Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris MW  Côte de Beaune  Jasper Morris MW’s first assessment of Burgundy 2024 reveals a vintage of extreme adversity yet unexpected classical poise, particularly for whites. An “exceptionally wet year,” marked by poor flowering, mildew pressure, and limited sunshine, made 2024 one of the most challenging recent seasons. Conditions worsened moving north, with the Hill of Corton and northern Beaune hardest hit, while mid-slope vineyards benefited from better drainage and earlier flowering. Harvest was tightly compressed between 12–16 September.  Despite the difficulties, Morris calls 2024 “much more applicable” as a return to classic Burgundy than 2021, especially for whites, where quality is “relatively homogenous” and characterful. He found wines defined by citrus, fresh apple, and, at their best, “rapier-like acidity” and tension. These whites will be “accessible early,” though he warns buyers to avoid those lacking backbone and energy.  Reds are more mixed and occasionally fragile, yet the finest examples show charm and harmony. Morris highlights “aromatic pinots that could make you smile at first sniff,” with unusually refined tannins, aided by a return to a classical 100-day ripening cycle. Village wines and well-managed premiers crus represent the sweet spot of the vintage.  Chablis  Chablis faced the harshest conditions in 2024: floods, frost, hail, and relentless rain, with total rainfall reaching 634 mm and many organic producers harvesting below 10 hl/ha. Some, like Guillaume Vrignaud, “made hardly any wine and sold it off.” Morris expected “green… ugly and flawed” wines but found most were sound and “less fragile than their 2021 counterparts.” While few are truly great, many show classic Chablis character—crisp, defined, with “crushed oyster shell” notes. Best for short- to medium-term drinking, 2024 in Chablis demonstrates resilience and surprising drinkability after a punishing season.  Côte de Nuits  In the Côte de Nuits, Morris sees 2024 as a vintage of delicacy rather than power. Harvest ran 12–16 September, with Nuits-St-Georges hit hard by rain and further north affected by uneven conditions and hail. Losses came mostly from coulure rather than mildew, especially around Gevrey-Chambertin. Whole-bunch fermentation and reduced stem use were key, and while some wines need time to integrate, many show light, perfumed character. “If you like dark coloured powerful wines… there is nothing here for you,” notes Morris. Only 2% of wines achieve top accolades, making careful selection essential.  Explore Jasper Morris MW’s reports, notes and scores on his site (subscribers only)  Vinous – Neal Martin  Neal Martin portrays 2024 as a season of extremes, where relentless rain, frost, and mildew tested every winemaker. Flowering was uneven, yields sharply reduced (Pinot Noir suffered most) and frost damaged parcels from Marsannay to Clos de Vougeot. As one winemaker reflected, “Each day in the vineyard felt like a battle,” capturing the relentlessness of the season. Tiny harvests demanded meticulous vineyard work and careful vinification, with whole-bunch decisions critical: “2024 was not a vintage to play recklessly with stems.”  A sunny, warm August offered salvation, allowing grapes to reach phenolic ripeness. Martin notes it “enabled some to capture the brightness and freshness of vibrant red fruit where Pinot Noir reaches its apex” and lent Chardonnays “razor-sharp tension and delineation.” Whites show energy and mineral clarity, while reds are delicate, transparent, and expressive rather than powerful.  Despite the challenges, skill and perseverance triumphed. Careful vineyard management and thoughtful vinification produced wines of elegance, freshness, and charm. As Martin concludes, “The bottom line is that 2024 is an endlessly fascinating vintage that will enamour the small number who imbibe the fruits of much labour.”  Explore Neal Martin’s reports, notes and scores on the Vinous site (subscribers only)  Burghound – Allen Meadows  Allen Meadows’ Burghound report describes 2024 in the Côte de Nuits as a vintage of extreme difficulty and delicate character. Following “rain, rain, and yet more rain,” growers faced poor flowering, rampant mildew, and historically tiny yields, with clusters sometimes reduced to 15–20 berries. Meadows notes that “the variability in 2024 is that of 2023 squared,” making disease control, rigorous sorting, and careful vinification essential to preserving quality.  Despite the challenges, the best wines are “ultra-fresh, wonderfully energetic, impeccably well-balanced and the most transparent reds we’ve seen since 2010.” Alcohol levels are modest, around 12.5–13%, enhancing clarity and finesse rather than weight or power. Harvest ran from 16–21 September, slightly later than the traditional 100-day rule, allowing vines to achieve ripeness amid persistent rainfall.  Vinification emphasized restraint: light extraction, reduced stem use, and careful temperature control preserved purity and avoided harsh tannins. Minor faults, mostly reduction from copper or sulfur sprays or slight volatile acidity, rarely detract. Meadows notes some wines are “too skinny or too lean,” but the best display crystalline transparency that “puts the intrinsic terroir on parade.”  Most wines suit mid-term cellaring: villages and premiers crus are approachable in 4–8 years, while top grands crus can age 10–15. Stylistically, 2024 reds are elegant and energetic, rewarding careful selection in a year of extreme variability.  Explore Allen Meadows’ reports, notes and scores on the Burghound site (subscribers only) Jancis Robinson – Jancis Robinson Jancis Robinson MW sums up 2024 as “nightmare… misery… exhausting… unremittingly grim,” with “gruesome” final yields. Heavy rain and unusually low temperatures during flowering severely damaged Pinot Noir, particularly in the Côte d’Or, while Chardonnay fared slightly better. Many vignerons abandoned organic viticulture for systemic sprays to save their crops. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey achieved “respectable, but most unusual for 2024” yields of 35–40 hl/ha only by switching early.  Losses were severe: reds down up to 80%, whites about 30%. Robinson notes that “the cool summer meant acidities were high, and successful reds could be described as pretty, but never concentrated,” with pale color and barely perceptible tannins. Late August brought some warmth, raising sugar levels, though many producers still had to chaptalise. She warns this is “a vintage to drink relatively early,” emphasizing elegance over opulence, fragility over power.  