2015 Burgundy Vintage

The 2015 growing season began with a mild winter that barely plunged below freezing, replenishing soil water reserves that would prove critical later. Spring was relatively early but moderate in temperature, and flowering occurred in late May under near-perfect conditions across the region. Early summer brought welcome rain in June, but July turned brutally hot, with temperatures reaching 40°C in parts of the Côte d'Or. Vines on shallow soils and younger plantings suffered real stress during this period, temporarily halting ripening. A cooler, more variable August allowed the vines to recover and finish ripening at a measured pace before harvest began in late August for whites and early September for reds.

• Flowering took place around May 24th in textbook conditions: hot, calm, and dry, from the Mâconnais to Chablis, with around 95% completion before wind and rain arrived
• July heat was severe, with night-time temperatures up to 30°C; older vines with deep root systems coped far better than younger plantings on thin soils
• Timely rainfall in June and again in August refreshed the Côte d'Or vineyards and ensured more even ripening across established vine parcels
• White Burgundy harvest began in late August; Côte de Beaune reds from early September; Côte de Nuits reds were interrupted by heavy rain on September 12-13th but most top producers finished before or quickly after

The Côte d'Or delivered an extraordinary vintage for reds, with the Côte de Nuits producing wines of particular depth and complexity in Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and Vosne-Romanée. The Côte de Beaune also excelled, with Volnay and Pommard standing out among the reds, though some appellations prone to rusticity saw producers over-extract the vintage's formidable tannins. White Burgundy was less uniform: producers who timed their harvest correctly made wines of genuine freshness and concentration, while those who picked too late risked low-acid, heavy wines. The Côte Chalonnaise was a clear regional winner, producing a great success in both reds and whites at prices far below the Côte d'Or. The Mâconnais ran hotter and drier than regions to the north, producing wines that occasionally verged on excess.

• Côte de Nuits grand crus from Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, and Vosne-Romanée showed exceptional depth and terroir definition despite the vintage's richness
• Côte de Beaune whites (Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet) rewarded early pickers with freshness; those who delayed risked low malic acid and heavy textures
• Côte Chalonnaise was a standout for value: reds and whites both succeeded well across Mercurey, Rully, and Givry
• Mâconnais was the most problematic sub-region, where the greater heat and dryness pushed some wines toward excess ripeness and alcoholic weight

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's Aubert de Villaine described 2015, his fiftieth vintage at the domaine, as a year when the vines were more beautiful than ever. Michel Lafarge of Volnay, tasting his completed 2015s, compared them to his 1929s and declared them to have the best balance he had seen in fifty years. Among the Côte de Nuits, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Domaine Dujac, Domaine Roumier, and Domaine J.F. Mugnier all produced compelling results. Domaine Faiveley impressed across both its Côte de Nuits holdings and its substantial Mercurey portfolio, which confirmed the strength of the vintage in the Côte Chalonnaise. Among négociants, Bouchard Père et Fils, Joseph Drouhin, and Louis Jadot all delivered strong ranges.

• DRC's Aubert de Villaine said 'the vines were more beautiful than ever' in 2015, though he noted the vintage's richness might emphasise vintage personality over individual climat character
• Michel Lafarge cited the 1929 vintage as a point of comparison and called 2015 the best-balanced vintage in fifty years
• Domaine Armand Rousseau, Dujac, Roumier, and Mugnier are among the Côte de Nuits estates producing wines of particular distinction in 2015
• Faiveley's Mercurey portfolio demonstrated that 2015's quality extended convincingly into the Côte Chalonnaise, with real depth at accessible price points

Village-level reds from 2015 have been drinking well since around 2019-2020 and offer genuine pleasure now, though their structured tannins mean the best examples still have years ahead. Premier crus are hitting their stride in the mid-2020s and should continue developing through the mid-2030s. Grand crus carry serious reserves of ripe tannin behind their generous fruit and are built for the long haul: many will shut down in bottle before opening again over the following decade. The vintage's natural acidity and firm structure underpin its longevity, making patience consistently rewarding for top-tier wines.

• Village-level reds: drinking well now through approximately 2028-2032; no urgency to hold longer, though the best parcels continue to evolve
• Premier crus: entering their prime in 2024-2026 and should hold through 2033-2038 at quality domaines
• Grand crus: these are wines for the long haul with serious ripe tannin reserves; many will reward patience through 2040 and beyond
• White Burgundy 2015: the best examples from careful producers show good freshness and concentration; most are now at or approaching their peak and should be consumed within the next five to eight years

The defining character of 2015 red Burgundy is the combination of rich, concentrated fruit, unusually thick and polyphenol-rich grape skins, and a surprising underlying freshness and acidity that many observers did not expect from such a hot growing season. Comparisons to 2005 are common for the depth of fruit and structured tannins; the added ripeness and sensual appeal evoke 2010 for many tasters. The skin-to-juice ratio was exceptionally high, yielding deeply coloured wines with long, structured finishes. Unlike the more overtly opulent 2009, 2015 retained good tartaric acid levels through harvest, giving the wines definition and genuine aging architecture. White Burgundy at its best is concentrated and fresh, more food-friendly and opulent than the chiselled 2014s.

• Signature profile for reds: dark cherry, plum, wild strawberry, forest floor, and firm but ripe tannins; polyphenol-rich skins created deep colour and structural grip
• Acidity is built primarily on tartaric acid after malic acid burned off during the hot summer; this gives the wines brightness and definition without sharp edges
• The best 2015 reds show terroir character clearly despite the vintage's richness; over-extraction was the main winemaking risk, and those who avoided it made precise, site-expressive wines
• White Burgundy 2015 shows riper, more food-friendly fruit than 2014; the best examples from the Côte de Beaune are concentrated and fresh rather than tropical or heavy

The 2015 vintage arrived at release with high prices already factored in, partly because the frost-devastated 2016 vintage was anticipated to be scarce across the board. Grand crus from the most celebrated estates command substantial prices on both the primary and secondary markets, reflecting genuine quality and collector demand. However, village and premier cru selections from strong domaines continue to offer good complexity relative to their cost, particularly from the Côte Chalonnaise where quality was outstanding. The vintage's critical consensus as one of the finest in recent memory has underpinned secondary market appreciation, though the Burgundy market broadly has seen elevated prices across all levels since the early 2010s.

• Grand crus from top estates command very high prices at auction, reflecting scarcity, quality consensus, and sustained collector interest
• Premier crus from quality producers offer genuine complexity and 15-20 year aging potential at a more accessible entry point than grand crus
• Village-level selections represent 2015's best value proposition: structured, terroir-expressive wines at prices that remain rational
• Côte Chalonnaise 2015 (Mercurey, Rully, Givry) offers outstanding quality relative to price and is among the vintage's clearest bargains