Burgundy vintage rankings

WINE TALK
41

Your posts are exactly why people have a distorted view of Burgundy.

42

I’m pretty sure he is being facetious and sarcastic.

43

Although I had sworn that 2010 would be my last Red Burg vintage, and I went VERY heavily into it, I did buy a few ‘12’s and now a smattering of 15’s…so much for resolutions.

I have not had a chance to really try the ‘15’s, but I am curious about what others who have tasted a fair amount think. It seems from this thread that most are ranking 2015 as the best or at least close to the best of Red Burg vintages going back to 99.

I am wondering whether this is indeed what most people are objectively thinking based upon their rather extensive tastings, as opposed to the “latest vintage of the century” effect where the latest big and ripe vintage is lauded, everyone clamors to buy, and then later the vintage is reassessed and is either downgraded or at least the potential flaws start to become apparent. I remember the initial excitement over the 2009’s, for example, and then the reassessments, then the 2012’s, etc.

I am not saying that this is the case with the 2015’s…I don’t have the experience with the vintage, so I am really trying to figure this out. I am just wondering what others who have that experience think, and is it the real deal? Will those who don’t buy heavily regret it, as I would have if I had not bought heavily in 1999 and then 2005 and 2010? Or will we be seeing reassessments in a few years that point out that many of the wines are showing over ripe liquour-like if not roasted characteristics without vibrant acidity?

Appreciate any comments that would add to the rankings we have seen on this thread.

44

Don’t be surprised if Mo kneecaps you and David.

45

Gotta go with your instincts!

46

So much of Burgundy is producer dependent, and like most recent vintages, there are going to be a lot of excellent wines and probably some clunkers. And, like with all new vintages, one has to be careful and say, who knows. I never would have expected vintages like 2000, 2001, 2007 and even 2008 to be as good as they are and I have found 2002 more mixed than I thought it would be. But, from the somewhat self selected sample of 2015s I have tasted (I did not go to the Paulee last year in SF so I did not taste 2015s widely, more the ones I tasted were self selected producers when I visited Burgundy when I visited in 2016), I think there are some really outstanding 2015s. Both at the upper levels like at Hudelot-Noellat and at Mugneret-Gibourg and at more modest levels like Hudelot-Noellat Bourgogne Rouge and Dublere Chorey les Beaune, I like the wines a great deal.

I still think 2010 is my favorite vintage of recent years and then probably 1999 and 2005 in some order (although I still wonder when I will be able to drink 2005s) but I think 2015 could well be the fourth best vintage of the last 20 years behind those 3.

47

Talking really about from top GC level right down, but I guess also a bit about producer also, as I don’t taste/drink current vintages anywhere near as widely as I used to, so sometimes the producer range I am basing some of my vintage views on can be somewhat narrow.

2016’s we tried in Burgundy this year really impressed me though (the 2016 Liger-Belairs were simply outstanding), and most of the lower level wines we saw there and since have all looked pretty good, so I am impressed with what I have seen from '16 so far…

48

Been tasting through some Bruno Clair '14’s, almost all have been lovely, and will drink well in the short/medium term (it doesn’t feel like a vintage that will really shut down), but some wines do seem like they just need a bit more time to flesh out, maybe another 6-12 months…

Agree Rousseau made great '13’s (they always seem to do well in difficult vintage - in fact never really seem to have a bad vintage ever), it was one of the few makers I kept some of, their CDLR is really good.

49

If I wanted to be sarcastic, I would have suggested to buy 2011 red burgs. Not in business of advocating crappy wines from green vintages to unsuspecting (and naive) burgheads.

If I listened to average Joe who is ITB, every vintage is good. Somehow the hails, mildew and rot didn’t affect the wines at all. Gimme a break!

Buy 15s, 18s are just as good…put some money away for that.

50

Gee, thats why you come to burugndy. [snort.gif]

I dont have endless bags of money either, but I don’t kid myself that every two-bit producer makes great wines is every other bloody vintage. Pay up for quality and you will be rewarded. Its a special occasion drink, I don’t pop open a blue-chip grand cru every other sat evening.

51

Exactly I have a distorted view of Burgundy. I am the one, excited about these kids possibly still in their diapers, on their second freaking vintage is the next upcoming star. Or how Santenay is the next Chambolle, its just coming under the light. What they didn’t have electricity all these years? Some regions are obscure for a reason. Bloody hell, do they think everyone is silly.

What made Roumier or Roulot special is their innate talent on knowing what do and what not to, getting all the little things right. Knowing when to pick, how much to de-stem, how much to extract, how much new oak etc. This is what sets Roumier apart from Grivot, Roulot from Lafon. It can’t be taught, its an artist at work. You dont get that from lab analysis and a sorting table. Listen, a couple of these kids might get there in time (takes a decade at best), but not now when they are still running behind their mama!

52

Now that’s a honest comment. Well done Howard! [cheers.gif]

Buy these: 2005, 2010, 2015. Next would be 2018 (grapes were so good that many didn’t have to use sorting table)!

53

I guess I just think about wine differently than you do. For me it is a part of my meal routine, and a good Bourgogne or a nice village wine from a good producer is pleasurable.

I certainly open the upper tier wines from time to time, so I am not indifferent to their charms.

54

Fair enough, these regular quaffable wines . But they shouldn’t be in grand tasting at La Paulee while being charged god knows what…I couldn’t care less about a vertical of savigny les beaune for $400!

55

56

With the exception of 16 which I haven’t sufficiently tasted yet, this is the correct order.

57

I don’t think 2016 prices are that much less than 2015. They are pretty much the same, if ever 2016 is like 5% less. Also 2013 being more expensive than 2012 is not my experience at all, quite the opposite.

Talking about release prices here and not inflated after market prices a year or so later.

58

Def. not an expert on burg vintages but tasted these recently:

2011 Champy Pommard villages…tart with racy acid on the pop, yeesh!!!..5 hour decant an voila…an absolutely gorgeous bottle of burg.

2011 Champy Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses…beautiful classic nose, soft pretty on the palate, nice hints of spice…delish and at $39…killer price

59

Thanks for the Paulee advice. I will be there, and happy to link up with any others that may be there. I will be doing 50% spit/50% drink… not a goal to hit every producer… and I think will make a list and prioritize it of a dozen and go from there.

60

If you know people there, or find people to talk with, you can sometimes get good buzz about a producer to try that you have not heard of before. Two years ago, a bunch of friends started telling me how much they liked the wines of Duroche, for example. Unfortunately, they told me this AFTER the tasting was over. [bleh.gif] But, at other times I have been told to hit a producer I was planning to skip and it generally has been good advice.

I spit more than 50%, but there are certain places where I tend not to spit, like Mugneret-Gibourg (all their wines) or Bouchard Chevalier Montrachet.