2019 Burgundy Vintage

A relatively mild winter let the growing cycle start early. Repeated snow and frosty mornings came around the turn of January and February, then a warm late February, with two days reaching 20°C, and a March just as warm. April turned colder, with morning frosts in several sectors that affected the size of the coming crop. Frost struck on the night of 4 April and again on 12 and 15 April; growers lit straw and candles in Échézeaux at 4am on 17 April, and Chablis saw a little more frost at the start of May. After a favourable May, a sharp cooling in June disrupted flowering, with frequent coulure and millerandage. Most of Burgundy had finished flowering by the weekend of 22 to 23 June. Then the heat arrived: temperatures reached 40 degrees in the last week of June, the first of two severe heatwaves, and the heatwaves of June and July left scalding in their wake. On 4 July hail hit the northern Mâconnais, with little effect on quantity. The summer was hot and dry; by the end of August rainfall since the start of the year was 30 percent below normal despite a few August storms, and the Yonne suffered most. A little mid-August rain helped the vines ripen fully. Powdery mildew pressure was very strong but stayed well contained. Harvest ran from early September to early October, with September picking more aligned with historical norms. Lafon and Roulot began in Meursault on 6 to 7 September, the reds followed almost a week later, and a wave of Côte de Nuits producers started on Monday 16 September. The crop came to 1.23 million hl, below the 2010 to 2019 average of 1.44 million hl.

• Mild winter and an early start to the growing cycle
• Frost on 4, 12 and 15 April; a cool June disrupted flowering
• Heat reached 40 degrees in late June; rain 30 percent below normal by late August
• Harvest early September to early October; crop 1.23 million hl

Frost hit unevenly. The Côte de Beaune was touched in its Chardonnay while the Côte de Nuits largely seemed to escape, though Frédéric Lafarge put losses in some low-lying Côte de Beaune sites at up to 60 percent of the harvest. Chablis reached -4.5°C on several nights, with water sprays and candles in use. The northern Mâconnais had up to 11 nights below zero in April, leaving half a harvest commonplace, while the southern Mâconnais around Vergisson and Solutré saw very little frost loss. Flowering and drought took more. Early white pickers saw yields 25 to 40 percent lower, from frost plus poor flowering and dryness, which left very small grapes with less juice; the reds were down about 20 percent. Erwan Faiveley's frosted Côte de Beaune whites brought in about 20 hl/ha, but "our Bâtard delivered 35-40 hl/ha so we can be very happy with that." Louis-Michel Liger-Belair summed it up: "Between the frost, the drawn-out flowering, and the sunburn, yields were down."

• Côte de Beaune Chardonnay touched; Côte de Nuits largely escaped
• Some low-lying Côte de Beaune sites lost up to 60 percent, by Frédéric Lafarge's estimate
• Northern Mâconnais: up to 11 nights below zero in April; half a harvest commonplace
• Early whites down 25 to 40 percent and reds about 20 percent

Decanter found delicious reds throughout the Côte de Nuits: the cooler spots of the Combe de Lavaux in Gevrey-Chambertin, En la rue de Vergy in Morey, a spectacular Les Cras in Chambolle-Musigny, and Petits Monts and Les Brûlées in Vosne-Romanée. In its view Pommard premier crus such as Rugiens-Bas and the Epenots have seldom seemed so silky and fine, the best of Volnay (Taillepieds, Champans and the Clos des Chênes) were superb, and the Côte Chalonnaise reds were elegant and fine, particularly the premier crus of Givry and Mercurey. For the whites, the BIVB's own report calls Chablis already an exceptional vintage, with fine ripeness and excellent freshness. In the Mâconnais, spring frosts and the hot, dry summer hindered even ripening; the BIVB judged that quality did not suffer, probably thanks to the small volumes.

• Côte de Nuits: Combe de Lavaux in Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Cras in Chambolle-Musigny, Petits Monts and Les Brûlées in Vosne-Romanée
• Côte de Beaune: Pommard Rugiens-Bas and the Epenots; Volnay Taillepieds, Champans and Clos des Chênes
• Côte Chalonnaise: premier crus of Givry and Mercurey
• Chablis: an exceptional vintage with excellent freshness, in the BIVB's view

Hot and dry, yet the wines show a freshness: that is how the BIVB's report sums up 2019. Its tasting notes give Côte de Nuits reds raspberry, griotte cherry, blackcurrant, rose and violet, concentrated and structured with tender, ripe tannins; Côte de Beaune reds velvety tannins, enjoyable already and able to age well; and Côte de Beaune whites apricot, peach and quince with candied lemon and uncommon concentration. Decanter rated the Côte d'Or reds 4.5/5 under the heading "Finesse, Elegance, and Concentration" and found them ripe and forward, with plenty of body and velvety tannic structure, pleasant young: "They will likely shut down soon, but they are wines that should stand the test of time."

• Hot and dry, yet the wines show a freshness, in the BIVB's summary
• Côte de Nuits reds: concentrated and structured, with tender, ripe tannins
• Côte de Beaune whites: apricot, peach, quince, candied lemon
• Decanter: ripe, forward reds that may shut down but should stand the test of time

"2018 was Arnold Schwarzenegger, but 2019 is Maria Sharapova," in the words of François Labet, co-president of the BIVB. Bertrand de Villaine put it this way: "2019 was a bit like 2005 or 2009, but it was even more generous than 2009." The BIVB titled its report on the vintage "la magie des années en 9", the magic of years ending in 9. Decanter's best producers include Armand Rousseau, Dujac, Georges Roumier, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Comte Liger-Belair, Méo-Camuzet, Anne Gros, Marquis d'Angerville and Michel Lafarge, with Joseph Drouhin, Bouchard Père et Fils and Louis Jadot among the négociants.

• Decanter: Côte d'Or reds 4.5/5
• Bertrand de Villaine: like 2005 or 2009, even more generous than 2009
• BIVB: "la magie des années en 9"