Cellar work was complicated by tiny harvests. Half-full tanks increased the risk of oxidation or stuck fermentations. Oak use was moderated, though some grands crus required up to 50% new barrels to fill them. Extraction and whole-bunch fermentation were carefully managed, with co-fermentation across parcels common.  Despite the challenges, Robinson highlights successful producers including Bertrand Bachelet, Yvon Clerget, Comte Armand, Philippe Colin, Sérafin, and Joseph Drouhin. Regions south of the Côte d’Or fared better, producing more generous, sophisticated wines. She frames 2024 as “a triumph of resilience over nature,” rewarding careful selection and precision in the cellar.  Explore Jancis Robinson's reports, notes and scores on her site (subscribers only) Jancis Robinson – Matthew Hayes  Matthew Hayes describes 2024 as a vintage “all over the shop,” marked by extreme scarcity, mildew pressure, and uneven quality across the Côte d’Or. Some estates, like the newly launched Domaine Henri Rebourseau, produced nothing, while others managed only tiny parcels. Yet Hayes notes, “producers actually had some wine; the second relief was that these had turned out better than feared.” Quality varies by village, vineyard, and even row, making careful selection essential.  The season was relentlessly difficult. Pinot Noir struggled with coulure, millerandage, and mildew, while Chardonnay fared slightly better thanks to earlier flowering. Organic producers faced doubled labor and costs, with some switching to synthetic sprays to save their harvests. Final yields were punishingly low, with red grape losses up to 85%. Harvest began in mid-September, balancing ripeness with botrytis and powdery mildew risks.  Winemaking focused on tiny lots, cautious extraction, and moderate oak. Reds are elegant, medium-bodied, and dominated by red fruit, while whites show precise acidity and finesse. Hayes notes, “This is not the Pinot Noir we have recently come to expect.”  Scarcity keeps prices high, yet the best wines are balanced and surprisingly drinkable. As Hayes concludes, “The bottom line is that 2024 is an endlessly fascinating vintage that will enamour the small number who imbibe the fruits of much labour.”  Explore Matthew Haye’s reports, notes and scores on the Jancis Robinson site (subscribers only) Decanter – Charles Curtis MW Pommard & Volnay 2024: Early-drinking Pinot Noir   Charles Curtis MW highlights Pommard and Volnay as the standouts in 2024, a vintage where Pinot Noir struggled across Burgundy. The northern Côte de Beaune largely avoided the worst rain and mildew, producing wines with the lush, supple fruit the region is known for. Pommard ranges from firm and tannic to approachable, while Volnay shows silky, expressive character.  Yields were exceptionally low: Paul Zinetti of Comte Armand recorded just 15 hl/ha, and Paul Négrerie of Château de Pommard 14 hl/ha. Careful extraction was key to avoid green tannins, producing wines of elegance over ripeness. Frédéric Lafarge notes that Volnay’s 2024 shows purity and terroir expression, comparing it favorably to 2021: “2024 showed more finesse and complexity due to the longer vegetative cycle.” Overall, the vintage is lighter than usual, suited to earlier drinking, though the best wines from top producers can age five to ten years.  Best Value Burgundy 2024 Wines   Finding value in 2024 requires a selective approach, as low prices rarely coincide with scarce wines. Curtis recommends starting with regional appellations, particularly the Hautes-Côtes of Nuits and Beaune, where top performers include Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Les Dames Huguette (Dufouleur) and Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune blanc (Guiton).  Further south, the Côte Chalonnaise offers excellent options, with Maison Chanzy (Bouzeron), Domaine Belleville (Rully), Château de Chamirey (Mercurey), and Domaine du Cellier aux Moines and Domaine Stéphane Aladame (Givry/Montagny) standing out. Curtis also praises the Mâconnais for Chardonnay, noting “bright acidity, fresh fruit, and solid structure,” with Pouilly-Fuissé in particular shining.  In short, 2024 may be small in volume, but careful exploration of Pommard, Volnay, the Hautes-Côtes, southern Burgundy, and the Mâconnais reveals wines that combine quality, typicity, and attractive drinking windows.  Explore Charles Curtis MW’s reports, notes and scores on the Decanter site (subscribers only) Wine Advocate – Kristaps Karklins
 Kristaps Karklins portrays 2024 in Chablis as a season of extreme attrition, marked by frost, hail and what he calls “historic mildew pressure—among the highest ever recorded.” Yields dropped by “60% to 70% on average,” with some estates losing entire crus, including Dauvissat’s Séchet, Montée de Tonnerre and Les Clos. By late August, rainfall had reached “around 600 millimeters, compared with the average 380,” making healthy fruit scarce and rigorous sorting decisive. Growers who waited to harvest were rewarded with “greater texture and mid-palate amplitude,” while early picking risked under-ripeness and dilution.  Despite the hardships, barrel tastings reveal notable successes. The finest 2024s are “classical Chablis,” defined by tension, clarity and site transparency, and approachable earlier than most vintages. While they cannot rival the concentration of 2023 or 2022, Karklins suggests they may delight purists more than a random selection of riper years. “No one would call 2024 a historic vintage,” he concludes, yet among the best producers the wines are “unmistakably, even nostalgically Chablisien,” rewarding careful selection with freshness, character and authenticity.  Explore Kristaps Karklins reports on the Wine Advocate site (subscribers only) Wine Advocate – William Kelley In a shorter spotlight on Verget and Domaine Guffens-Heynen, William Kelley describes 2024 as wetter and more overcast season following the warmth of 2022 and 2023, though mercifully spared the frost damage that scarred 2021 and 2016. Volumes are reduced, but quality is “solid,” and some wines “transcend the vintage,” reaching levels of maturity that are unusual for such a challenging year. Jean-Marie Guffens likens the domaine’s 2024s to 1998, a vintage that performed better in the Mâconnais than in the Côte de Beaune.  The true stars for Domaine Guffens-Heynen, however, are the bottled 2023s. Kelley ranks 2023 alongside 2020 as one of the finest vintages for domaine in the last 10 to 15 years—and among the best of Guffens’s career. If the 2020s are “almost neoclassical” in style, the 2023s are more flamboyant, setting up a compelling contrast between two outstanding expressions of the domaine that will invite comparison for decades to come.  Explore William Kelley’s reports, notes and scores on the Wine Advocate site (subscribers only) Read the rest of our coverage of Burgundy 2024 here.

