Burgundy 2023 Vintage Review

Burgundy 2023 Vintage Review

Burgundy 2023 En Primeur: A Dynamic Duo

It’s a pleasure to present our 2023 Burgundy En Primeur report. Andrew and I were once again delighted to return to Burgundy (visiting the Côte d’Or and the Mâconnais), as well as taking new Private Client Team member, Ronald Buchanan, on his maiden voyage to the region, to get to grips with the latest release. It is an experience we never take for granted; a moment in time where we are incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunity to taste direct from the barrel, discussing openly and at length with producers about all their hard work and strategies in both the vineyard and cellar, over the last 12 months.

Following a return to good fortune with generous yields in 2022, the 2023 vintage is just as abundant in terms of quantity, and more importantly, quality. Unsurprisingly, there were many quiet smiles from producers during our tastings, and upon initial impressions, 2023 has produced a dynamic duo, where charming white and red have been crafted. We always ask as if the vintage can be compared as a reference point for our customers, though producers are reluctant to do so, as they truly are unique. However, Nicolas Rossignol from Domaine Rossignol-Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin kindly discussed the vintage in depth with us, and stated that 2023 was “similar to 2021 yet with more structure, and also like 2017 but with less spice… these are open and approachable wines but will also age very well too.”

What we found in the glass brought a smile to our faces (the very same smiles adorned by the vignerons); the resulting wines are juicy, luscious, and are brimming with energy and vibrancy. As already mentioned, 2023 saw an improvement in yields and returned to more normal levels of around 30-35 hectolitres for many producers. However, in some instances such as Domaine Faiveley, a staggering 50-60 hectolitres were produced in certain appellations. You could contribute this to a bumper crop, as for certain producers interestingly the weight of berries in 2023 were 50% more than average, as Caroline Parent-Gros of Domaine AF Gros told us that the “normal weight of a berry is roughly 90g and in 2023 it was 180g… so we not only had a lot of grapes to bring in, but large bunches of grapes too. During the harvest, a full truck (carrying 50 cases), travelled to the winery every thirty minutes! To put this into perspective, it was one truck every one hour and thirty minutes in the 2024 harvest.” On the other hand, producers such as Domaine Chanson purposely kept yields low (22-hectolitres) as is always their policy, despite being able to produce much more.

As there is an abundance of wine in the cellars throughout the Côte d’Or for sale this Primeur campaign, we had hoped for price reductions on the 2023s. Nevertheless, we know that for next year’s campaign (with the 2024 vintage), there will be significant reductions in availability with some producers telling us they have lost between 10-20% in the Côte de Beaune, and 50-80% in Chablis and the Côte de Nuits, of their crop respectively. As such, there is a mixed bag of pricing strategies from vignerons; some have reduced prices, others have kept them the same as last year, and others, sadly have increased to curtail what is coming down the line 12 months from now. We have therefore been more discerning than ever in our recommendation policy. When tasting En Primeur we are looking for true expression; that of terroir, balance, structure, purity, and harmony. Above all, we search for wines we truly believe in and feel represent value for money and stand out in the crowd.

 

Vintage and growing conditions

January, February, and March were all mild and dry, where March saw adequate levels of rainfall to replenish the water table reserves. The risk of frost is always at the forefront of producers’ minds; arriving at the end of March and into early April, though thankfully came to pass with little damage. Bud-break ensued around 10th April and vignerons across the whole of Burgundy breathed a sigh of relief: mon dieu!

As Spring arrived, the warmer weather continued and improved with temperatures rising towards the end of May. Flowering progressed rapidly and evenly, completing in early June under superb conditions and the prospect of a large, homogenous crop was on the horizon. Producers were starting to crack a smile…

Although June remained warm and dry - it was in fact the hottest month on record since 2003 - there were some intermittent and localised storms, with vineyards suffering various levels of damage. Although rain was much needed to support vine growth (some hydric stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing), when combined with warmer temperatures then disease pressure such as powdery mildew, was a real cause for concern. Thankfully, it was swiftly and appropriately dealt with by producers.

However, to limit future disease pressure many vignerons decided to act and de-leaf in July to maximise canopy ventilation, whilst maintaining sufficient cover so grapes did not burn. There is debate on when (or if) to implement this technique, as some argue doing it too early allows grapes to develop overly thick skins, whereas others avoid it as much as possible, if not at all. Caroline Parent-Gros falls in the latter camp and informed us “Mathias and I took the decision not to de-leaf as primarily we wanted to avoid having berries with thicker skins… instead, we were prepared to work harder in the vineyards to maintain their health and balance. Ultimately, this worked to our advantage when the heatwaves arrived later in the season, as the grapes had perfect coverage and were in great condition.

Another fraught subject, green harvesting, was undertaken by many Domaines, removing fruit from the vines to reduce potential yield, thus focusing on less but better-quality grapes. July was beautiful until the middle of the month when more high humidity, localised storms, and temperature peaks occurred. August began with cooler than normal temperatures and flutters of panic began to spread regarding ripeness levels. Suddenly, smiles started to fade from their faces. Nevertheless, a five-day heatwave in mid-August settled nerves, albeit followed by another cool spell, and small bouts of rain.

At the end of August, some producers in the Côte de Beaune started to pick as usual. However, the majority in both the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits decided to wait, and Mother Nature was kindly on their side. Another heatwave arrived on September 6th with temperatures rising and staying well over 40°C for over a week, permitting full physiological and phenolic ripeness. Many producers picked from 6th September right throughout the month, and in some instances, into early October. The smiles were back, and in abundance. Of course, the decision to pick is always dependent on vineyard management, house style, as well as winemaker preferences.

 

Whites: our vintage score 8 / 10

A good vintage that has created vibrant, racy, and energetic wines with an emphasis on green, citrus, and white stone fruit. We believe the best value is found at both Village and Premier Cru levels from Claudie Jobard, Saumaize-Michelin, as well as Sylvain Bzikot, regardless of appellation. These wines will drink upon release giving immediate pleasure thanks to their tension, focus, and vivacity. However, for those who prefer their whites with a few years under bottle, they will age for the short-to-mid-term.

Reds: our vintage score 8.5 / 10

Also a good vintage that has produced juicy, luscious, and charming wines combining summer berry and in places, darker hedgerow fruit. Again, we feel the best value is to be found at Village and Premier Cru levels from Ambroise, AF Gros, and Rossignol-Trapet, regardless of appellation. These wines will provide great pleasure and drinkability in youth due to the fantastic fruit purity and silky tannins; that will also give them the potential to age well, mid-term in the cellar.

 

Do read our full vintage report; full of the key facts of their holdings and winemaker’s comments on the vintage, as well as our producer notes, highlighting their news over the last year.

If you would like to discuss options further, please call me in the office on 01325 776446, where I will be happy to guide you through the vintage.

 

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