2010 Burgundy Vintage

The 2010 growing season began under serious duress. Extreme cold on the evening of December 21, 2009, inflicted severe damage to vines that had not yet fully entered winter dormancy, weakening plants heading into spring. Cold, wet weather during the June flowering caused significant coulure and widespread millerandage, resulting in tiny berries with thick skins and few seeds. The summer that followed was cool and damp rather than warm and sunny, with mildew and rot testing producers' vigilance throughout July and August. September proved to be the salvation: after a violent thunderstorm on September 12 brought hail to the southern Côte de Beaune, the weather stabilised and warmed, allowing the small, concentrated berries to ripen slowly over a growing period of 110 or more days from flowering. Harvest ran from late September into early October for reds.

• December 2009 frost damaged vines not yet dormant, reducing vigour and crop potential heading into spring
• June flowering in cold, wet conditions produced millerandage: tiny, seedless, thick-skinned berries that would prove crucial to wine quality
• Cool, damp July and August brought mildew pressure; careful vineyard work separated quality estates from the rest
• September 12 hailstorm hit the southern Côte de Beaune hard, particularly Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet, and parts of Meursault

The Côte de Nuits was the undisputed star of 2010, producing wines of exceptional purity and structure across Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, and Nuits-St-Georges. Gevrey-Chambertin showed fine-textured tannins and energy; Chambolle-Musigny offered freshness and lucidity; Vosne-Romanée displayed characteristic charm and elegance. The Côte de Beaune also performed admirably at quality estates, with Volnay and Pommard drawing particular praise for vivacity and supple structure, and Beaune itself producing excellent premiers crus. However, Santenay was hit hard by September hail and required strict sorting. The Côte Chalonnaise struggled with uneven ripening and produced less consistent results. White Burgundy was mostly very fine, though the September 12 storm created variability in the southern Côte de Beaune, particularly in Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet; Chablis was outstanding, combining density with classic mineral acidity.

• Côte de Nuits: exceptional across the board, with Gevrey, Chambolle, and Vosne-Romanée all producing benchmark wines
• Côte de Beaune reds: Volnay and Pommard were particular successes; Santenay required strict sorting after September hail
• White Burgundy: mostly fine, with variability in storm-affected southern Côte de Beaune; Chablis was a standout
• Côte Chalonnaise: uneven ripening meant less consistency than the Côte d'Or

The logic behind 2010's quality is counterintuitive. The very conditions that caused concern throughout the growing season ultimately produced exceptional wine. Millerandage from the poor June flowering created berries with a high ratio of skin to juice, concentrating colour, tannin, and flavour compounds. Because the crop was so small, the limited fruit load was able to ripen despite the cool, sunless summer. The extended hang time of 110 or more days from flowering allowed phenolic ripeness to develop gradually, while the cool conditions preserved high natural acidity. Producers with less than 30 hectolitres per hectare found the grapes at harvest to be healthy, concentrated, and balanced. Those who were vigilant about disease control and sorting were rewarded with wines of uncommon depth. Winemakers noted very slow malolactic fermentations, and it was only after these were completed that the vintage's true quality became apparent.

• Millerandage created tiny berries with high skin-to-juice ratio, concentrating flavour and structure without excess sugar
• Small crop size allowed complete ripening even in a cool, low-sunshine summer
• Extended 110-plus day growing period from flowering to harvest preserved high natural acidity alongside phenolic ripeness
• Very slow malolactic fermentations meant quality was not immediately obvious at harvest; the wines revealed themselves gradually

The hallmark of 2010 red Burgundy is what Jasper Morris MW calls a balanced triangle of fruit, tannins, and acidity, a combination rarely achieved in a single vintage. The wines are built around red fruit rather than black, with cherries and raspberries predominating, and show very few green notes despite the cool season. They range from lighter to medium-full bodied depending on producer extraction choices. The vintage is celebrated for its terroir transparency: each vineyard expresses itself clearly, rewarding those who know Burgundy's landscapes. The wines lack the opulence and richness of the 2009s but offer intensity, purity, and structure, along with the structural framework for extended cellaring. White Burgundies at their best are aromatic and fleshy with vibrant acidity, though with more variability than the reds.

• Red wines defined by red fruit (cherry, raspberry) rather than black fruit, with classical freshness and very few green notes
• Exceptional terroir transparency: individual vineyard character is clear, rewarding Burgundy enthusiasts
• Less opulence than 2009, but greater purity, precision, and structural integrity for long-term ageing
• White wines at their best are aromatic, fleshy, and mineral-driven, though quality is less consistent than the reds

2010 is most often compared to 2005 in terms of overall greatness, though most producers believe the 2005s sit at a higher level overall and will develop more slowly. In their terroir transparency and freshness, the 2010s bear some resemblance to 2002 and 2008, but they are more harmonious and better balanced than either of those. Against 2009, the contrast is clear: 2009 was a riper, broader, more immediately hedonistic vintage whose greatest wines may outlive 2010 due to their greater concentration and structure; 2010 is the more classical, intellectual choice, appreciated most by those with a deep understanding of Burgundy. Bernard Hervet of Domaine Faiveley noted that 2009 is a universal vintage pleasing beginners and collectors alike, while 2010 is more a connoisseur's vintage. The 2010s have been drinkable with pleasure throughout their lives, though the finest Grand Cru reds still have decades of development ahead.

• 2010 vs. 2005: 2010 considered exceptional but below 2005 in overall concentration and longevity potential
• 2010 vs. 2009: 2010 offers classical precision and terroir clarity; 2009 is riper, broader, and more universally accessible
• 2010 vs. 2002 and 2008: 2010 shares their freshness and transparency but is more harmonious and better balanced
• A connoisseur's vintage: most rewarding to those who appreciate Burgundy's classical, cool-climate character

The approachable, balanced structure of 2010 means the wines have been enjoyable from a relatively early stage, without the sense of infanticide that plagues more tannic vintages. Village and regional wines have offered good drinking since the mid-2010s. Premier Cru reds are in a comfortable drinking window through the late 2020s and into the 2030s for the best sites. Grand Cru reds from top estates in the Côte de Nuits have the structure and acidity to develop for many more years, though they are currently pleasurable to drink. Note that the scarcity caused by low yields has made 2010 a sought-after vintage on secondary markets, and prices for top Grand Crus reflect both quality and rarity. Value relative to quality may be found at village and Bourgogne appellation level, where the vintage also produced some remarkable, undervalued wines.

• Village wines: have offered good drinking since the mid-2010s; continue to drink well now
• Premier Crus: comfortably in their drinking window through the late 2020s and into the 2030s
• Grand Crus: structured and long-lived; currently pleasurable but capable of further development
• Low yields of 30 percent or more below prior year make scarcity a real factor in pricing and availability