2013 Burgundy Vintage

Intense cold marked the start of 2013, followed by a cool, gloomy spring, with temperatures and sunshine clearly below normal. Budbreak came about ten days later than normal. Spring was wet and cool, particularly during flowering. Persistent cool, damp weather spread the flowering out, coulure and millerandage set in, and the vine cycle ran three weeks behind the average of the previous 10 years. Rain and cool weather during flowering were the main reason for the small crop. Summer turned rather warm and favourable to good ripening. Fungal diseases brought pressure, eased by a stretch of dry weather in August, and September was fairly dry and sunny but cool. The violent hailstorm of 23 July severely hit part of the Cote de Beaune, where some vines lost almost all of their crop, and the hail ran from Pernand-Vergelesses to Meursault. Powerful hailstorms also caused considerable damage in the Grand Auxerrois, Chablis and the Maconnais, and hailstorms hit 1,400 ha of vines across Burgundy. Harvest began only at the end of September and, in some vineyards, ran to mid-October, the latest in a quarter century, though these are still historically traditional dates for Burgundy. Picking finished quickly because the crop was so small. Production came in about 20 percent below average, the smallest crop since 2003.

• Intense cold to start the year, then a cool, gloomy spring; budbreak about ten days late
• Drawn-out flowering in cool, damp weather brought coulure and millerandage; the cycle ran three weeks behind the 10-year average
• Violent hailstorm on 23 July in part of the Cote de Beaune; the hail ran from Pernand-Vergelesses to Meursault
• Harvest from the end of September to mid-October in some vineyards, the latest in a quarter century; volume about 20 percent below average

The BIVB's own November 2014 vintage release describes the regions this way. In the Chablisien and Auxerrois the whites are fruity and charming with clear minerality, and the ageing potential of Chablis Premiers and Grands Crus is real. Cote de Beaune whites came from a small crop but show rich, intense aromas of citrus, apple, almond and dried fruit, a fresh, opulent palate and remarkable length. In the Maconnais, low yields and optimal ripeness gave particularly aromatic, structured whites with white fruit, apricot and citrus. The Cote de Nuits reds are built around supple, silky tannins, and the Cote de Beaune reds reached good ripeness thanks to the late harvest, with fine tannins that firm slightly on the finish. Wine Spectator's Bruce Sanderson reported that top producers harvested clean, ripe fruit in both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and named Pinot Noir in the Cote de Nuits and Chardonnay in the Cote de Beaune and Chablis as the promising grapes.

• Chablis and Auxerrois whites: fruity, mineral and charming, with real ageing potential in Chablis Premiers and Grands Crus
• Cote de Beaune whites: a small crop with rich citrus, apple, almond and dried fruit aromas and remarkable length
• Cote de Nuits reds: supple, silky tannins, very pleasant young and able to wait a few years to reach their peak
• Cote de Beaune reds: good ripeness from the late harvest and fine tannins that firm slightly on the finish

At the BIVB's early October 2013 press conference, with harvest not yet under way at every domaine in the Cote d'Or, BIVB president Pierre-Henry Gagey said acidity levels were good, and he and vice-president Michel Baldassini said there could be very good wines in 2013, though quality would not match the previous year's, as reported on France 3 Bourgogne's wine blog. They added that the hailed vines had come through less badly than expected, especially for the reds, with some badly damaged bunches recovering to make fine berries. Wine Spectator's November 2013 report quoted Charles Ballot of Domaine Ballot-Millot in Meursault: "But we have a vintage of extremely fresh wine and beautiful ripeness with a long maturity that reflects a great balance in the wine. This will certainly be a vintage to age." The BIVB's vintage page says the whites, after a few years of ageing, have softened into dried fruit and honeyed notes over a fresh, mineral palate, while the reds show small stone fruit, dried flowers and undergrowth, with great finesse and a quality tannic frame.

• October 2013: BIVB leaders said acidity was good and there could be very good wines, but quality would not match the previous year's
• Hailed vines fared less badly than feared, especially for reds
• Charles Ballot of Domaine Ballot-Millot told Wine Spectator that 2013 will certainly be a vintage to age
• BIVB vintage page: whites softened with age into dried fruit and honeyed notes; reds show finesse and a quality tannic frame