2011 Burgundy - Green Meanines 2.0?

Prices are going to be insane.

From what I have seen/read regarding 2011, if 2012 is higher then I am out of the Burgundy game. There’s too much good wine in the world that has not gone into the stratosphere.

As prices for my favorite burg producers have increased over the last two years Ive switched to backfilling burgs and exploring new regions. Ive been getting tons of pleasure from Jura and Im trying to buy more domestic wines that Ive neglected in my burgundy mania.

I’m deeply into Syrah and Nebbiolo now. I have enough Burgs to last me for a few decades anyway, as I have been drinking them at a much slower rate than I was acquiring them.

Though I buy a little Northern Rhone (Chave and Jamet) and a little Nebbiolo (though not really after 2004 and mostly Giacosa’s in the later years), I can’t see delving into those areas more deeply now satisfying my Pinot jones. I have been a buyer of CA and Oregon Pinot, always looking for lower octane examples, and certainly there are wines that I enjoy, but few that really at this point that give me that minerality and complexity that I love (a few are pretty excellent, though). I too have enough Burgs in the cellar to probably last me, but at 59 I hate to think my main hobby (searching out Burgs) is at an end. So I am and have been in backfilling mode after buying lots of 2010’s. But one side effect of this is that the bottles you have in the cellar of your favorite producers that you no longer are willing or able to pay for become more precious to you and the occasions to open them fewer. You realize that when the Rousseau Chambertins and the Dujac Bonnes Mares, etc., are gone, they are gone for good.

They are going to have to be insane to get people to backfill with those severely marked up retail 09 and 10. Just the threat of it is already enough to get people backfilling. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t make sense not to have insane 2012 pricing.

Personally, when I say backfill, I mean buying more mature burgundies that are ready or soon to be ready. Obviously “ready” is subjective.

Rousseau Chambertin and Dujac Bonnes Mares and their ilk were never in my sights. They have always outpaced my income. The sad part is that now many, many 1er crus from much less prestigious producers are overtaking my (now much higher) income.

As prices for my favorite burg producers have increased over the last two years Ive switched to backfilling burgs and exploring new regions. Ive been getting tons of pleasure from Jura and Im trying to buy more domestic wines that Ive neglected in my burgundy mania.[/quote]


Berry,

I agree with backfilling on burgundy right now–its a wonderful time to due to so as I think '06 in particular, is the most under rated vintage of the last decade. Even '07’s can be great if you buy from the better producers and you won’t have to wait forever and ever to drink them.

Absolutely. One caveat is that I avoid Chambolle and Volnay from 2006. Too many wines with that hidden under-the-skins rot. I forget what its called.

Thanks for the tip!!

Vosne and NSG seemed to have completed avoided that issue and the wines are great from those villages in 2006s too.

I have noticed some exceptional 2006 Vosne in particular. Had a lovely 2006 JJ Confuron VR Beaux Monts years ago (may be closed now, who knows) but it was very very well done.

Opened an '06 Barthod Chambolle Chatelots last month…uber pure and fine but super tight. Yikes.

A 2006 Mugnier Chambolle a few months back was utterly delicious although a bit young. Pure Chambolle fruit with not even a hint of green…

If this is related to my post above, the issue with 2006 and Chambolle (and even more so Volnay) is gout moisi terreux (I remembered the name) not greeness. I accidently caused some thread drift here.

See this thread for a discussion:

FWIW I tried the 2006 Mugnier Chambolle too and also didn’t notice any GMT but this was at least a year ago.

I remember that thread and I was worried about my 2006’s when I read it. I haven’t had any Volnay’s from 06’ so I have no say but I do think the vintage is still young with much upside to come…

There is simply not going to be much wine in 2012 or 2013, as yields are down across the board and in some villages (Volnay, Meursault & Puligny in 2012- most of the Cote de Beaune in 2013), we are looking at more than 75% of the crop lost due to the depradations of the vintage. 2013 also has its fair share of rot and green grapes (I have seen some pretty sad pictures) that will have to be sorted out, even in the villages that were not ravaged by hail, so there goes more of the crop… Prices will go up for both 2012 and 2013, and with some of the vineyards so badly damaged in the Cote de Beaune by hail damage this summer, there may be little or no production next year from those vines that survived the hail damage- which will put further upward pressure on pricing. It will be ugly, but from the few I have tasted so far and what I hear, at least the small crop of 2012 did produce some superb wines. But, we will need another 1999 crop in the very near future to get things a bit better on the price front in the Cote d’Or…

Agree with 2006, I have had a number of 2006’s already and really liked them so far. A 2006 Fourrier GC village was absolutely lovely a year ago and so was a few other MSD village wines I had. As for 2007 though, I am a not as enthusiastic as the few I have opened have been disappointing.

It’s called a red herring judging by my recentish experiences of wines from Lafarge, D’angerville, Barthod and Roumier, though few of us can open enough to be sure. I suspect it’s just one of those eternal unnecessary panics we see with almost every Burgundy vintage on its path to maturity.

My “red herring” do you mean that since you haven’t detected it you think the rest of us are imagining things?

I don’t know…I didn’t have to open very many to see that there was a clear pattern. At some point extrapolation makes sense when there are limited dollars to spend and other vintages for sale without that issue.

Ive seen you write before that you think rot flavors/aromas fall out with sediment eventually. It wouldn’t surprise me and I very much hope that is generally true. Still, if a wine is only drinkable at full tertiary maturity it is more limited than one that shows interesting facets at various phases of its development.