2002 Burgundy Vintage

A cool May delayed flowering, but the flowering itself took place in good conditions. July and August were dry and warm, but not too hot, with no violent storms. By the beginning of September the drought had somewhat blocked development, which seemed less of a problem for Pinot Noir than for Chardonnay. Rain followed, and across Burgundy there was a moment of anxiety at the start of September, with early signs of rot, before the skies soon cleared. Fine weather came next, with clear skies and a cool north wind, sunny but cool at night, which reduced volumes and concentrated the fruit while preserving acidity. The harvest began in the Cote d'Or on 15 September and was over by 1 October, after which the weather deteriorated and affected the quality of the later-picked Hautes Cotes. Decanter's red guide put the crop 5.5 percent below the five-year average, while its white guide described a large crop, some three percent above that average.

• The September rain did no harm except in Ladoix, where it was somewhat excessive and reduced the concentration of the Cortons and of the Corton-Charlemagnes from that side of the hill
• Start dates spread through September, with the Cote Chalonnaise beginning as early as 12 September and most growers waiting until later in the month
• Aubert de Villaine's Cote de Nuits harvest began on 16 September with young vines and finished on 27 September, while Maison Joseph Drouhin started picking on 23 September

Wine Spectator's Per-Henrik Mansson reported that a dry summer and a sunny September let growers in the Cote d'Or and Chablis harvest grapes of exceptional balance. High sugar and good acid levels left little need to chaptalize or acidify. Leading growers from the northern Cote de Nuits even proclaimed 2002 a "vintage of the century", although some toned down their enthusiasm a few weeks after the harvest, saying the Pinot Noirs seemed to have less body than first expected. Maturity was a little irregular, so those who waited a week benefited greatly, and the fruit was very healthy. Tests in early September at the Hospices de Beaune vineyards showed potential alcohol of better than 11.5 in Savigny-les-Beaune and Volnay.

• Philippe Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin said: 'There's been hardly any rain, which has made working the vines easy and allowed them to ripen well.'
• Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanee Conti called it 'one of those chaotic years', with too much heat at times and too much rain at others, but said the Cote de Nuits was blessed at harvest time
• Wine Spectator reported that most growers agreed 2002 should at least be outstanding

Decanter's red Burgundy guide summed up the vintage as fine tannins, ripe fruit and excellent balance. In the Cote de Beaune it found the wines consistent across the board, with the single exception of Ladoix, and described pure, refreshing, elegant fruit, ripe tannins and medium to medium-full body. The Cote de Nuits was just as consistent, with wines bigger and more black-fruited than in the Cote de Beaune and the top wines more concentrated.

• Cote Chalonnaise: over-cropping was the main danger; the best producers green-harvested and held yields to 45 hl/ha or so, making intensely flavoured, medium to medium-full bodied Pinot Noir with good acidity
• Beaujolais: Decanter called it a splendid vintage, with fullish wines crammed with fruit and very good balance
• Ladoix: even here, the Prince de Merode made some lovely Cortons

Decanter's white Burgundy guide described wines ripe with balancing acidity and good ageing potential. In the Cote d'Or it named Meursault, Puligny and Chassagne great successes, with the one weakness in the Corton-Charlemagnes harvested above Aloxe and Ladoix. Jean-Pierre Latour of Domaine Latour-Giraud in Meursault said: 'It is rare to have such concentration and richness balanced by high alcohol and such very good acidities.' Wine Spectator reported little debate over the fine quality of the Chardonnays, especially in Chablis.

• Chablis: rich and well balanced with acidity, with a consistency that was lacking in 2000; Decanter called it a fine year, and Wine Spectator said it may have produced legendary wines thanks to perfect harvest conditions
• Cote Chalonnaise: a very fine year for whites, with the region's good acidities balancing the 2002 fullness and richness
• Maconnais: most wines were harmonious, full bodied, fat and lush, though one or two Pouilly-Fuisses were too alcoholic and top heavy