Site Updates

the march 2019 burgundy report

By billn on May 03, 2019 #reports#site updates

I really ought to publicise that the March report is online – so here you go!

  • With 8 new names from Chablis – so already bringing to you 70 domaines and their 2017s from that region this year – coverage like no other!
  • Visits to ‘older’ names to catch-up on their 2017s…
  • 100 wines from 2017 tasted blind – from Irancy and Beaujolais Blanc – I’m thinking of your bank balance here. Particularly the Beaujolais was interesting, because I generally find only about 1 in 10 wines that I would open with relish – here you will find 6 great wines – from over 60 tasted!
  • Screw-cap versus cork – comparing the seals back to 2004 with one winemaker – intriguing, if unsurprising results!

Online for subscribers here. Note that for my coverage of the 2017 vintage, that’s already 2,890 wines from 235 producers. This month I’ve even started tasting a few domaines’ 2018s!

NB: This is the last Burgundy Report on my old server before a big site update. ‘Architecturally’ – i.e. behind the scenes – it will be a major step forward in both speed and stability. I’ll probably have to revisit the design in 6-12 months to make it prettier, but function and content rules – eh? Particularly now that a touch more than 50% of you visit only using your tablets and (i)phones!

Enjoy…

‘bourgogne vs. burgundy – what’s in a name?’

By billn on February 28, 2019 #site updates#warning - opinion!

I dismissed the BIVB‘s press release about this time last year, probably because I had better things to do around the time of the harvest – actually it was the 12th September, so I’m sure I’d probably finished by then – but I digress!

In essence, they want to change the way that others speak:

“To re-affirm its identity as one of the most iconic vineyard of France, the region and its producers are reverting back to the original French iteration of its name: Bourgogne.”

They say that if we all revert to ‘Bourgogne’ then it will aid them in “maintaining one true identity.” It’s not just a swipe at Anglo-Saxons like me, but also Germans and any number of other ‘non-French translations’ of Bourgogne. It sounds like the first step on the road to ‘Frexit’ to me!

To be honest, I’d completely forgotten about this, until last week, when a stalwart of the BIVB asked me why I don’t ‘change to using the word Bourgogne instead?’ Whilst not fully prepared for an in-depth rebuttal, I did manage to muster that when the French officially stop referring to Angleterre or États-Unis d’Amérique or Londres, and adopt local usage, I would begin to think about it!

It seems to me a silly thing to spend time on, particularly in a region where many of its rules and classifications derive from what are described as traditions that are ‘loyaux et constants‘ i.e. they are trustworthy, established practice.

I know that I’m going through a site update – online, hopefully, by the first week in April – but I’m still not planning to rename the site to Bourgogne Reportage! Not yet, anyway 😉

my updated burgundy vintage charts – v.1.8

By billn on February 27, 2018 #site updates

Updated to include, among other things, my early thoughts on the 2016s.
Here.

The ‘other things’ include:

  • Tada! Chablis!
  • Tada! Beaujolais!
  • A small increase in the average score for 2004 reds – rare bottles of-course 🙂
  • Increasing the number of ‘red flagged’ white vintages in the Côte d’Or – i.e. ones to drink up to minimise your exposure to oxidised bottles.
  • Lastly a small reduction in score for the ‘worst’ 2014 reds – I’ve ‘enjoyed’ some quite weedier, ‘meagre’ bottles.

updated vintage chart – v.1.7

By billn on September 21, 2017 #site updates

Updated to include, among other things, my early thoughts on the 2015s.
Here.

The ‘other things’ include:

  • A small increase in the average score for 2007 reds – a nod to their opening out
  • Increasing the number of ‘red flagged’ white vintages – i.e. ones to drink up to minimise your exposure to oxidised bottles.
  • Lastly a small reduction in score for the ‘best’ 2013 whites. I still enjoy them very much, but they are clearly not as good as the same from 2011, 2012 and 2014…

And that’s about it!

4 million…

By billn on August 18, 2017 #site updates


I’ve only just noticed that, last week, Burgundy Report passed the 4 million visitors milestone. And that’s only since I changed the site software – sometime in 2006 – not since the beginning of the site in 2002. I’d celebrate with a drink – but it’s breakfast time – later… 🙂

december’s burgundy report

By billn on December 21, 2016 #reports#site updates


 
My third Côte d’Or report is now online. Altogether the ‘whites,’ ‘reds’ and ‘grands maisons’ issues include commentary about 2016 and 2015 from over 80 producers and 1,300 wines.

Now comes a relative (report writing) pause for Christmas, then the 5th of January – is Chablis time!

https://www.burgundy-report.com/burgundy-report-extra/

next week – the 2015 white burgundy report

By billn on November 11, 2016 #site updates

burg-163

Above, a bunch of happy smiley faces, visited since the harvest. There are just a few more to add, but October 2016’s Burgundy Report will be online by next Friday.

October 2016 = 2015 White Burgundy.
The wines and thoughts of important domaines, plus the information on the vintage and its best wines.
Coming soon…

new burgundy report online

By billn on October 28, 2016 #reports#site updates

dsc01011After the summer pause, when the whole of France decides to go on holiday, September is about harvesting. Well usually! The harvest was a late one this year, with most of the Côte de Nuits finishing in October.

So, a report with plenty of 2016 vintage info, plus a more in-depth look at what the harvest delivered and its potential. Given the late harvest, some producer visits to taste were possible before the harvest this year – normally that doesn’t work – so you will find a little Beaujolais and much more Côte d’Or – the first 2015s ‘officially’ tasted. Officially? Well I get to taste all year, but I wait until they are well down the route of elevage (12 months) before I consider actually writing a note for others to see.

There is also an open (i.e. not just for subscribers) piece on Maison Ilan – open because it’s important from a consumer perspective.

September 2016.

vintage chart update – v1.60

By billn on September 07, 2016 #site updates

Fullscreen capture 972016 113915 AMI’ve finally got an update for my vintage chart, including the 2014 vintage for the first time – amazing what you can get done when the harvest is a little later – though I know that I’ll pay for it when I’m supposed to be visiting producers, but haven’t yet finished sorting grapes 😉

My initial rating of the 2014 vintage for whites, reflects that it is easily the greatest vintage I’ve seen for consistency – and that includes the Mâconnais and Chablis too! That almost goes for the reds too – whilst there won’t be the same level of attainment for the greatest wines as previous vintages, like the whites this is also a very consistent vintage at the mid and lower ranges – actually similar to 2005 and 2009 – if you can find good pricing, then you’ll certainly get a thumbs-up from my direction.

There are relatively few changes to other vintages – mainly the 2011 vintage – and in both colours too. First I’ve reduced the score by 1 point for the worst from the 2013 reds – some wines really do show their acidity more than others – even I can wince here. I’ve also met some very green 2011 reds that I didn’t like at all, so I’ve reduced the ‘worst’ score by a point to reflect that – the vintage is still much better than 2004 though! One the other hand, I’ve been very impressed by the development of the same vintage’s whites – I’ve seen green whites, but they are pretty rare – so in this case I’ve added points to both the average and best levels. After some disappointments that were nothing to do with greens. I’ve reduced the average score for 2010 whites by a point too.

Lastly, you may note an increase in the number of white vintage indexes that are now in red colour. This reflects the addition of vintages 2005, 2009 and 2010 to my p.ox watch…

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