Poll: What is your favorite Red Burgundy Vintage 2000->2009

[Rasoul_Salehi]

call me crazy but to me 01 then 02 then 08 then 05.

no comment on 07 as i skipped the vintage all together. was in Antarctica…

allow me to explain why:

what is a great vintage? consistency between producers, villages hierarchy? the overall high scores/reviews? or the absolute heights that can be achieved? or other…

to me, a great red burgundy is one that drinks well from release and gives pleasure at every stage of its development. 05 doesn’t do that. also in my red burg i am after ethereal, lithe, crunchy red fruit, light floral notes. in almost any given vintage i find almost nothing in NSG or pommard to get excited about. chambolle, volnay, gevrey are my to go AOCs.

i got to learn burgundy with 96 vintage onwards. to date hands down favourite is 99 then 01/02. 05s are tight. they are structured and require time. i think they are like sitting in a ferrari and from the get go end up at driving 200 Km/h. 01 an d99 are more like you get to enjoy the first gear, then the change into the second and then rev up to 3rd… pleasure all across.

hope this helps some readers.

[Rasoul_Salehi]

@Robert.Fleming

2001 for its crunchy red fruit. 2008 is similar.

i knew i always liked you Robert

i 100% concur.

[Howard_Cooper]

@Robert.Fleming

crunchy red fruit

Count on a Moo U grad to extoll “red”

[Jay_Miller]

@Howard Cooper

Jay and Berry, explain to me picking 2006 or 2008 over 2001, unless it is just that you got into Burgundy later or have tasted more or something like that. To me, it seems like if all goes right, 2006 and 2008 will be like 2001, but 2001 is there (or at least a lot closer to getting there).

I’m still sitting on most of my 2001s so I’m getting a lot more enjoyment out of 2008 right now. Once they start shutting down I’ll have to choose a new favorite.

[Howard_Cooper]

@maureen nelson

this may cause howard to downgrade his opinion of the 2001 vintage, but I voted for it as my favorite. Frankly, I’ve not drunk all that many 05s because by the time most of mine came in, reports were abundant that the wines were already shut down and very unfriendly. So while I’m prepared to believe that 2005 is a great vintage, I am from Missouri and so far it’s lacking on the “show me” test. The 2001 vintage, OTOH, is my current favorite young vintage for drinking (because 98s shut back down and 99s are still shut down) and I find most of the 01s I open to be stylish, fragrant, and balanced - just what I want in Burgundy.

I did, however, drink an absolutely delicious 02 (Grivot Boudots) recently so perhaps I’ll have a different favorite after our 01/02 comparison.

Downgrade? Who is it that wanted to taste the 2001s?

[Howard_Cooper]

@Jay Miller

@Howard Cooper

Jay and Berry, explain to me picking 2006 or 2008 over 2001, unless it is just that you got into Burgundy later or have tasted more or something like that. To me, it seems like if all goes right, 2006 and 2008 will be like 2001, but 2001 is there (or at least a lot closer to getting there).

I’m still sitting on most of my 2001s so I’m getting a lot more enjoyment out of 2008 right now. Once they start shutting down I’ll have to choose a new favorite.

Curious, do you (and Berry) like 2008 more than 2006 or vice-versa? And, why?

[Berry_Crawford]

I think I might have a slight preference for 2008 over 2006*. Judging how they both tasted at similar stages I’d say 2008 has more of brilliant floral nature and perhaps more of the “power without weight” dynamic. At first I thought 2008 was mostly a 1er cru and up vintage but Ive been finding that they are drinking well at the village and even regional levels (with some exceptions of course). For example, I’m shocked at how good the 2008 Drouhin Bourgogne is now drinking and bought a number of cases as cellar defenders (at $10 a bottle). And this is a mass-produced Bourgogne at that! So now that I see evidence of 2008 drinking well up and down the heiarchy Im really warming to it. I do love 2006 though. Especially Bertheau. They really nailed the vintage.

• I reserve my right to chance my mind as the wines age and I taste more 2008s

[Dennis_Atick]

2003 for it’s sublety.

[Guillaume_Deschamps]

The issue with this is that 2005s are just so good that a) I have to vote for that vintage and b) only when I remove this vintage does the discussion become interesting. It’s like in the 90s… I’d vote 99 every day of the week and twice on sunday, so the discussion could then be 90 vs 93 vs 95 vs 96 vs 98 (for example).

So, apart from 2005, I think 2001 is my favorite vintage, it’s just the perfect classical touch. After that, tough to say. I really enjoyed the 2000s because they were drinking so well all along, and they are 9 years older than the 2009s, which makes a hell of a difference obviously.

