Vintage Review
1962 - 2018
-
The 1962 Vintage
No match for 1961 that was an exceptional vintage. Harvesting started in early October, grapes were very ripe and healthy with good millerandage as a guarantee of colour and complexity. The wines that were produced had a lovely scintillating ruby colour, with rare elegance, very floral, supple and lively. The best growths are still very pleasant today.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1964 Vintage
The wine produced in 1964 have good body, stately opulence and fruit of rare intensity. Today their superb balance and velvety character can still be appreciated.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1966 Vintage
Both white and red wines were very good right from the start, well textured with dazzling liveliness complementing an average but pleasant structure and dashing viscosity.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1969 Vintage
The 1969 wines only arrived at their peak at the end of the 1990’s. The harmoniously stewed fruit is very much present, with mulberry mingling with undertones of undergrowth. The prodigious combination of balance and firmness, typical of the best wines, is evident. The white wines are equally remarkable.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1970 Vintage
The harvest was healthy but many grapes were not ripe. The red wines have silky textures and exquisite fruit. The whites were generally better than the reds.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1971 Vintage
In red wines, it is not unusual to hear winegrowers of sixty or so declare that 1971 was one of the best years of their career. The wines produced were endowed with unctuous tannins. This vintage only started to offer itself with extremely velvety finesse in the 1990’s, with its generous flavours where stewed fruit happily mingles with coffee beans, the sign of distinction in certain great vintage years.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1972 Vintage
The 1972 wines show a great liveliness and enough time had to go by in order to reveal the fruit. The tannins are blending into the imposing flesh.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1973 Vintage
The reds are delicate, lacy and ethereal and were drunk on its fruit. The whites have a good liveliness that complemented a very pleasant viscosity.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1974 Vintage
Red and white Grands Crus stayed the course and benefited from this low crop.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1975 Vintage
The whites, made from well sorted grapes, met with a little more success. The colour and aromas are light but present.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1976 Vintage
The reds are less massive than the whites, but have a somber colour and powerful aromas.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1978 Vintage
Only red wines can claim an exceptional vintage, the whites nevertheless show a good biting acidity and also have a good aging potential.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1979 Vintage
The reds are consumed on their fruit and the whites have a good maturity and a better aging potential.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1981 Vintage
Less fruity and not as well balanced as its predecessor, the 1981 vintage had nevertheless matured well.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1982 Vintage
In white wines, the 1982 vintage achieved the same feasts as the 1973 vintage, with unhoped for success in the light of the abundant harvest. Elegance and class are the appropriate adjectives.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1983 Vintage
There are some happy surprises because the flesh is very present and the length is very pleasant. The whites impress the wine lover with their creaminess and stately opulence.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1986 Vintage
The reds have a lovely ruby colour that will age well, a nicely crafted freshness and an imposing backbone that will allow the tannins to smooth out gently. The white wines reveal typical scents of roasted almonds, honey and amber, with the subtlest touch of menthol.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1987 Vintage
The reds are smooth and elegant. They should be drunk soon even if, as for the 1950 vintage, they may still have some happy future surprises it store. The Grands Crus and Premiers Crus are very dashing, their acidity enhancing overtones of honey.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1988 Vintage
Severe but very consistent and destined for great things in the future – this is the 1988 vintage in a nutshell. They make good wines for aging, with evident vigour, which would need some time to smooth out.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1989 Vintage
Generous and fruity, such is the 1989 vintage. The reds are well-rounded, complex, mellow, suave and very charming. The white wines of this vintage can be considered as exceptional if they were well crafted.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1990 Vintage
The reds are of an exceptional quality. Their colour is a deep crimson and their complex aromas are dominated by small black fruit flavours. Their concentration is remarkable and they have a backbone worthy of their opulence. The whites are creamy and elegant, rich in alcohol and well-structured.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1991 Vintage
1991 is an excellent vintage, unjustly underestimated. It was not necessary to punch the cap very often or to extract too many tannins from the stems or the seeds. The wines that were vinified properly are remarkably balanced with good consistency, pleasant viscosity, remarkable length and radiant fruit.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1992 Vintage
1992 is a good vintage for the reds, they are delicate and elegant with concentrated aromas. The whites can be qualified as exceptional.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1993 Vintage
The reds are rich in colour, powerful with smooth tannins. As for the whites, yields were abundant but their liveliness showcases delicate honey aromas.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1994 Vintage
A soft and fruity vintage that should be enjoyed rapidly.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1995 Vintage