The critics are starting to declare their verdict on the 2024 vintage. Here’s your crib-sheet to what the leading names, including Jasper Morris MW, Neal Martin, Allen Meadows, Jancis Robinson, William Kelley and more are saying about the latest Burgundy vintage.

Discover expert insights on Burgundy’s 2024 vintage from the top industry critics. Your essential guide to the latest vintage verdicts.

Burgundy 2024 – what the critics are saying

Burgundy 2024: the critics’ verdict

Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris MW  Published just in time for Christmas, Jasper Morris MW’s first instalment highlights how 2023 is “not like anything [he has] seen before” – with the largest crop on record, and the hottest year but the wines are not those of a hot vintage. He notes that “the white wines in 2023 are delicious”, accessible early and largely will be best drunk before the 2022s, with some notable exceptions with “the tension and tenacity to become really interesting”. It is, for him, “a very good white wine vintage, but probably not a great one”.  He deems the Pinot Noir more mixed, with “some absolutely lovely wines and some which just miss” – but most are “absolutely charming in an agreeably juicy style”. He has found a mysterious fault in some of the reds of the Côte de Beaune, lending an earthy taste and texture on the finish of the wines – and he has not rated these wines at this stage, choosing to revisit them in bottle. But, he emphasises, “don’t let that […] spoil your appreciation of all the other wines from this vintage” – with “delicious, fruit forward wines for medium term ageing”.   As for his early look at Chablis, he acknowledges that the region has changed – with the modern climate producing softer-styled wines that are “more fruit forward at least in their youth”, although “the best examples will absolutely still have the core character beneath”. While the generous yields of 2023 might be reminiscent of 2018, the wines show none of the dilution sometimes found in that vintage. The vintage is “more about pleasure than long term classicism”, he says, with the wines “charming, open and mostly well-balanced”, but the best will keep.  Read all Jasper Morris MW’s coverage and explore his notes and scores on his site (subscribers only)   Burghound – Allen Meadows  Allen Meadows started with his report on Chablis, the Mâconnais and the Chalonnaise. He highlights how the 2023 growing season was drastically different to that of 2022, and yet produced wines that are not a million miles away in style. He feels 2022 is better than 2023, “but not drastically so” – and states that when it comes to terroir transparency, “2023 might well have the edge”. The vintage is “a mixed bag”, he argues, with the reds more consistent than the whites, but with some excellent wines of both colours. For Chablis, he highlights “on the one hand, 2022 is a better vintage from a quality standpoint but 2023 is more interesting from a terroir standpoint”. He notes that the wines will be approachable young, and their natural balance will allow them to age well over the short and medium term. And, as Meadows says, “while there are certainly indifferent wines in both colours but when they’re good, they’re more than deserving of a spot in your cellars”.  For the Côte de Nuits, he acknowledges that the quality is “really variable”, with yield management the main driver in quality. There are, however, “many aromatically elegant, charming, and seductive wines” in 2023. The style, with “pliant tannins, good terroir transparency, and genuine depth of character”, is one that appeals to Meadows. Although the year is not consistent – and there are “plenty of disappointments” – there are also “good quantities of really lovely wines that should provide for delicious drinking early on yet be capable of amply rewarding mid-term cellaring”. The wines are not as concentrated as the likes of 2005, 2010 or 2020, he notes, but that doesn’t mean they’re dilute. He is one of many to emphasise 2023’s “charming” character – but without drifting into “banality”. The wines “belong in any serious Burgundy collector’s cellar” and the best are “genuinely wonderful for their sheer exuberance”.  Explore Allen Meadows’ reports, notes and scores on the Burghound site (subscribers only)    Decanter – Charles Curtis MW  For Charles Curtis MW, the 2023 vintage in Chablis is clearly good – just a touch behind 2022, earning a four-star rating (out of a possible five, versus 4.5 for 2022). He emphasises how important the harvest date was this year with the heatwave, key to preserving acidity, and this alongside yield control defined success. He emphasises that the Grands Crus delivered excellent quality, while Montée de Tonnerre and Vaulourent were stand-outs among the Premiers Crus on the Right Bank, while Montmains (especially Butteaux) and Vaillons delivered on the Left. The best wines, he says, sit alongside 2018, 2020 and 2022, “with ripe orchard and stone fruit, a lush texture, balanced acidity and plenty of extract”. They may not be as racy as the Chablis of yesteryear, but Curtis suggests that the best will age similarly to the 1999, and it is “a vintage that’s eminently worth stocking up on”.  Following on from his pre-Christmas Chablis focus, Curtis has published his full report on Burgundy 2023 – rating it four (out of five) stars for both red and white. With the challenges the year posed, he feels it’s less consistent than 2022, but still “a very good vintage”, with rare occasions where it’s “truly superb”. The wines are generally “very ripe” and approachable, with a “lush, drinkable style”, although he doesn’t feel they have the structure for long ageing, sitting just behind the 2022s qualitatively. More detailed coverage of individual villages is set to follow.  Explore Charles Curtis MW’s full report, notes and scores on the Decanter site (subscribers only)   Jancis Robinson – Matthew Hayes  For Matthew Hayes, 2023 offers a “near-repetition of the fine, balanced wines of 2022” – with wines that “will offer sustenance and satisfaction for lovers of (modern) classic, Burgundian Pinot Noir”. The fruit is “remarkably fresh and red-fruited”, with the wines fuller-bodied than the 2021s – although they are, he notes, not homogenous. The wines are those “vignerons wanted to make, rather than what nature made them make”, Hayes notes. He describes the whites as “generally lively, with a racy style matching ripe, mature fruit”. For him, the 2023 is a good vintage – one that sits alongside 2022 in terms of quality, with “deceptively open” wines that can be drunk while waiting for the 2019 and 2020s.  Explore Matthew Hayes’ report, as well as the entire team’s notes and scores on jancisrobinson.com (subscribers only)  Vinous – Neal Martin  “I adore the 2023 vintage,” declares Neal Martin. “I am hard pushed to think of another vintage so pleasurable from barrel,” he says. He emphasises how important it was to manage yields to avoid excess, with the year undoubtedly a “vignerons’ vintage” defined by actions in the vineyard. He finds the whites rounder in style, although not as richly fruity as those from 2018 or 2020. They are, he says, more traditionally styled, with good acidity levels that balance the richness of the year’s late summer heat. He notes that wines from limestone terroirs benefited from additional freshness, while Chassagne-Montrachet “continues to impress thanks to the cluster of talent that has emerged there in recent years”.  As for the reds, he considers them a combination of 2020 and 2017, feeling the wines are better than those of the latter year. It’s not a year to choose by appellation, but by producer – although he highlights Gevrey-Chambertin in particular as “a wellspring of great Pinot Noirs”, as well as the rising quality and value found in Marsannay. Some wines, he warns, lack concentration and can be a little lean, and it is less consistent than 2022. But, in general, “the reds convey a sense of transparency, more weightless than weighty,” he says, with wines that are fresh and crunchy, even if the acidity levels aren’t that high. While clearly set to be approachable early, he says, “they also have the balance and energy to reward the dwindling numbers who uphold the lost art of cellaring”. Among the best producers, 2023 offers “a veritable trove of white and reds that will drink earlier than their 2022 counterparts” – wines that are defined by their charm.  Explore Neal Martin’s full report, notes and scores on the Vinous site (subscribers only)  Wine Advocate – William Kelley Last out of the gate, William Kelley has finally proffered his judgement on the 2023 vintage – a year that is defined by its “abundance”. He finds the best to offer “demonstrative charm and immediacy”, but is clear that it “is not a vintage to buy blind”. Some reds show “dilution, elevated levels of volatile acidity and earthy, vegetal flavors”, and although the whites are more consistent, they can be “deficient in structure and cut”. The style of the wines varies significantly, he notes, and “whether growers picked before, during or after the September heat wave could deliver very different wines, ranging from light and vegetal to brooding and muscular”. He is clearly charmed by the best, however: “velvety, fleshy wines that are suave and sensual”, sweeter and often more structured than the 2017s, and not as ripe as the 2018s. As for the whites, he finds them generally “rich and flamboyant, with unctuous textures and sweet fruit” – and, “when they are united with good freshness and enlivening structuring dry extract, the results can be compelling”. He compares them to “a broader, more open-knit version of 2015”. Explore William Kelley’s full report, notes and scores on the Wine Advocate (subscribers only) Explore a selection of the critics’ favourite 2023 Burgundies  or Find all our coverage of Burgundy 2023 here.  

The critics have been busy in recent months, tasting up and down the Côte d’Or – and are now declaring their verdict on the 2023 vintage. Here’s your crib-sheet to what these leading names are saying so far about the latest Burgundy vintage

The leading Burgundy critics’ views on the 2023 wines – with a summary of what Neal Martin, Jasper Morris, Allen Meadows and William Kelley are saying

