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*Vintages in red, drink-up to minimise oxidation issues.
Based on decent producers, because even in good years, the worst are to be avoided!
Version 1.20 – November 2011
Updated based on most recent experiences, and adding the latest (2010) vintage. Scores in bold have changed by one point (in the arrow direction) since the previous version.
Version 1.10 – November 2010
Version 1.00 – January 2010
Vintage Charts…
I thought that you didn’t like vintage charts? : It seems like forever that I’ve been telling you that vintage charts are close to useless. The standard approach of a particular number of stars, or marks out of 10 etc., per vintage could never and will never encapsulate the ‘what-ifs’ of burgundy.
Despite that, or maybe in-spite of that(!), it has become a regular theme in my mailbox – okay regular is relative, but it’s a couple of questions or requests every month (eh, DC…?). During the summer, one mail was essentially phrased – ‘but what if you had to?‘ Well I’ve thought about it, and concise is still out of the window, but here is an early ‘work in progress’ shot at a solution.
What about vintages? : You will say that I’m missing a lot of vintages, and that’s true, I’ve restricted myself only to vintages that I’ve tasted from barrel and have continued to follow their development.
And the numbers? : Marked out of 20 – I have decided to give you three; the top one is an average (in my opinion) for the vintage, but alone, and even as an average, that won’t help you get a feel for the vintage – you still need some idea of the gap between the best wines and the disappointing ones, the ‘spread’ if you like – i.e. your relative chance of hitting a good one or a bad one, blind – with those additional two numbers the table is now starting to offer some limited value, but unknown labels will forever remain a game of roulette.
What it doesn’t do? : It doesn’t do a lot; it doesn’t differentiate between Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits (or Hautes Côtes or Chablis or Côtes Chalonnaise etc., etc.), it doesn’t differentiate the good producers who failed or excelled in a particular vintage, it also doesn’t tell you that despite the first 4 from 5 white vintages ‘peaking’ at 19/20 possible points (ouch I hate points) that the characters of each are totally different – some may be to your taste, some not. It’s also (at best) a snapshot, as vintages can evolve in unexpected directions – what comes out of a bottle is a moving target – with every update I expect some scores to improve and others to slide…
So do I now believe a vintage chart for burgundy is possible? Well in my heart no – but for those people that counter with ‘anything is better than nothing’, I’ll revisit this every six to 12 months (or so). If you have some bright ideas to make it better, whilst retaining portability, then do get in touch – none of that NIH syndrome here!
Brilliant. An intelligent vintage chart. Thank you.
Great stuff! This is very handy as a cross reference to vintages and quality. It certainly leaves me thinking I should be drinking much more better 2007 whites now.
Fionn
I’m glad about that – because you should!
But watchout for those 08 whites too…!!!
Bill, not a lover of 2003 white then ?
Actually Phil, the Charlemagnes were not bad – but more expensive than the better 1999-2002s…
[...] 2008 was tricky for much of France and Burgundy was no exception. With a cool, wet spring flowering was not ideal with resulting yields between 5-6% down. Mildew also developed due to the damp conditions and hail also put in an appearance damaging up to 70% of some vineyards. As a generalisation, whites seem to have fared better than reds with Chardonnay cleaner than the Pinot Noir which suffered some botrytis infections, but September saw cool breezes which helped dry the fruit out, before a good warm period that ripened the grapes for vintage. As always in difficult vintages there will be some gems to ferret out. For a very detailed and useful guide to the vintages of Burgundy (and a whole lot more information on Burgundy in general) click here [...]
I suppose the dissappointment is that it gives no indication of readiness. The best of the red 2005, in my view, shouldn’t be touched for quite a while.
Maybe I should consider a colour-code the ‘average’ cells
That said, I think ‘drinking’ has more to do with white than red – at least for the 10 year period on display. I would only suggest drinking 2000s and 2007s (2004s if you like them) in red, but not the very best wines.
I’m surprised by your dropping 2007 whites, Bill. Maybe because I don’t taste at the bottom of the heap, but for me, it’s the greatest young white vintage I’ve ever experienced, and several producers have enthusiastically agreed when I said that to them.
I’m also (but somewhat less) surprised by your dropping the 2004 whites. Again, maybe I just don’t taste as widely as you do, but I’ve had several lovely examples in the last few weeks. 2005 whites, OTOH, is a touch high to my palate, although I can understand it for others. Also, if you get lucky enough to some of the 2003 Montrachets, I think you’d find justification for raising the upper limit for 2003 whites.
Best,
Claude
A lot of rather acidic 07 whites have passed my lips Claude – but as you will note that 20/20 stays resplendent for the best wines – I think them the greatest I ever tasted!
Actually on 03 I might eventually stretch to a 16 for some of the Charlemagnes – okay, 15.5 – I’m not anticipating any Montrachets
05s are not currently to my taste, lacking energy in many cases – but there’s no disputing the latent power and concentration – I think by far the most homogenouss recent vintage though…
It’s good to discuss!
PS I like the tongue in cheek – ‘perhaps I don’t taste as widely as you’ – haha!
I bought a bottle of red wine many years ago,i liked it so much i bought a case and gave it to friends.The problem is..I
cannot remember what the wine was called only that the label
had musical score as a background.Can you help?
Unrestrict yourself Bill! Who cares that you haven’t tasted barrel samples of older vintages. Surely you have an opinion of the vintages of the 90′s, and probably 80′s too! Then your color-coded readiness-to-drink version would have more green than red. Just calibrate it at premier and grand cru.
Just do it!
Bill -
I very much enjoy your site! Does the “2004 drink up to minimize oxidation issues” include Chablis? I have yet to have a premox Chablis from ’04… Sadly, I have had two from ’07!
Maybe you could change the premox font color from red to a golden straw color:)
kmm
Yes it does kmm.
Besides straw is more of an amber colour – saying watch out – not ‘danger’
I am also not anticipating a lot of 03 Montrachet(though I did taste a remarkably feasible 84 Bouchard at lunch) but the Laguiche 03 a few weeks ago was remarkable in its linearity and detail, and I think it will last for ever. Though I’m out of the white Burgundy game many higher level 03s are starting to seem far from the car crash they were a couple of years back.
I opened an ’04 Fevre ‘Les Clos’ over the weekend, it was absolutely wonderful with zero signs of premox. I think there is still more to come and I feel like there is no rush to open another one!
I like to gamble…
Best Burgundy Vintage Chart I have ever seen. Thank you Bill.
I have a bottle of Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils
Appellation Nuits Saint Georges Controlee
Red Burgundy Wine vintage 2000
Is this wine still good? It has been stored on it’s side in a cool place. I have no idea what it was or is worth so I’m not sure if it’s still good. Please advise me as to what you think.
If strored as you say patti, it should be good drink, but it has no resale value – well, maybe $20…
Should taste nice though!
Hi Bill
This is like, everything’s nice and convivial then you turned on the radio, so of course an argument breaks ’cause everyone has a favorite station! Seriously, I don’t taste as wildly, er widely as you
but I think we agree most on 2006 reds. Thanks. Great job!
Best
Alex
Hi Everyone,
I wonder if anybody can help me by recommending an excellent 2006 and 2008 Burgundy which will last and really mature for 18 to 21 years. This is for my children so that we can have something Very special on thier birthdays.
It would be crazy for me to be specific. However I do love Pommard.
I’d appreciate your advice and knowledge.
Regards,
Richard