This vintage can be called a happy surprise: magnificent colour, complex aromas. Efficient sorting was nevertheless required, what considerably reduced the volume of the harvest. But this was the price of a successful vintage in 1995! Only then could the wines have good body, enlivened by good natural acidity.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1996 Vintage
This vintage can be compared with 1934 and 1959. The red wines have very good colour, very pure, good structure and fine acidity.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1997 Vintage
The reds have a velvety texture. White wines fashioned by purists are well balanced, very creamy and ample.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1998 Vintage
The harvest was good, producing red wines with strong colour and fruit of rare intensity, with nuances of strawberry and raspberry. On the palate, it was full-bodied and well-structured, impressive with its very present volume and tannins, but nevertheless very elegant… the whites are also harmonious, fresh and delicately floral.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 1999 Vintage
According to Henri Jayer « one has to go back to 1934 to find a similar association of quantity and quality ». The reds are well-rounded, with good colour and succulent fruit. The whites are equally well crafted, the grapes reached excellent maturity for rich wines.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2000 Vintage
Henri Jayer observed “the wine had a lovely ruby colour and a fine nose of fine grapes. Well-rounded and fat it also had nice depth“. White wines came close to excellence. These wines are rich and characterized by good minerality and elegant maturity.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2001 Vintage
The reds revealed superb colour, good backbone and good acidity, harmoniously combined with their naturally rich alcohol content.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2002 Vintage
The red wines have a very lovely bright colour and an intense nose, of great aromatic complexity. Rich and opulent with satiny textures and remarkable length, they express their climates of origin with admirable precision. The white wines are vivid and fresh with supreme aromatic purity.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2003 Vintage
Everything indicates that the 2003 vintage will be excellent and even exceptional for those who had the wisdom of waiting to harvest. Only winegrowers who respect good practices of training the vines, and particularly those who work the soil and till at the right time, produced exceptional wines.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2004 Vintage
his vintage was a good year for winegrowers who adapted well to the complexity of this vintage.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2005 Vintage
All conditions conspired to make 2005 an exceptional vintage. Alternating warm and cold spells, favouring the formation of small and high quality berries: millerandage. Light rains arrived at the right moment to compensate for the dry spells. Contrary to 2004, there were no devastating hail storms. Harvesting started early, in mid-September. The balance of sugar, acidity and tannins was close to perfect. With such a quality harvest, fermentation started slowly after a few days of cold maceration. It was not necessary to intervene much during vinification. The red wines had a lovely natural concentration. These wines offer intense sensations in their youth and are destinated for a long and great future. As for the white wines, they are also exceptionally complex. In red as well as in white wines, this was a casebook vintage for Burgundy.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2006 Vintage
Vines had to deal with a very variable weather. The winter was cold with persistent snow on several occasions. Nevertheless, flowering took place in the best conditions with sunny and warm spells. August was wet and cold and favoured rapid growth.
« 1900-2014. Un siècle de millésimes en Bourgogne » written by Jacky RIGAUX.
« Burgundy vintages 1846-2016 » written by Jacky RIGAUX. -
The 2007 Vintage
The winter was rather mild and spring quite early, what favored rapid growth. April was hotter and sunnier than usual and caused early budding. Summer was characterized by alternating rain and mild spells, sometimes very cold for the season. These weather conditions enable to maintain a good phytosanitary state. Harvesting started earlier than expected at the end of August.
-
The 2008 Vintage
Flowering began at the beginning of June during cold spells and rain. Ripening started in mid-August and lasted about two weeks. Sunning and north wind enabled the grapes to get a balanced maturity. Harvesting started at the end of September. Malolactic fermentation happened later than expected and gave a good balance to the reds as well as a remarkable length with supreme aromatic purity.
-
The 2009 Vintage
2009 was an exceptional vintage. Spring was mild and flowering went well thanks to ideal climatic conditions. Summer faced strong rains especially in July with unusual storms for the season. There was a succession of warm and rainy spells from June to mid-August and finally hot and dry weather during second half of August and September, which led to a perfect maturity and phytosanitary state. Harvesting started at the beginning of September. The whites have a good aromatic persistence and are well-rounded with a good liveliness.
-
The 2010 Vintage
Criticized by the press even though the harvest had not started yet, the 2010 vintage was in fact an excellent vintage. Spring weather was pleasant and mild. In June, flowering was disturbed by heavy rainfalls, which resulted in a lot of millerandage and low yields. The weather was greatly variable. There was a succession of warm and rainy spells during summertime. The maturity of the grapes was optimal when the harvest started. Shot berries and the small crop enabled winemakers to produce wines of the highest finesse. The wines are rich in color with smooth tannins. The reds have a strong aromatic power and the whites a great complexity.
-
The 2011 Vintage
Spring was early again and hotter than usual, what favored a rapid start of the vegetative cycle. Compared to 2007, the development of the grapes was very early and an abundant harvest was expected in mid-August. However, the vine had to face a major climate change in July and August, what thankfully delayed the harvest by two weeks. The maturation cycle of the grape was disturbed by the alternation of heavy rain and short sunny spells. An increased observation of the phytosanitary risks enabled to yield high quality grapes with a good phenological maturity.