Burgundy 2023 – what the critics are saying 

Burgundy 2023: the critics’ verdict 

Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris MW  “Bountiful and beautiful” reads the headline of Jasper Morris MW’s overview of the 2022 vintage in Burgundy. He finds it to be an overwhelmingly consistent vintage – one with “occasional touches of greatness”. He compares the whites to those of 2020, with a touch less energy but more precision, and the reds to 1985, 1999 or 2002 – “just short of top flight but a really lovely flavour profile of medium density and longevity”. Although he feels that it is not largely a year set to be legendary, these are wines that will drink well early, are unlikely to shut down and also have the capacity to age. It is a “fine and classic” vintage, but some areas have particularly impressed him: the whites of Puligny-Montrachet (where he feels there is a return of the appellation’s typical floral aromatics, and it's the finest vintage since 2017 or maybe 2014) and the reds of the Côte de Beaune, which he feels offer “just that little bit extra” in comparison to those of the Côte de Nuits, highlighting in particular the performance of Pommard and Volnay. In Meursault, he feels quality is generally excellent, but notes the sunny conditions led to the odd heavy wine, particularly so in Charmes.  He notes that in Nuits-Saint-Georges there was a storm a week after the much discussed event of 22nd June in Gevrey – impacting volumes largely, however he notes that there were a few wines with “furry tannins and less precision”. By contrast, Vosne-Romanée escaped the excesses of late June and is “looking very good”, with “some spectacular individual performances”, including Georges Noëllat and Mugneret-Gibourg. Although Chablis was at risk of frost, Morris explains how it escaped a repeat of the damages of 2021 and recovered yields with secondary buds. He argues that 2022 is “a very good vintage of clean, pure, well-constructed wines which are recognisably from Chablis – not the mouth-puckering style of previous decades, but Chablis in its modern image, which I would argue is every bit as valid”. Although accessible in youth, he feels the wines will age and some have “the potential to thrill”, not yet revealing everything they have to offer. For him it sits above most recent vintages, bar 2014, rivalling the wines of 2020.  Explore Jasper Morris MW’s full report, notes and scores on Inside Burgundy (subscribers only)  Burghound – Allen Meadows  In Allen Meadows’ report on Chablis, the Mâconnais and the Chalonnaise, he writes that the “relatively tranquil if incredibly warm” growing season resulted in “ripe, delicious, plump and round whites and very ripe yet still fresh reds, both of which should repay short to mid-term cellaring”. Like Morris, he emphasises the consistency of the year – and a rare vintage where both colours excelled. Despite the exceptionally hot and dry conditions, the 2022s are “fresh, bright and utterly delicious, if not classically styled, reds and whites”.  He feels that the best 2022 whites are defined by their freshness, while for the reds it is their generous textures – “a seductive blend of velvet and punch”. Although it is a consistent year, he warns that a handful of wines are a little heavy with acidities not always as high as he’d like.  For the whites, he compares them to 2020 or 2017, but with a little more flesh than the latter, and the reds are again closest to the best 2017s but a little riper. The best 2022s, Meadows says, are “lovely ‘do everything’ wines. This is to say that even if they’re not destined to be great wines, they do everything well.”  As for the Côte de Nuits, Meadows declares 2022 a “modern classic”. Despite the hot, dry growing season, “the wines, while ripe, are wonderfully refreshing and transparent”, “vibrant and inviting”, impeccably well-balanced”.  Interestingly, he suggests that the vintage’s lower alcohol levels are attributed to inefficient yeast converting 18.5g/l sugar to 1% alcohol, rather than the standard 17-17.5, something that producers can’t explain.  The reds are, he says, “fun” – “ a pleasure to drink”, yet also offer “substance, complexity and intellectual titillation”. They combine transparency with concentration, he feels, and that is a seductive combination. The tannins are “ripe, pliant, and, for lack of a better term, don’t stick out”, while the acid levels maintain balance, even if they aren’t analytically that high. He emphasises the wines’ approachability, yet also their ageability.  Although he doesn’t pretend that it is entirely uniform, with some wines that don’t meet his standards, it is “less variable than probably any vintage since 2015”. Comparisons are various and tricky, but he feels that 2022 is a combination of two-thirds a ripe vintage, with one-third of a fresher one – such as 1990 and 19991, 1996 and 1997, 1999 and 2000 and so on. Whichever you compare it to, Meadows is clear that the 2022s “belong in any serious Burgundy collector’s cellar”.  Explore Allen Meadows’ full report, notes and scores on the Burghound site (subscribers only)   jancisrobinson.com – Matthew Hayes  Jancis’s “man on the ground” in Burgundy is Matthew Hayes, and he provides the bulk of her coverage, although she will offer thoughts following tastings in London in mid-January.  “Beyond any doubt, 2022 has produced excellent, both red and white, up and down the Côte d’Or and beyond,” writes Hayes, although pinning down where it sits on the spectrum of great to good proves tricky. While there are outliers, he feels that the wines generally show “impeccable balance of tidy, ripe fruit, discreet acidity and equally (and mostly) refined tannins”. Many of the Grands Crus, he says, are concentrated and intense, yet “disarmingly understated” – not as rich and savoury as 2019 or 2020, but there are nevertheless “some absolute crackers”. He finds that the classification of wines is generally reflected in the wines, with each tier offering a significant step up in quality. Most importantly, although exceptions exist, it is “across the board and in both colours” a year that has produced fresh and balanced wines for the medium to long term – with value and quality.  Read Matthew Hayes’ full vintage report, notes and scores on the Jancis site  Decanter – Charles Curtis MW and Andy Howard MW Decanter’s Chablis coverage comes courtesy of Andy Howard MW. For Howard, 2022 is “a very good year – and potentially an excellent one” in Chablis, earning a 4.5 rating (out of a possible five). He finds the wines offer good balance and taut acidity, combining typical minerality with riper fruit thanks to the warm, dry conditions. He suggests the wines blend the freshness of 2017 or 2021 with the ripeness of 2019 and 2020, but picking date was key to retaining acidity – and some who missed the mark produced higher-alcohol, tropical wines. The best, however, will “age beautifully for many years”, thanks to their “winning combination of fruit ripeness combined with fresh acidity and classic Chablis notes of salinity and minerality”, making it “a year to stock up on”.  As for the rest of Burgundy, Charles Curtis MW writes that the reds offer “lush fruit expression, full body, well-developed but velvety tannins and abundant extract”, while he argues that the whites are mostly best for early drinking, with similarly “lush fruit” and “relatively soft acidity”. It is the acidity that limits the wines, in his view, mostly for the whites – meaning they earn a four out of five, while the reds reach 4.5 in Decanter’s vintage rating system. The reds “will age gracefully in the cellar”, and he feels are largely homogenous. Although he found the whites more varied, he notes that those of the Côte de Beaune’s most famous villages – Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet – were generally consistent.  Explore Andy Howard MW’s Chablis report, notes and scores or dive into Charles Curtis MW’s report on the rest of Burgundy in 2022 on the Decanter site (subscribers only)  Vinous – Neal Martin  Once the satirical introduction, with a commentary on pricing, is out the way, Neal Martin dives into his detailed report on 2022 – a year that he feels is “a treasure trove of bright ‘n bushy-tailed whites and reds in a season that implied such wines would be impossible, wines predestined to give immense drinking pleasure”.  He highlights how June’s dramatic thunderstorms were key and have defined the vintage, balancing the hot, dry conditions. “I posit that vines were stressed, but stress that they have learned to cope with,” he says. Pairing this with a shift towards a gentler touch in the winery has sculpted the 2022s – wines which he is clearly impressed by.  As we found, he emphasises that producers are split on whether the wines should go through another winter’s élevage or should be bottled early, emphasising that the high volumes of 2023 and limits on cellar capacity are a consideration at some addresses.  All in all, “I cannot remember a Burgundy vintage that elicited so much joy from barrel,” he says. He highlights the whites’ “freshness, particularly their textures, and the deft use of extract that lends weight and presence and heightens umami”, while the reds “fit more into the mold of cooler and classically styled vintages. Lighter colors, delineated aromatics, often tensile, surprisingly vibrant wines with ample weight and length, despite comparatively higher pH levels that vary between 3.25 to 3.50 pH”. The lower alcohol levels (12.8-13.5% for the most part from his conversations) are key, “lifting terroir expression and enhancing that elusive, intangible notion of Pinoté. Prosaically, it imbues the 2022s with drinkability.” The wines’ approachability is perhaps their weakness, he suggests, as the wines are “blessed with the balance and substance to mature exquisitely in bottle”, yet the reality is that most will be consumed within the next five years.  While quality is very consistently high, he doesn’t feel that the year is “a bevy of potential legendary wines” – not perhaps quite reaching true greatness in his book. That said, he advises readers to “fill their boots” where prices seem fair, for it’s a year he “will enjoy returning [to] time and again”.   Explore Neal Martin’s full report, notes and scores on Vinous (subscribers only)  Wine Advocate – William Kelley  Last out of the gate with his report is William Kelley, declaring 2022 “another very strong Burgundy vintage, offering excellence in both colors and in a wide variety of styles, foregrounding the fascinating nuances of site that render this region so interesting”, with wines that are “succulent, suave and charming”.  He notes how the dry, hot conditions somehow slowed the fruit’s development, as well as being another to emphasise the importance of June’s rainfall, as well as the sprinkling that fell in late August which “unleased ripening”. He warns that picking dates were key and at the extreme fringes, “early-picked 2022s present a delicate, pretty style that can lack a little substance” while later-harvested wines “span a spectrum from deep and muscular to overtly fat and jammy”. Fortunately, however, he finds that most wines sit between the two – “harmonious and charming with alcohol between 12.5% and 13.7%, reminiscent, in reds, of a hypothetical marriage of 2017’s easy charm with some of 2015’s depth and in whites, evoking a somewhat more giving, open version of the 2020 vintage”. These are, he says, “pleasure-bent Burgundies that will delight in their youth and at maturity”.  The success of the year is not merely due to the growing season, he writes, however, but the adaptation of producers to warming conditions – both in the vineyard and winery. Pricing remains a challenge, and he discusses the various factors at play, but celebrates the fact that few producers looked set to increase prices. Beyond this, he also highlights the ongoing threat posed by the troublesome rootstock 161-49C – highlighting that this is another reason to take advantage of “a comparatively abundant crop of high-quality wines”, something which “isn’t to be taken for granted”. Having re-tasted many 2021s in bottle, he also emphasises that “while 2021 is far from consistent or uniformly great, any Burgundy purists who have overlooked the vintage may want to reconsider their position”.  Explore William Kelley’s full report, notes and scores on the Wine Advocate (subscribers only)  Explore a selection of the critics’ favourite 2022s or read more about Burgundy 2022

After extensive tastings in the region, the world’s leading wine critics are ready to declare their verdict on Burgundy’s 2022 vintage – a year that shows incredible promise. Here’s your crib-sheet to what the top tasters are saying about the year so far

The leading Burgundy critics’ views on the 2022 wines – with a summary of what Neal Martin, Jasper Morris, Allen Meadows and William Kelley are saying

