It's a pleasure to present our 2021 Burgundy Review. As many of you are aware, it is once again one of (very) low yields, Mother Nature is increasingly unpredictable. However, the 2021 vintage has in places flourished, ushered by waves of excitement for the quality of both white and red wines. Andrew and I were delighted to plan our return to the Côte d’Or and 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 opportunity to taste direct from the barrel and discuss openly with producers about all their hard work in both the vineyard and cellar, over the last 12 months.
Many producers described 2021 as a “classic Burgundy vintage” where bright, vibrant, and charming wines in both colours have been produced. They believe it is a vintage that harks back to the future and is comparable to those from the late 1980s and early 1990s/2000s. Head Winemaker at Domaine Faiveley, Jérôme Flous, described 2021 as a “classic, perfumed and elegant” vintage, noting it reminded him of 1991 and 2007, whereas Nicolas Potel of Maison Roche de Bellene declared, “I like this vintage… it suits my style!” drawing similarities to 2002 for the reds, as well as 2014 and 2017 for white wines.
Nevertheless, 2021 was a challenging vintage for producers, which in our experience resulted in quality variation across the board. It must be said that overall we were pleasantly surprised by what we found in the glass; balanced, elegant, and sophisticated wines. However the inevitable price increases that come hand-in-hand with such a low yielding vintage, made it imperative to be more discerning in our buying policy. When tasting En Primeur we are looking for true expression; that of terroir, balance, structure, purity, and harmony. I have personally tasted Burgundy En Primeur for over 20 years and have worked with many of these winemakers throughout this period; I still have as much respect for their craft now, as I did when I first started. It is also moving to see several Domaines now fully embrace their next generation who have been patiently waiting in the wings such as Paul Chavy (Domaine Jean-Louis Chavy), Vincent Girard (Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard) as well as Côte de Nuit’s Young Winemaker of the Year 2022, François Ambroise (Domaine Ambroise), all of whom have honed their craft by spending time in the vineyard and the cellar with parents and grandparents, and are now ready to continue in their footsteps.
Furthermore, as your independent wine merchant it is our job to search for new and exciting Domaines. From smaller, up-and-coming appellations that we kindly refer to as ‘petits villages’, to more famous communes, we are thrilled to welcome Capuano-Ferreri from Santenay, and Château de Laborde from Gevrey-Chambertin to our 2021 En Primeur offering.
Vintage and growing conditions
Winter 2020-21 was mild and rainy, yet spring arrived several weeks earlier than usual due to abnormally warm temperatures (25-28°C) in late March, which provoked an advanced budburst and caused concern regarding the notorious early-budding Chardonnay. Growers were given a break from the threat of spring frost in 2020, yet not in 2021, as on the nights of 6th - 8th of April there was a bout of devastating “black frost” which saw temperatures plummet to unfathomable lows of -8°C… sadly, despite vignerons best efforts via a sea of ‘bougies’ (candles), state-of-the-art wind turbines, and even helicopters, nothing could mitigate its destructive effects.
As a result, many producers in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet as well as surrounding petits villages subsequently lost between 30-80% of their potential crop. Pinot Noir didn’t escape unscathed either, however, as it buds later than Chardonnay it was spared the worst of the sub-zero temperatures, though yields have been reduced between 30-50% on average.
The weather in the remainder of spring and leading into early summer was cool and wet, yet thankfully temperatures warmed up in time for flowering in June. Unfortunately, the rain and colder weather returned in late July, with twice the average rainfall causing issues for several producers in the form of disease pressure in the vineyards. Caroline Parent-Gros at Domaine AF Gros told us “2021 is the smallest crop ever at the Domaine since its creation in 1988. The effects of the terrible spring frost were compounded further by mildew and odium attacks in July, which when combined together, resulted in a 60% yield loss at the Domaine”.
The rest of summer saw warm and relatively sunny weather conditions right the way through until the harvest began, with Domaines starting to pick between 21st - 27th September for both whites and reds. It was noted by many producers that this was one of the longest growing seasons on record at roughly 120 days (the norm in Burgundy is 100 days after flowering begins). Of course, the decision to pick is always dependent on vineyard management, house style as well as winemaker preferences.
Reds: our vintage score 8.5 / 10
A good vintage that has produced some charming, forward wines full of summer berry fruits and delicate floral tones (in comparison to darker fruit found in more recent “solar” vintages). We believe the best value to be found is Village and Premier Cru levels from Domaines AF Gros, Ambroise and Rossignol-Trapet, regardless of appellation. These wines will provide great pleasure and drinkability in youth due to wonderful fruit purity and vibrancy; yet also have the potential to age mid-term in the cellar.
Whites: our vintage score 9 / 10
A very good vintage that has created precise, energetic, and elegant wines with an emphasis on citrus and white stone fruit (as opposed to more tropical verging exotic fruit from recent warmer years). Again, we feel the best value is found at both Village and Premier Cru levels from Domaines Capuano-Ferreri, Jean-Louis Chavy, and Vincent Latour, regardless of appellation. Irrespective of whether you prefer them youthful or with a bit of bottle age, these wines have superb tension, energy and vivacity that won't disappoint.
Do read our full vintage report; 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.
If you would like to discuss options further, please call me in the office on 01325 776446, where I will be happy to guide you through the vintage.
