Burgundy 2019

~ 2019 Vintage Report ~

by Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW

That the past twelve months have been anything but normal is an understatement with which we are all familiar but, for us, the lack of travel has raised challenges previously not contemplated, such as how to taste the hundreds of young wines which a primeur offer demands, both so we can make our assessment on the vintage in general and for the specifics of each wine from each grower. We have been incredibly lucky that the majority of our Burgundy growers, some of whom are truly tiny, were prepared to send samples of their unfinished wines. Previously this would have been unthinkable because of the risk of spoilage but, when the alternative was being left behind, it became the logical option. Bottles of every shape and size arrived, from full bottles to halves, from quarters to 5cls, including some which looked as if they were straight out of a hospital lab, and, to a wine, they were stunning. It made us think: if samples which had been subjected to rapid courier delivery could taste so good, it clearly indicated a superlative vintage. And it is indeed just that.

~ click here for our Burgundy 2019 offer ~

The 2019 Growing Season:

The winter of 2018 - 2019 was unusually warm and dry, some 2oC above average, with February notably warmer than usual; there were no significant periods of cold, which meant that the vines were well advanced by April. Two cold spells in April brought separate waves of frost and put a welcome brake on the precocious growth, bringing it almost back into line with the average. The early April frost was focused on Chablis and the southern part of Burgundy, hitting the Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and reaching as far as Chassagne and St Aubin, with some significant damage to the developing vines, followed by another episode on 15th April, hitting the Côte de Beaune again and the area around Premeaux Prissey, south of Nuits St Georges. April was generally rainy, replenishing the water levels, and from then on the weather was fine and dry, with two notable heatwaves, one at the end of June and the second at the end of July, when Chevrot recorded a high of 42.9oC in their Comme Dessus vineyard in Santenay. In terms of light, Faiveley recorded 30% more sunlight than in an average year. The April rains were seen as a game changer, allowing the vines to continue growing and maturing without suffering from the heat, as they had done to a greater or lesser degree in 2018; for this reason, both Erwan Faiveley and Jérôme Flous, winemaker at Faiveley, feel that 2019 has the edge over 2018. Flowering was drawn out over a fortnight under mixed weather, with some poor fruit set adding to losses from frost and subsequent drought.

Harvest dates were around the norm, with most starting in mid-September; had the early spring chill not slowed things down, it would have been a different story. Yields were, however, impacted by the hot, dry growing season, with many growers bringing in up to half their normal crop; the compensation being that the 2019 fermentations were quick and clean, easy to manage – as Pablo Chevrot said ‘sometimes, easy is good’ – and welcome after the 2018 fermentations which, particularly for the whites, were sluggish with many not starting malolactic until the late spring or early summer. As ever in a sunny year, the management of the red fermentations will dictate the tannins and structure of the wine; Faiveley found themselves reducing the amount of time on skins as the colours and tannins came through quickly, particularly as the skins were not as thick as in 2018 – another benefit of the April rains – yet their wines are extraordinarily deeply coloured. Once again, the premiers and grands crus have performed spectacularly, with their poorer soils forcing the vines to dig deep and therefore access water, whilst the village and generic appellations were less successful, with many vines struggling with the heat. Chablis, whose defining feature is mineral freshness, risks losing its identity in a hot year, becoming more like a Côte d’Or Burgundy, and there was concern that this might be the case in 2019; happily, upon tasting it was clear that there were excellent levels of acidity as a result of the heat-induced concentration, and the wines have a beautiful zip of freshness behind their charismatic Chardonnay fruit.

In terms of style, the reds are incredibly ripe yet fresh, with very attractive fleshy red fruits and significant ripe tannic structures behind; these are wines which will age long and well. For the whites, initially they gave little away but after several months in barrel they have developed and put on weight, becoming more vibrant and alive and, in many cases, destined for a longer life than their 2018 counterparts; Jérôme Flous believes that, paradoxically, very ripe Chardonnay gives long lived wines, particularly if they have the racy acidity of the 2019s, and cites their 2003s, broad but beautifully balanced, as a case in point. This bodes well indeed for the 2019s!

Market Conditions:

Despite the disturbed year, global appetite for Burgundy has not diminished, and with small yields – around 30 hectolitres per hectare at best for the whites (less for Olivier Lamy), with slightly better results for the reds – the pressure on 2019 stocks will be correspondingly strong. Prices have remained constant or risen slightly to reflect the short harvest, and, with the additional shipping costs around Brexit, under bond prices have had to rise too. Most growers can sell their premiers and grands crus several times over and more and more are insisting on a ratio between generic and villages wines and their crus which is something which will be reflected in our own allocations of the top wines.

To discuss the vintage, learn more about the wines and for help in preparing your wish list, please call us on 01353 721 999 or contact your usual salesperson using the details on our team page.

The Burgundy 2019 vintage will be offered in bond and will be shipped in the spring and autumn of 2021.

Please let us know at the time of ordering if you would like to store your wines with Private Cellar Reserves LLP or take delivery of the wines Duty Paid.