Burgundy 2022 – what the critics are saying

Burgundy 2022: the critics’ verdict

Cerbaiona is widely recognised as one of the top estates in Montalcino, but has been a little elusive of late. Under Diego Molinari’s stewardship, the winery achieved cult status, but the property was sold in 2015, and hasn’t released any Brunello since. The new owner Matthew Fioretti has added to the radio silence, requesting critics not to score the wines, believing “a softer and more inquisitive form of journalism and criticism might be better than the score bazooka”.  Production is so small that Fioretti doesn’t need to rely on critics to promote the wines, but Cerbaiona has been noticeably absent from recent rave reports on the 2016 vintage from the likes of the Wine Advocate and Vinous. Our woman on the ground in Italy, Annalisa Florian, is one of the few people to have tasted the about-to-be-released 2016 Brunello, the first under Fioretti. Fioretti and his team have overhauled the estate. It’s a brave decision to make such a clear break from the past with a winery of such repute, and testament to their commitment to quality. Due to massive restructuring, Fioretti decided to declassify all the wine made in 2014 and 2015 to Rosso di Montalcino. As he points out, “Several aspects of this wine had formed before taking over the business.” Despite the obvious success of the 2015 vintage, Fioretti commendably didn’t want to rest on Cerbaiona’s reputation. All the vineyards are located on the Cerbaiona hill, just northeast of the town of Montalcino, and neighbouring another Brunello icon, Salvioni. The success of Sangiovese grown on this specific site long predates the Brunello appellation, with vineyards located here for hundreds of years and the wine historically produced known simply as Cerbaiona. The soil is a distinct limestone shale infused with sand and, according to Fioretti, “Almost by doing nothing, you can make an exceptional wine at Cerbaiona. Its vineyard location is that special and unique.” Fioretti, however, wasn’t happy with doing “nothing”. While praising Molinari’s legacy, he felt the estate desperately needed modernising – with serious work to be done in the vineyard and winery. He is very much inspired by what he calls a “tectonic shift” in winemaking in Italy (and elsewhere) over the last 30 years, with a move towards precision viticulture and a more hygienic approach to winemaking. Fioretti sees this as a shift from winemaking as an “art form” to winemaking as “craftmanship”.  In his mind, it was the pioneering efforts of producers like Romano dal Forno in Valpolicella and Luciano Sandrone in Barolo who have shown what can be achieved in Italy with such an approach. Just after taking over Cerbaiona, Romano dal Forno commented to Fioretti, “I’ll tell you what I told Molinari: you can’t make great wine in a barn.” Until recently, the sacristy of the small chapel was the fermentation cellar. The chapel itself was used for wine storage, while the granary and old animal stables acted as barrel cellars. “Hardly a precision and hygienic environment for winemaking,” Fioretti quips. As for the vineyards, “The rootstocks and clones of all the plantings at Cerbaiona were not selection massale nor specially selected material.  It was simply what the nurseries were selling at the time,” says Fioretti. “By 2010, the knowledge that had been gathered around Sangiovese was incomparable to what was understood in the 1970s and '80s.” Fioretti knew they needed replanting with better clones and rootstocks.  He retained and harvested the oldest vineyards for four harvests, working with top agronomists. “We made many attempts to overcome the shortcomings of these rootstocks and clones (which tended to produce enormous bunches, especially in wet years). But we all agreed: the sooner we replanted, the better off Cerbaiona would be.” As such, they’ve embarked on a six-year replanting program, making significant changes. The original three hectares (of which one hectare was dedicated to Bordeaux varieties) have been completely replanted to Sangiovese. An additional hectare of olive groves located on the steepest slope (and Fioretti believes the finest of the estate) has also been replaced with vines. Where possible, vines have been planted at a higher density and Fioretti has also converted the property to organic viticulture. Finally, with the release of the 2016, we find ourselves on the eve of the first Brunello release from Cerbaiona since the 2013 vintage. Fioretti believes 2016 to have been the “perfect” growing season. “The Sangiovese produced is captivating and sumptuous,” he tells me – the latter something he feels isn’t common for the variety. The moderate summer temperatures, the correctly timed rain and dry harvest conditions saw the Sangiovese thrive. The result, says Fioretti, is “a wine with fragrant aromas and a strong acidic shoulder – a guarantee of ageing”. It was in fact the latest harvest in the last five years at Cerbaiona. In Fioretti’s opinion, the 2016 is “not very far from” the 2010 – a vintage he feels is definitive for Montalcino – and comparable to other top modern Brunello vintages such as 2006 and 2007. There is tremendous excitement about the 2016 vintage, as well as the long-awaited return of this much-loved Montalcino estate. The 2016 Cerbaiona will no doubt be constantly compared to the wines made under Molinari, and it will be a fascinating comparison considering the effects of vine material, age of vines, viticultural techniques and winemaking practices versus overriding terroir.  What is clear is that Fioretti has no interest in resting on the laurels of this cult estate, nor simply following the footsteps of his predecessor. From what we’ve heard, it sounds like his labour-intensive approach both in the vineyards and winery is having the desired effect, and Cerbaiona’s legacy is safe. Whatever happens, Fioretti’s clear philosophy is set to mark a new and exciting era for the estate. Browse our range from Cerbaiona or read more about the 2016 vintage in Montalcino

There’s been a buzz about the cult Montalcino estate Cerbaiona since it changed hands in 2015. Ahead of the release of the 2016 Brunello – the first under Matthew Fioretti’s ownership – we caught up with the new owner to find out more about how and why he’s transforming the property

Cerbaiona is widely recognised as one of the top wine estates in Montalcino, and now Fioretti and his team have overhauled the estate. We find out more 

A new era of Cerbaiona

Cerbaiona: a new era

South Africa is one of the most exciting wine-producing nations right now. A new generation – led by the likes of Eben Sadie, the Mullineux, Chris Alheit and many more – has put the Cape firmly on the fine wine agenda. Its pinpoint Chenin Blanc, serious Syrah and laidback winemakers have made it the darling of the industry – yet this modish group of surfer-cum-winemakers seems a world away from the sweet wines of Constantia.  “Constantia Wyn” was South Africa’s original vinous export – savoured by the good and great of the 18th and 19th centuries. Bismarck, Frederick the Great, Louis XVI and George Washington are all noted to have enjoyed it, while Napoleon had vast volumes shipped to him in exile on St Helena (drinking up to a bottle a day) – and it was supposedly the only thing he wished to consume on his deathbed. The wine is mentioned by Dickens, Dumas and Baudelaire, with Jane Austen’s Mrs Jennings in Sense and Sensibility famously recommending it for “its healing powers on a disappointed heart”.  How, then, did such a legendary wine fall from grace? Economic downturn in the second half of the 19th century, followed by the arrival of mildew and phylloxera in the Cape, and the subsequent dominance of the KWV – the state-run cooperative – saw it vanish.  But in 1985, the Klein Constantia property was bought by Duggie Jooste. He replanted the vineyards, built a new winery and worked on overhauling the long-neglected estate. In 1986 he and winemaker Ross Gower produced the first vintage of Vin de Constance – their tribute to “Constantia Wyn” – released in 1990. It was made with Muscat de Frontignan (a particularly thick-skinned clone of Muscat) left to raisin on the vine, producing a luscious sweet wine, with no botrytis influence. It was an instant success – but quality and style was inconsistent, and Vin de Constance was just one wine in the range, rather than a focus.   It was only in 2012 that Klein Constantia embarked on a new chapter. The property had been for sale for a while and, as Vice Chairman Hans Astrom told me, it was “a bit dusty” and severely in need of attention. It changed hands in 2011, with Zdenek Bakala – an American-Czech billionaire – and British banker Charles Harman taking over, merging a year later with the Stellenbosch estate Anwilka, part-owned by Duggie Jooste’s son Lowell Jooste, Hubert de Boüard (of Ch. Angélus) and Bruno Prats (previously of Cos d’Estournel). Matthew Day – who had worked at the property since 2008 – took over as winemaker. While the estate still produces a full range of whites and reds, Vin de Constance is its flagship.  Now, a decade on, the importance of this shift is shining through. Being a “legacy winery” used to be “what got us in the door”, Day explains, but Klein Constantia is no longer trading on its past. The wines made between 1986 and 2012 were experimental, Day notes – with bottlings ranging significantly in sweetness (from 80 to 180g/l residual sugar) – but they were “vital in figuring out where we are going”. His favourites from that era are the 1987, 1991, 1995, 1996 and 2001 (“with 1991 and 1987 being at the top of that list”), but he’s more excited about the wines he’s producing today. “The older Vin de Constances are more in the style of being sweet wines, whereas the newer vintages are just wines,” adds Day.   Since 2012, they have gradually evolved the style, striving for balance and freshness, with increased precision. For Day, the aim is to make “a sweet wine that doesn’t taste sweet”.  The first shifts were in the vineyard, which since the mid-2000s has been farmed sustainably with some organic and biodynamic practices. The team planted more bush vines that ripen and raisin earlier in the season, therefore retaining more acidity. While they used to pick parcels from January to have high-acid components for blending, now – with the bush vines – they can pick a more uniformly ripe crop, yet not sacrifice acidity.  The end goal remains to have as many components as possible for blending, with the harvest team picking in passes and bringing between one and five kilograms of grapes in per day. While the wine used to vary in alcohol and sugar level, they now aim for around 165g/l residual sugar and 14% alcohol – where they think the best balance is found, varying slightly according to vintage.   The 2016 vintage was the first to be made in a new cellar – a practical and hygienic space. As for what actually happens in the cellar, the key changes have been around skin contact and élevage. The must now spends a week on skins, inoculated with a non-saccharomyces yeast to protect them from biological contamination and the development of volatile acidity, extracting all-important flavour compounds, but not phenolics. They then inoculate for alcoholic fermentation, which lasts between one and three months. They also started re-introducing the use of foudre for ageing the wines in 2016. From 2019, the wine will spend its first 1.5 years in new 500-litre barrels (encouraging the evolution of secondary flavours), before being transferred to older foudre for another 1.5 years (giving oak influence but without the ageing effect of micro-oxygenation).   Tasting the 2012 alongside the 2019 highlights the differences. The two vintages were similarly cool, both picked in April, and although the residual sugar is almost identical, the 2019 feels significantly fresher – with a pithy, textured freshness that offsets its sweetness.   This whimsical wine of yore might feel like a counter to the nation’s new wave, but it’s not so, says Day. “For me, Klein Constantia has always been at the forefront of the movement, but in a completely different way. We might not be as trendy as some of the newer producers, but we like to think the work we have done with Vin de Constance over the past decade has shown the world that South Africa has the potential to compete with the best of the best in the world.”   Browse all current listings from Klein Constantia or browse more Editorial

