1986 Burgundy Vintage

The 1986 vintage in Burgundy was shaped by rain and rot, making it one of the more challenging years of the decade. The growing season was marked by damp conditions that put pressure on vine health, demanding meticulous canopy management and rigorous grape sorting at harvest. Late in the harvest period, temperatures improved and conditions became more favorable, though the damage from an uneven, wet season was already done for many growers. Producers who exercised strict selection were able to make clean, if not profound, wines.

• Persistent rain and rot defined the season, requiring vigilant vineyard work and strict selection at harvest
• Late improvement in temperatures allowed part of the crop to ripen under better conditions
• The challenging season produced soft, relatively easy reds rather than concentrated or age-worthy ones
• Whites were initially promising but the season lacked the conditions needed to build the grip required for long aging

The Côte de Nuits clearly outperformed the Côte de Beaune in 1986, a reversal of what producers might have hoped for. Red wines from Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and Vosne-Romanée showed more substance and definition than those from Beaune, Pommard, and Volnay. For whites, Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet fared better than Puligny-Montrachet, while the Corton-Charlemagnes were regarded as unexceptional. Across the board, quality was variable and producer selection was critical.

• Côte de Nuits reds were considerably better than Côte de Beaune, though quality remained variable throughout
• Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet whites outperformed Puligny-Montrachet in this vintage
• Corton-Charlemagne, usually a benchmark appellation, produced unexceptional results in 1986
• Producer selection was paramount: careful growers avoided dilution, careless ones did not

Despite the vintage's limitations, a handful of talented producers in the Côte de Nuits crafted genuinely pleasurable wines. Henri Jayer, the celebrated vigneron from Vosne-Romanée, produced both a 1986 Echezeaux Grand Cru and a 1986 Richebourg Grand Cru, which remain among the most sought-after bottles from the vintage. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti also bottled its full range, though these wines, like much of 1986, were best approached before extensive additional aging. Among whites, producers such as Carillon, Jadot, Leroy, and Ramonet were cited as making the most successful bottles that have stood the test of time.

• Henri Jayer's 1986 Echezeaux scored 91 points and remains a collectable example of the vintage at its best
• Henri Jayer also produced a 1986 Richebourg Grand Cru, one of the rarest and most prized bottles from this year
• Among white producers, Carillon, Jadot, Leroy, and Ramonet made the most concentrated and durable 1986 whites
• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti bottled its full range in 1986, though these wines lacked the power of the greatest DRC vintages

After nearly four decades, the honest picture for 1986 Burgundy is that most wines are past their peak and have been for some time. Jancis Robinson noted the reds were showing signs of losing fruit as far back as 2008, while Decanter observed that the whites matured quickly, became flabby, and are now largely past their best. Only the most concentrated bottles from elite producers in the Côte de Nuits, stored in ideal conditions, are likely to offer genuine pleasure today. Provenance and storage history are essential considerations for any bottle from this vintage.

• Most 1986 red Burgundies showed signs of losing fruit by 2008 and are unlikely to have improved since
• White Burgundies from 1986 matured rapidly, lacked grip, and are now largely past their best
• Only the most concentrated reds from top Côte de Nuits producers may still offer rewarding drinking
• Impeccable provenance and cold, consistent storage are essential for any surviving bottle worth opening

The 1986 vintage sits within a broadly difficult run for red Burgundy spanning much of the early-to-mid 1980s. The decade's standout was 1985, widely considered a turning point in the region's vinous history, producing rich, fragrant, and long-lived reds. By contrast, 1986 was one of several below-average years for red Burgundy between 1981 and 1987. The real renaissance for the region's reds arrived with 1988, 1989, and the celebrated 1990. Understanding 1986 in this context helps calibrate expectations: it is a vintage for the dedicated historian of Burgundy rather than for pleasure-seeking collectors.

• 1985 was a landmark Burgundy vintage representing a turning point in domaine bottling and overall quality
• 1986 was one of a run of disappointing red vintages between 1981 and 1987, with 1985 the notable exception
• The true revival of red Burgundy quality came with 1988, 1989, and especially the celebrated 1990 vintage
• Compared to neighboring Bordeaux, where 1986 was an outstanding vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon in the Médoc, Burgundy fared poorly