1962 Burgundy Vintage

The 1962 growing season began slowly, with cold spells lasting well into early spring that delayed budbreak and set a cautious pace for the vines. June turned warm, July was moderate, and temperatures rose somewhat in August. September brought rain, but by that point it was largely welcome. The grapes took their time to ripen fully, and harvest did not begin until the second week of October, one of the latest starts of the postwar decades.

• Cold spring: persistent cold spells into early spring delayed the start of the growing season across the Côte d'Or
• Summer: warm June gave way to a moderate July, with temperatures rising in August to support ripening
• September rains fell at a point when they were beneficial rather than damaging, helping to balance the fruit
• Late harvest: grapes reached full ripeness only in October, contributing to the vintage's characteristic elegance rather than power

Red Burgundy in 1962 is classified as a good vintage, producing wines of elegance and finesse rather than weight or concentration. Decanter notes that some wines lacked backbone, but the best have outlasted the rest and remain compelling at over 60 years of age. The Côte de Nuits performed admirably, with Vosne-Romanée Grand Crus and the appellations of Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny yielding the most age-worthy reds. Côte de Beaune also contributed, with Pommard and Volnay noted as highlights.

• Style: fine, light reds built on elegance and aromatic finesse rather than power or deep color
• Côte de Nuits: Vosne-Romanée, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Chambolle-Musigny produced the most structured, long-lived wines
• Côte de Beaune reds: Pommard and Volnay produced attractive wines with good balance
• Variability: wines without sufficient backbone have faded, making producer selection critical for surviving bottles

White Burgundy was arguably the greater story of 1962. Decanter describes the vintage as probably the best for white wines of the entire decade, with the weather producing a small crop of high-quality Chardonnay grapes. The combination of a cool start, a warm summer, and a late harvest yielded concentrated, balanced whites with excellent acidity and aging potential. Surviving bottles of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Corton-Charlemagne from this vintage are now genuinely rare.

• Decanter verdict: 'Probably the best vintage for white wines of the decade'
• Small crop: reduced yields concentrated flavors in the surviving fruit
• Côte de Beaune whites: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Corton-Charlemagne were the principal beneficiaries
• Rarity: surviving bottles of top white Burgundy from 1962 are now museum-piece collector items

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti stands out as the most celebrated producer of 1962, with documented exceptional quality across Richebourg, Grand Échézeaux, and Romanée-Conti. Henri Jayer, who had been producing under his own label since the early 1950s and whose most famous wines came from Richebourg and Échézeaux Grand Crus, is also linked to a documented 1962 Richebourg. Domaine Armand Rousseau, under Charles Rousseau who took over the estate after his father Armand died in 1959, was a key producer from Gevrey-Chambertin in this vintage.

• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti: exceptional across Richebourg, Grand Échézeaux, and Romanée-Conti in 1962
• Henri Jayer: a 1962 Richebourg Grand Cru bottled under his name is documented, from vineyards he managed since the early 1950s
• Domaine Armand Rousseau: under Charles Rousseau's stewardship, the estate produced from top Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus including Chambertin
• Négociants: traditional négociant houses in Beaune and Nuits-Saint-Georges also bottled 1962 wines, with varying quality depending on selection

The 1962 vintage suffers primarily from its timing. It followed the legendary 1961, which was widely described as Burgundy's greatest postwar vintage to that point, causing the perfectly good 1962s to be commercially undervalued and overlooked. Both Burgundy and Bordeaux enjoyed very good years in 1962, but the attention of the trade and collectors remained firmly on 1961. This dynamic makes 1962 historically interesting as a secondary, underrated vintage worth understanding in the context of postwar Burgundy quality.

• Shadow of 1961: the legendary preceding vintage drew collector attention away from 1962, suppressing prices and interest at the time
• Wine-Searcher assessment: 'Both Burgundy and Italy enjoyed another very good vintage' in 1962
• Commercial consequence: underpriced at release due to 1961's dominance, which makes surviving bottles an interesting historical find
• Pattern: similar dynamics affected 2001 Bordeaux following 2000, illustrating how great vintages can unfairly obscure good ones

At over 60 years of age, 1962 Burgundy must be approached with care. The red wines that lacked backbone will have faded; only bottles from top producers with impeccable provenance should be considered. The whites, when discovered in proper condition, represent some of the decade's finest Chardonnay. Authenticity and provenance documentation are essential for any bottle of this age, given the high counterfeiting risk associated with old and rare Burgundy. The vintage offers collectors a window into postwar Burgundy's character before the winemaking revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.

• Best reds: only top Grand Cru bottles from elite producers with documented provenance are likely still rewarding
• Best whites: if found in excellent condition, 1962 whites represent possibly the finest Chardonnay of the 1960s
• Provenance essential: ullage, label condition, and storage history are critical for any bottle of this age
• Counterfeiting risk: high prices and rarity of old Burgundy attract fraudulent bottles, making authentication mandatory