Loved by Dickens, Austen and Napoleon, the sweet wines of Constantia were legendary in the 18th and 19th century. But Klein Constantia – the estate revived in the 1980s – is done with looking back. Sophie Thorpe caught up with winemaker Matthew Day to find out what lies ahead 

Klein Constantia’s winemaker Matthew Day on the evolution of Vin de Constance, South Africa’s most iconic and historic sweet wine

A new era for Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance

A constant evolution: Vin de Constance

Historically peat was used as a fuel source. In recent history, it has been a source of great fervour and one-upmanship as whisky producers clambered to create the peatiest whisky on the market.  For the most part, this narrative and competition has played out on the remote and beguiling Hebridean isle of Islay and its nine malt distilleries. One even deciding the prefix “super” was required on the label because “heavily-peated” was no longer sufficient. But this could all be about to change as Seattle-based Westland Distillery finetunes an industry first: locally-peated American single malt whiskey.   “We are not trying to make it taste like Islay,” Co-Founder and Managing Director Matthew Hofmann says. “We want Solum to exhibit its own terroir and its own flavour influence so long as it tastes good.”   In the 10 years since it was founded, Westland has sought to challenge every stage of whisk(e)y-making convention from barley, casks and now peat. For the past five years the team has been encountering setbacks while they navigated the uncharted territory of producing peated malt in the United States. The first was the discovery that a peat malting company didn’t exist in America, despite Washington State boasting 50,000 acres of peat.   While Hofmann worked on options closer to home, Westland turned to the historic Glasgow-based malt producer Baird’s. But he knew he had struck on something and eventually started working with a start-up malting company, Skagit Valley Malting, to produce what the company believes is the first commercially produced batch of peated malts in America.   Pioneering a locally-peated whiskey created all sorts of headaches – or as Hofmann calls them “interesting challenges” – for the team. In one of the first blind tastings, peat flavour notes were entirely absent.   “When you are trying something new like this, there is an inherent amount of risk,” Hofmann says. “It’s very much an ongoing process and we are far from being finished. It’s more accurate to say we have barely begun on this project.”   Westland uses approximately two cubic yards of peat from a local 30-acre bog which equates to a month’s production and roughly 100 casks of whiskey a year. Whereas others typically cut and drain peat – which has a negative impact on carbon dioxide and methane release, and damages the ecology of the area – Westland uses a different process with a backhoe which keeps the bog intact apart from the small amount of peat they use.   “The stuff we have got out here is wild,” Hofmann says with unfettered excitement. “There’s 11 different species of stagnant mosses. There’s wild cranberries. There’s wild crab-apples. There’s a lot more woody materials – cedar – that end up making it into the bog itself because the area is still heavily wooded as well. So, the result on the peat and aroma is very different.”   Hofmann said Westland will release Solum – Latin for “soil” – in winter 2023 but admits he doesn’t know what the product will taste like yet. He says there is a Mezcal profile at this stage, with vegetal smokiness and spice, but cask impact factors are currently unknown.   “This has been one of the most difficult things we have worked on here at Westland,” he says. “Which is saying something because we have a habit of diving headfirst into things we know very little about.”  One of the main challenges, Hofmann says, is the lack of industry and by extension experts in the country. “Nobody understands the impact of peat and how to use it,” he explains. “That can be quite interesting because when you’re learning it from scratch and you have zero base line knowledge, you tend to approach things in a different way.”   This has led to further innovation in production with engineers at the helm of the project and meant sustainability has been high on the agenda in the notoriously eco-cognisant region.   “We don’t quite know yet what the path is with Solum,” he adds. “Is it going to be about the different areas of the bog and peat flavours you might get from that – kind of like Colere is with barley? Or is it going to be about a general Washington State peat flavour?”  The exact destination may be unknown, but it’s guaranteed to be an entirely new take on a very old tradition.   Browse all current whisky listings or read more Editorial 

It’s one of the oldest styles of whisky in the world and has been known to unite as much as it divides. So why is a Pacific Northwest distillery moving heaven and earth to produce the first batch of American peated malts? Holly Motion digs into it 

Digging into why Pacific Northwest distillery Westland is moving heaven and earth to produce the first batch of American peated malts. 

Digging into American peated malts

Breaking new ground

Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris MW  Jasper Morris MW’s upbeat report assures the reader not to panic about the treacherous growing season that Burgundy endured in 2021: “The wines taste much better than the weather conditions might have suggested.” While wary of generalisations, he feels the whites (what little was made) were good to very good and readers should have no qualms in following them. While the natural comparison might be to 2016 – another vintage badly affected by frosts which produced two generations of grapes – those that survived the frost and the secondary buds – the 2021s avoid the sweet-and-sour profile of that year. He also particularly highlights the wines of Puligny-Montrachet, which has rediscovered a “beguiling and refined floral bouquet” in the year.   
Quality among the reds, he feels, is less consistent, with the Pinot Noirs from the Côte de Nuits better than those from the Côte de Beaune. He highlights Chambolle-Musigny and Volnay as appellations that “show the elegance and fragrance… that has perhaps been missing for the last few years”. While far from classical, he believes many of the reds are “rather lovely in a style which we have not seen in the last few years”, thanks to the vintage’s cooler conditions.   
He compares the reds to 2014, but less “raw” than some of the wines made in that vintage, while the whites remind him of 2013. He also suggests the vintage for both red and whites has many similarities to 2010 – a vintage that received modest reviews on release, but has, with maturity, turned out to be “rather fine”.   
For him, both colours, although especially the whites “are very clear reflections of their individual sites”, and “show the hierarchical order from generic up to Grand Cru very clearly”. While he doesn’t feel they will “develop into legendary long-lived wines”, nor will they “fall over quickly”. Generally it is a vintage that is “what the French call digeste” – “accessible, easy to drink”, but he urges readers to “take the time to search out the gems which have successfully avoided any pitfalls in their path and will emerge as truly beautiful wines”.  
Read Jasper Morris MW’s full report on Inside Burgundy (subscribers only) 