[Howard_Cooper]

@Berry Crawford

I think I might have a slight preference for 2008 over 2006*. Judging how they both tasted at similar stages I’d say 2008 has more of brilliant floral nature and perhaps more of the “power without weight” dynamic. At first I thought 2008 was mostly a 1er cru and up vintage but Ive been finding that they are drinking well at the village and even regional levels (with some exceptions of course). For example, I’m shocked at how good the 2008 Drouhin Bourgogne is now drinking and bought a number of cases as cellar defenders (at $10 a bottle). And this is a mass-produced Bourgogne at that! So now that I see evidence of 2008 drinking well up and down the heiarchy Im really warming to it. I do love 2006 though. Especially Bertheau. They really nailed the vintage.

• I reserve my right to chance my mind as the wines age and I taste more 2008s

I think you are correct as to the differences. It will be interesting to see which ages better, the beautiful balance of the better 2006s or the greater richness and more brilliance of the better 2008s. My guess is that there will be a lot of successful wines from both.

[paul_hanna]

@Kevin Harvey

It is definitely 2005 for me.

Me also.

In a lineup of vintages, it easily stands out for it’s class, depth and complexity.

In GC’s '06 would generally be a close second…

[Mike_Ritner]

To me, '05 is a given. Ne plus ultra. After that, however, 2002 is my favorite. I cannot think of an '02 I’ve met that I haven’t liked. While not up there with the '05s and '02s, I think the '07s are very pleasant and sadly underrated. I have quite happily bought a number of '08s, and am now getting a six-pack of '09s. To be honest, the whole string of years from '05 to '09 has been a blessing.

I haven’t tried enough to rate the '00s and '01s. The '03s and '04s should be dropped in the memory hole and forgotten. Horrid.

[Alan_Rath]

Voted 2008 because it’s the best overall for red and white. I love 08 whites, and a lot of the reds are pretty darn good as well.

[Steve_Saxon]

You can put me in the 02 camp but like others I think the 05 might grow into a better wine.

[CFu]

Someone needs to explain to me the 01’s. I think 75% of the 01’s I’ve had have been so hard shut down that it saddens me to open them. The 2000’s and 02’s on the other hand have been drinking wonderfully (of the same wines).

Bad luck on my part? or am I missing something.

[Rasoul_Salehi]

@Charlie Fu

Someone needs to explain to me the 01’s. I think 75% of the 01’s I’ve had have been so hard shut down that it saddens me to open them. The 2000’s and 02’s on the other hand have been drinking wonderfully (of the same wines).

Bad luck on my part? or am I missing something.

Charlie as per robert the crunchy red fruit notes in 01s are so irresistible. the sheer level of elegance and finesse. the very very finely knit tannins… very feminine and ethereal. i have had very few less than open wines, so i can’t relate to the 75% being shutdown comment.

[Loren_Sonkin]

I chose 02. i love 01 as well but I think 02’s have finally started to overtake them. 05? Maybe. No, probably, but not yet and not next year. It is a slow developing vintage. I haven’t had any 09’s yet, so I can’t say about that.

[Nick_Gangas]

@Berry Crawford

@Nick Gangas

If the question means which is the best vintage then the answer is clearly 05. If the question what is drinking best nowci would say 2000

Its not “best” it is “favorite”. Anyone can choose their favorites based on any criteria they wish.

It’s like MVP voting. What’s the definition ? 05 is the best vintage I’ve ever tasted. I started with 89’s. Right now I won’t even touch a village level wine though. 01 is a great vintage in the CDN but still shut down in many cases. Most 02’s I’ve tried have been great but to be honest I really don’t pop many. I guess I’ve just been trained to keep my hands off such a young vintage. Right now 2000’s are showing the most consistency.

[B_Buzzini]

Well…being in the infant stage of the Burgundy World, but trying to grow fast…I chose '08 because of the epiphany experience etched in my brain of having tasted all 2008 DRC in one sitting. And subsequently trying as many '08’s as I can find…I just love the crunchy bright fresh fruit, as well as the floralness…and knowing I have been to the promise land, and am making my way back!

[Charlie_Carnes]

@Howard Cooper

Jay and Berry, explain to me picking 2006 or 2008 over 2001, unless it is just that you got into Burgundy later or have tasted more or something like that. To me, it seems like if all goes right, 2006 and 2008 will be like 2001, but 2001 is there (or at least a lot closer to getting there).

This is my problem Howard. I like 06 and 08 plenty, but I have drunk very few 00 01 02. I like 2005 as well.