Burgundy | 2019 vintage
2019 was not a walk in the park for the large majority of Burgundy winemakers. Once again, the reason for this was unpredictable weather which could sometimes be hostile. It was a year of frost, drought, and a lot of excessive heat. Only an exacting winemaker (and one that possesses a little luck) would find great success with their 2019 vintage. Fortunately, the winemakers were able to harvest their grapes during favourable weather conditions, even if the yield was lower than average. Overall, the grapes were very healthy and of excellent quality. A good level of acidity, particularly in the Pinot varieties, found in this rather sunny vintage surprised the winemakers and tasters alike. This is down to the coolness of the nights and the widespread dew at the end of ripening. A more exacting and attentive viticulture also added quality. This was seen, in particular, at wineries that use organic and biodynamic methods, which allow them to obtain a more natural acidity in their grapes.
On the whole, the red wines seem somewhat superior to the whites. A little less “chubby” than the 2018 vintage, which could be guilty of a slight lack of tautness, the 2019 Pinot Noirs offer a beautiful fresh, concentrated wine, which is very fruity and more appealing than the 2018 when young. But their natural acidity means that they are perfect for keeping. There doesn't appear to be any qualitative differences between the Côte de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise. The wines possess the same qualities, which include supple tannins and fresh, seductive fruit flavours that seems to be a common theme among this vintage's Pinots.
With this type of sunny vintage, the white wines are always in more danger of being unbalanced than the reds. Once again, it was challenging work in the vineyard and in the cellar to avoid the pitfalls of creating white wines that lack tautness and have too little acidity (as they were in 2018). The Chardonnays from the top domains remain at a very high level, creating beautifully dense and fruity wines with enough freshness to preserve their wonderful drinkability.