Vinous – Neal Martin 
Neal Martin offers, as ever, a long report, with his trademark satirical opening. His verdict is that 2021 is “indisputably one of the most fiendishly complex, byzantine seasons I can recall” and the wines are “shockingly good in the context of an appalling growing season that pushed many to the brink, physically and mentally”.  He runs through the growing season in detail, noting the various challenges producers faced and how they responded – something which he highlights varied significantly, making it “a season without consensus”. Despite these difficulties, he finds many of the wines “blooming delicious” – noting that “the causal relationship between the vagaries of a growing season and wine quality is not as strict. Seemingly awful vintages can be studded with vinous gems and walk-in-the-park seasons can disappoint.”  Given the lack of consensus, he emphasises the variability of the year, and the need to drill down into the specifics of how each estate, and vineyard, fared – and he has offered a profile on almost each producer he visited to provide his insight. He points to the fact, for example, that the Grands Crus aren’t necessarily the best wines from each estate – and this is reflected in his scores. As for the style of the wines, he finds that the whites “sometimes convey traits of warmer vintages with traces of tropical fruit that counterpoint the acidity”, and points to Chassagne-Montrachet as a stand-out village – in his view, “the most dynamic appellation in the Côte de Beaune”. The reds he declares “a sharp return to the vivid red fruit of cooler growing seasons” – with most “far removed from the black/blue-fruited 2019s and 2020s”. “There is greater underlying mineralité, tension, and vibrancy on the palate compared to recent vintages. Tannins, at best, are finely chiselled, and the finishes often contain plenty of sapidity.”  
Overall, however, he feels that “the 2021s will offer abundant short to mid-term drinking pleasure” and are “delicious early-drinking fare”, but “only a small number will age long-term”, some wines not having “the substance to last the course”. Despite that, he’s overall positive, although notes that the tiny volumes and rising prices pose challenges: “There are gems to find. It’s just that you might not be able to buy them, and if you can, you might have to remortgage the house.”  
Read Neal Martin’s full report, tasting notes and scores on Vinous  
 Burghound – Allen Meadows 
So far Allen Meadows has published his reports on the Chablis, Mâconnais and Chalonnaise, and reds from the Côte de Nuits. His in-depth report runs through the varying meteorological considerations across the entire length of Burgundy, including for example a catastrophic hailstorm in Pouilly-Fuissé. For the whites from the outer reaches of Burgundy, he says that, “despite all of the growing season trials and tribulations, surprisingly good, sometimes even excellent, whites were made”. There are, in his view, some “cool, pure and wonderfully transparent whites that are intense, overtly saline and well-balanced” – but he emphasises that this is not a consistent vintage and selection is important, with quality varying. He feels “it’s not an easy vintage to pigeonhole” – and compares some wines to 2001 or 2013 for their exoticism, some to 2014 or 2017 for their restraint and freshness. From the Chalonnaise, he particularly highlights the wines from Joblot and François Lumpp for reds that are “lovely: fresh, energetic, reasonably concentrated, transparent and balanced”. When it comes to the Côte de Nuits, “quality is highly, even frustratingly, variable”, but “2021 is the kind of vintage that I absolutely love”. It is, in Meadows’ view, “a burg geek’s vintage par excellence" – with terroir transparency at its heart, with wines that are “strikingly refreshing and tension filled”. Many will make for “delicious drinking early on, yet be capable of amply rewarding mid-term cellaring and in a few cases, they should be as long-lived as most collectors would reasonably want” – with the caveat that some, unfortunately, are not. He highlights how work in the vineyard was key, tactics in the winery varied and picking dates too – noting that generally those who picked later fared better, but (in a running theme for the vintage) that is “far from a hard and fast conclusion”. Although most are medium-bodied, he feels that some producers shied away from extraction – with the result that some wines don’t quite have sufficient mid-palate density. With the quality varying, it’s a year to focus on “producer first, second and third rather than the commune”, although the classification hierarchy is clearly reflected in the quality of the wine. This is, most importantly, a vintage that is the opposite to 2018, ’19 and ’20, and he feels the closest comparison for the reds is 2001, with a similar 10- to 20-year arc of ageing ahead of them.  There are some wines that are underripe or herbaceous, but: “The best wines are classic Burgundies in the best sense of that term. They have something of everything in terms of a tantalizing freshness as they are decidedly very pinot in character followed by a dazzling transparency on the palate. As I noted above, the sense of terroir is at the core of each wine, and when a palpable sense of energy is added, the wines are a joy to drink.” Read Allen Meadows’ full report, notes and scores on the Burghound site Decanter – Charles Curtis MW The headline of Charles Curtis MW’s report is that there are “some excellent wines, if you choose carefully”. The “antithesis of recent years”, he anticipates that those who are selective will “be delighted by the classic style of this vintage”, which has produced “crisp, concentrated” whites and – at their best – reds that are “perfumed, elegant and structured”. He emphasises how important the harvest date was, as well as sorting once the fruit was picked. Although he found significant variability in quality – “with liltingly charming wines alternating with less successful examples” – he is clear that “the best wines are definitely worth buying”. His wines of the vintage are Domaine des Comtes Lafon’s Montrachet and Armand Rousseau’s Chambertin-Clos de Bèze – wines that, sadly, few will be able to get their hands on.  Read Decanter’s full report, notes and scores Jancis Robinson MW Jancis Robinson MW’s site offers extensive coverage of the vintage mainly by Burgundy-based Matthew Hayes and herself, with extensive tasting notes. Jancis’s own report – based on tastings mainly in London and published in early January 2023 – vouched for the quality of the fruit at harvest, and how despite “a gruelling growing season”, with the results that she had so far tasted “delicious”.   Matthew Hayes doesn’t shy away from this being a “difficult” vintage, but “quality has been unexpectedly higher than received wisdom suggested”. Beyond the challenges of the growing season, Hayes highlights how the winemaking was handled differently almost everywhere, although generally people reduced extraction. He’s wary of giving the year “the kiss of death” by declaring the vintage “merely good”, but considers how there’s more to greatness than ageability. For him it is a vintage that “will appeal to real cognoscenti of Burgundian Pinot Noir, to the absolute devotees of fragrance, limpidity and soft, ethereal tannins – that gossamer touch that normally speaking should take decades to evolve”. The wines are earlier-drinking given how open they are – a relief in some senses that you needn’t feel too guilty of “infanticide”.   Read all Burgundy 2021 coverage on jancisrobinson.com Wine Advocate – William Kelley William Kelley’s greatly anticipated report is his longest to date. He feels that the complexities of 2021 and what he sees as a pivotal moment for the region deserved the extra word-count. He runs through the year’s conditions in detail, which we won’t regurgitate, although – contrary to our findings – he suggests the Premiers and Grands Crus were harder hit by the frost. Like us and others, he highlights that strategies in the winery varied significantly and generalisations are almost impossible. He considers what “a great red wine vintage” is in the era of modern Burgundy and climate change – and whether the 2021s’ openness will work against them. They are, he says, “supple, fleshy and perfumed, at their best uniting the concentration of low yields and surprisingly good phenolic maturity with the vibrant, perfumed profiles of a cooler vintage”, “broad, open and charming” and, in his view, “unlikely to shut down”. He compares the wines to 2017 or 2000, and expects they will at least age as long as the latter.  As for the whites, he finds them “classically proportioned, pure and fine-boned, albeit sometimes a little lean out of the gates”. The closest comparison for him is 2013, although without the exoticism sometimes found in that vintage. He highlights that the wines are developing texture and flesh during élevage and will show better from bottle than barrel. Of course, he cautions readers that they will need to “buy wisely”, but highlights that, even tasting over 1,000 wines, there were “very few failures” – with the year’s results far more positive than he expected from the difficult year. Indeed, he even declares them “some of the most charming young Burgundies [he has] tasted from barrel over the last 15 years” – but, he asks, “Are they too tasty to be great?” As for the market, he notes that “the 2021s will be expensive”, but this is tied to not just demand, but land prices in the region, as well as its archaic inheritance laws and significant taxes. The inevitable result of these factors is consolidation, and while once the nobility and Church held the keys to the land, now it’s billionaires and corporations – with the future of small, family-owned domaines in doubt. His final line is one filled with a sense of urgency: “Enjoy it while it lasts”. Read Kelley’s full report, notes and scores on the Wine Advocate 