-
The 2012 Vintage
Climatic conditions of this vintage were very special. The winter was rather mild, spring was quite early with frost, May was sunny, June was rainy, and there was a mixed weather during the summer alternating with hail storms and scorching weather. This variable weather caused serious damage to the vines because the berries did not grow easily. The cold spring resulted in a lot of millerandage and in some diseases such as mildiou and oidium. Summer was characterized by short hot spells, which caused sunscald on unprotected clusters from direct sunlight. These climatic problems happened right before the maturing period and lower significantly the expected harvest, but without any impact on the grapes quality. On the contrary, millerandage guarantees small and concentrated berries. It was a tiring but exciting vintage! Winegrowers harvested ripe grapes, rich in colour with a perfect phytosanitary state.
-
The 2013 Vintage
This vintage has been highly impacted by several severe climatic problems and vines had to face heavy rainfalls throughout the vegetative cycle. Weather conditions were favorable only in August and September. A new hail storm occurred and destroyed the areas of Volnay – Pommard - Beaune – Savigny Les Beaune. However, as we have already faced these climate hazards last year, we handled this situation more smoothly. Although yields were pretty low again, the harvest was great.
-
The 2014 Vintage
Yields are satisfying despite climatic problems at the end of July. Vines that had only been slightly affected by hail produced a large amount of good quality grapes. At the Domaine, vines that had been strongly impacted (Beaune 1er cru, Les Pertuisots, Bressandes, Reversés, Meursault, Volnay) produced a very low amount of high quality grapes. Some clusters contaminated with Drosophila suzukii were excluded from the sorting table. This disease that has recently contaminated Burgundy caused a serious acidification with acetic acid. From a global perspective, yields were satisfying both for the Chardonnays and the Pinots Noirs.
-
The 2015 Vintage
Harvests at the winery Domaine de Bellene stretched from the 7th of September to the 15th. Whereas the vintage seemed to be early, we decided to wait for the grape maturity to be optimal to harvest. The quality of the harvest was excellent. Barely 2% of the clusters were excluded from the sorting table. We vinified most of the grapes in whole clusters, what enabled us to practice long vatting times (between 26 and 28 days). In accordance with our convictions, we have not made any oenological intervention; we have just added a minimal supply of sulfites. The wines are rich in color and show a complex aromatic palette and a beautiful structure.
-
The 2016 Vintage
Burgundy faced strong hail storms that had major impacts on most of the famous appellations. On the 27 and 28 April, frost caused serious damage to the vines. We often suffer hail in the spring, but due to warm temperatures from late March to mid-April, the vine started its growing cycle two weeks in advance.
Problems with the budding was already noticeable at this period, and without any protection against cold this had a strong impact, especially on the sensitive clusters. Although the vine has still a few buds, they were not as fertile as hoped. Over our 22-ha-vineyard, we lost on average 50% of the expected harvest. The following months were hot, even scorching, and the vine was able to catch up on its late vegetation. Although yields were quite low, the quality of the grapes was wonderful with a great maturity. We vinified most of the grapes in whole clusters, what enabled us to practice long vatting times.
In accordance with our convictions, we have not made any oenological intervention; we have just added a minimal supply of sulfites. The wines are rich in color and show a complex aromatic palette and a beautiful structure. -
The 2017 Vintage
Although national wine production in France decreased by 22% in 2017 compared to 2016, wine production in Burgundy increased by 20%.
Burgundy was about to face the same production drop as the other wine producing regions. Indeed, in late April, frost caused serious damage to the vines and had a strong impact, especially on the small and sensitive clusters.
All the winemakers in Burgundy decided to support each other in order to fight against this spring frost. For four days in a row, winemakers implemented methods to tackle frost. Most of them decided to produce an artificial fog burning straw bales in order to protect the vine from the first damaging sunrays. The result was very satisfying, only a few plots have been slightly impacted.
Weather conditions enabled wonderful flowering conditions. Drought started in late July and accelerated the grape maturity. Some winemakers started harvested on 26th August. The harvest took place on September 7th with optimal conditions and lasted 13 days. The high quality of the grapes enabled us not to chaptalize and not to make any oenological intervention.
Compared to 2016, our production grew by 43% and we vinified on average 40.85 hectoliters per hectare.
Without the valuable support between all the winemakers, the 2017 vintage would not have been this great. -
The 2018 Vintage
Climatic problems in early summer have been balanced out with a heat wave. Thanks to good weather conditions, we obtained a very healthy yield of a great maturity. The wines are definitely of the highest quality, they are very aromatic with silky tannins, and show a complex structure. These wines have an important ageing potential but may also be drunk young.