Burgundy - why is it so often cloudy?

I’ve noticed that while all old wines have a tendency to be cloudy, burgundy is more often so than others like Cab or Bordeaux or Syrah. Is this a reality, or just my experience? If so, why?

I’ve noticed the sediment to be finer than in Cabs or other blends. I could be wrong…but that’s my perception. What worries me more is that in some wines (from other places) there is a sediment that looks like a jelly fish that is not settling at all…it moves like jell-o whenever I check the bottle…not the wine, the sediment.

Sediment might be more fine? Settles if you stand it up for a little bit

Exactly. Fine sediment. Many old bottles need a month upright before careful decanting.

I remember an 1995 Williams Selyem Pinot that I stood up for 5 weeks before the very fine sediment settled to the bottom.

TTT

I think it is a symptom of two things,

First- as others have noted, not letting a bottle sit long enough after transport for the wine to fully settle. It can take weeks. But many serve the bottle anyway.

Second- I have seen a handful of situations where sediment did not resettle in a bottle- ie where I saw the same bottle months later, and I attribute that to potential excess trading of an old bottle such that the sediment never fully clears- or at least not in any practicable time frame. That has been known to happen, but I sure see it more than I used to. The increased frequency plus the fact I have only seen it with very highly prized wines (first growth 1945s in two instances) is what makes me think excessive handling of the wines at an old age might be the primary cause.

The Burgundy at those events you’re not invited to isn’t cloudy.

Does the cloudiness in Burgundy affect the smell and taste of the wine, or is it just a cosmetic issue?

In Barolo, the fine sediment cloudiness in older bottles can have a significantly negative effect on the taste of the wine, making it bitter and harsh. My experience with old Burgundy is very limited, but I haven’t noticed bottles adversely affected because the wine was not clear.

Haven’t noticed it. You want cloudy, drink some Jura poulsard!

Have noticed this with older burgundies. For me late 1980s Philippe Leclerc wines stand out. Would place them on the counter upright for 1-2 days before opening and it helps but not completely clarifying. My experience with older Bordeaux is that the 2 day counter treatment makes everything settle and it pours clean.

Does anyone know of any studies of sediment particle density and size distribution as a function of grape variety? I would think this is some function of how that develops over time for different varietal wines, some influence of tendency of that sediment distribution to stick to the bottle walls, and how disturbances like moving the bottle tend to disturb it. Fining or filtration before bottling could influence sediment too.

Does anyone think anything other sediment in old wines causes this?

Like others, I tend to think of fine sediment creating cloudy wines in old Nebbiolo and possibly Poulsard (though the latter may be cloudy young as well in my experience) more so than Burgundy.

I don’t think the sediment in Burgundy impacts the smell or taste, but it does the texture and of course the aesthetics. Barolo is unique in having a particular bitterness to its sediment.

Sounds like you need to invest in one of those wild lightbox units before opening more wine Todd.

I find that the sediment adds a sour twang that is not pleasant and I avoid it.

I don’t know about cloudiness in Burgundy specifically, and perhaps there’s a bit of confirmation bias in noticing it, but it may have to do with the wine making as much as anything. And a lot of older Cabs from CA were made in a fairly clean way and fined and filtered, so that may account for less cloudiness in those.

I don’t really get this one. My Burgundy is hardly ever cloudy. Maybe clean your contacts?

are you drinking young reds? Or maybe standing them up well in advance. Some producers’ wines throw little sediment.

I’m drinking mostly 1993 on, but currently about 1/2 in the 1990’s. I stand most up for a day or two, as I would any wine with any age, but even the ones I pull from the rack at the last minute have the sediment on the side of the bottle. I decant most everything to get it off the sediment (not a believer in the never decant a burg thing). Of course I don’t run up the stairs from the cellar, or throw it in the back seat of the car, but I know Todd is somewhat unlikely to do this as well.

Its the added vitamins and minerals that are added in Burgundy to keep the average old Burg drinker around so they can still sell the over priced wines

Do you actually know anything about Burgundy? Please name the last five Burgundies that are more than 10 years old you have had from top producers.