Read more about Burgundy 2021, including our full report in the vintage 

The leading critics are offering their verdict on Burgundy’s 2021 vintage – a challenging but surprising season. Here we offer a crib-sheet to what they’re saying about the year so far

The leading Burgundy critics’ views on 2021– with a summary of what Neal Martin, Jasper Morris, Allen Meadows and William Kelley’s are saying

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After the elegance of 2018 and the power of 2019, the 2020 vintage in Montalcino had a lot to live up to.  As Cerbaiona’s Matthew Fioretti told me, “On paper, it looks like a good vintage.” Statistically speaking, the median temperature was good, the rainfall plentiful without being excessive – it looks perfect. But the year was much trickier than those numbers suggest, and one that tested producers.  For Castiglion del Bosco’s Cecilia Leoneschi, it was the first vintage where she really felt the effects of climate change in Montalcino – with 64 days without a drop of water over the summer, something she’d never seen before. It was, she emphasised, a vintage that varied significantly across the appellation – especially between lower and higher altitudes – as was reinforced by our conversations about the year.  Nicola Vaglini (Pieve Santa Restituta) emphasised how important rain in the preceding winter was, replenishing water reserves, which were topped up by additional spring showers. The season started with even budbreak in temperate conditions. Frost hit in late March – striking northern parts of the region most acutely (Vaglini reported losing 15% in some sites), although most escaped unscathed.  The season continued, satisfyingly uneventful, until July, when the weather shifted. It became very warm, with spikes of heat – reaching 38 and even 40°C. In these brief but powerful heatwaves, the vines shut down and development stalled. Fioretti noted how he saw base leaves drop, meaning the grapes were no longer shielded from the full force of the sun. Despite the heat, Poggio di Sotto’s Leonardo Berti commented how relieved he was that temperatures didn’t hit over 40-41°C, as has now become relatively normal in Castelnuovo dell’Abate – a mark of the changing climate.  In among these heatwaves were sudden downpours – rain that fell hard and fast, with up to 100mm falling over three hours, arriving too quickly for the soils to absorb meaningfully, and causing flooding issues (at Cerbaiona, they were left with 20cm of water in one of their cellars). This is one of the reasons why, Fioretti argues, the year’s statistics are so misleading. Although there was technically an average volume of rainfall, the conditions meant that it was – at Cerbaiona – effectively a drought year, because so little made it to the vines’ roots.  Leoneschi explained how at Castiglion del Bosco, they are increasingly using cover crops to help retain water in the vineyard. They generally have less rain – shielded by Mount Amiata on one side and coastal winds coming from the opposite direction – but didn’t see major water stress in 2020. At Poggio di Sotto, Leonardo Berti commented that 2020 provided just the right quantity and quality of rain, falling at times that didn’t disrupt work in the vineyard.   The weather cooled off in late August, with rain falling at the end of the month. At Poggio di Sotto, they’ve been using a clay spray (zeolite) for several years – spraying the canopy to help protect the leaves against rain in the run-up to harvest, something Berti noted was particularly helpful in 2020. Lower-altitude sites saw more rain versus those higher up the region’s slopes. Cecilia Leoneschi explained how the diurnal shift in the final stage of the growing season was key to the vintage for her, allowing the fruit to ripen fully.   Mid-September saw heavier rain – and this provides a divide in terms of harvest dates, with some choosing to pick before and others after. At Poggio di Sotto, where harvest is always early, they started bringing fruit in around 4th September – relatively late for them, Berti explained, as the cooler August weather had slowed ripening by around a week. Nicola Vaglini reported a wave of warmer weather from 5th to 15th September, with rapid sugar accumulation in the grapes, and they started to harvest on 15th. At both Cerbaiona and Castiglion del Bosco, the harvest commenced on 20th September, while some producers – such as Casanova di Neri – held out even longer.   Cerbaiona’s Fioretti emphasised how important it was to manage yields in 2020, with it being all too easy to over-crop and have green tannins. Most producers agreed that multiple passes were essential this year. At Castiglion del Bosco, Leoneschi explained how even within the same plot they were harvesting vines up to 12 days apart – reflecting the stress of the season.  By early October, all the fruit was in the winery, and most producers said sorting was key – whether by hand or machine, to remove any sunburnt or shrivelled grapes, especially those that also may not have ripened fully.   The risk was potentially high alcohol and hard tannins, from the heat of the year. Extraction was a focus of winemakers’ efforts in the winery – being careful not to overwork the must. At Cerbaiona, Fioretti emphasised how a three-day cold soak helped bring out “the exuberance of the fruit”, and he kept the fermentation at a cool maximum of 26°C, moving it as little as possible, and taking it off the skins as soon as it was dry (after just seven to 10 days).   By contrast, Leonardo Berti opted for a long but gentle extraction – allowing the wine to stay on its skins for 50-55 days, only wetting the cap as needed during that period; an opposite approach to 2019 where he could pump over as much as he wanted, such was the phenolic ripeness. At Castiglion del Bosco, Leoneschi noted how she used bâtonnage to build complexity (not structure), stirring the fine lees after malolactic to create a fine and elegant, but not full wine.  For Berti (Poggio di Sotto), he kept their 2020 Brunello in cask for three years (the norm for them, two years is the legal minimum), while a vintage like 2019 spent an additional 10 months in wood. Many producers seemed to stick to the minimum 24 months in oak, wanting to capture the wines’ fruit and freshness as much as possible. Some feel that even that is too long – a sentiment echoed in other parts of Italy when it comes to cask ageing (such as Barolo), with producers suggesting that these minimum requirements are no longer compatible with the climate and style of wines being produced today.  Despite the heat, the 2020s seem to have surprised producers – offering more freshness than they might have expected. It is clear that the best are open and approachable wines, with plenty of fruit and freshness – although this isn’t consistent across the region.  For Fioretti, the vintage doesn’t quite reach greatness – the phenolics limiting it, not quite having the finesse of the best years. That said, the resulting wine is open and fruit-forward, with moderate, sweet tannins, giving great pleasure already; it is, as he says, “good to go” – a modest appraisal of a fantastic wine this year.  Berti at Poggio di Sotto describes 2020 as “a compromise between the elegance of 2018 and the power of 2019” – and more approachable than either. He thinks perhaps it’s closest to the legendary 2016, not quite as structured, but with more elegance and immediacy. Both Vaglini and Giacomo Neri (Casanova di Neri) suggested the vintage is a blend of 2015 and 2016, with finesse, elegance and expressive bouquets, as well as good acidity. Leoneschi echoed this, emphasising the precision and density of aromatics, but added that 2020 is a particularly terroir-driven year – one where site speaks louder than the producer.  The 2020 vintage doesn’t reach the absolute heights of a year like 2016, and it’s important to be selective. The best wines, however, have an immediate charm and elegance that – as Fioretti said – should not be underestimated. These are still serious wines. Giacomo Neri perhaps put it best, describing 2020 as “an underdog vintage” – one that is set to surprise people over the next two decades.  Explore all current 2020 Brunello di Montalcino listings or read more about Italy 

The epitome of fine Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino has rapidly become a staple for collectors. As the latest vintage is released, Sophie Thorpe caught up with some of the region’s top producers to dive into the 2020 growing season and the wines it produced 

We talk to top producers about the 2020 vintage in Brunello di Montalcino and the elegant, open wines the year produced 

Discover the 2020 vintage in Brunello di Montalcino 

Brunello di Montalcino 2020: vintage overview 

Matthews

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