it is a beautiful brace with intense, concentrated whites and opulent, compact reds. When tasting En Primeur we are looking for true expression; that of terroir, balance, structure, purity, and harmony. I have personally tasted En Primeur for over 20 years now and have worked with many of these winemakers for most of this period, and I still have as much respect for their craft now, as I did when I first started. It is also exciting to see some Domaines now embracing the younger generation who have been patiently waiting in the wings: such as Paul at Domaine Jean-Louis Chavy, serving time in the fields and in the cellar ready to continue in the footsteps of their ancestors. I hope you enjoy this review; full of the key facts of their holdings and winemaker’s comments on the vintage, as well as our producer notes, highlighting their news over the last year, including new techniques embraced in the field, and cellar.
Vintage and growing conditions
Winter 2019-20 was mild and dry, and very much set the scene for the vintage by prompting an earlier than usual start to the growing cycle with bud burst occurring in March. For once, Burgundy vignerons did not have to worry about the severe risk of Spring frost that has plagued them in recent years as the good weather continued through April and into May, ensuring a healthy, albeit early flowering.
Summer was hot and dry with several instances of extreme heat; the combination of high temperatures (up to 42°C) and the low water table reserves (due to such a mild winter), caused some hydro-stress, vines to shut down as well as genuine concern about the berries shrivelling and/or burning on the vine. Rumours of a growing season like the historic heat wave year of 2003 circled; however, this was dispelled by many including Nicolas Potel who stated that although the days were hot, in contrast to 2003, it was the nights were cool that is the main difference, allowing grapes to retain acidity, vibrancy and balance.
Harvest took place in almost perfect, healthy conditions with many starting to pick ca. 22nd – 27th August (the earliest on record) … purely due to the traditional 100-days after flowing, rather than because of the climatic conditions. Of course, the decision to pick is dependent on the vineyard management, house style and winemaker preferences.
Reds: our vintage score 9-9.5 / 10
A superb vintage with ripe, opulent, and compact wines that retain outstanding energy, and vibrancy. There is quality available at all levels (from Village to Grand Cru), and throughout all appellations, however, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée stood out for us with added depth, and complexity. The wines will be approachable in youth due to impressive fruit purity yet have fantastic aging potential too.
Whites: our vintage score 9 / 10
A very good vintage where the intense, concentrated wines are complimented by precise, and uplifting acidity. The hot and dry growing season is more evident in the Côte de Beaune, where concentrated citrus, exotic as well as tropical fruits fuse harmoniously with rounded, creamy texture from well balanced, and integrated oak. In the cooler northern climes of Chablis, the wines are as would be expected, more restrained and linear with great focus, tension, and precision.
Our notes are purely written from samples tasted with producers direct from barrel at the Domaines. As I am sure you will appreciate there is much work that goes into producing these reports, so a big thank you to my fellow colleagues and tasters; Andrew Ray and Charles Willoughby, who travelled to Burgundy in November to taste, and have been instrumental in producing our full vintage report.
Please contact us on 01325 776446 where we will be very happy to talk you through our thoughts on the vintage further and discuss what will suit your cellar / palate.
