With yields in some appellations surpassing all those since 1982, our recent trip to Beaune for En Primeur tastings provided invaluable insight into what is shaping up to be an extremely exciting campaign.
Returning from a jam-packed week of visits in Burgundy always requires a moment of decompression, not least thanks to the sensory overload of assessing so many of the world’s truly great wines in quick succession. Given the respite granted by a reasonably generous 2022 it was gratifying to see many of our growers proudly display a full flight of excellent wines once again in 2023, even if their thoughts were understandably somewhat drawn to its quantitively challenging successor.
Cru is delighted to work with a tremendously extensive range of producers spanning much of the Côte-d'Or and as such travelled the length and breadth of the world’s most famous fine wine region to paint a picture of both individual appellations, and the vintage as a whole. In short, we are excited by a large number of these wines which in particular display two things; the hierarchy of terroir and skill of the winemakers.
The Hierarchy of Terroir
Regarding the former, we found 2023 to be a vintage in which the classification of crus is played out to perfection. The delineation of magnitude, depth and intensity across many growers’ ranges was such a joy to experience as we moved through irresistibly joyful Bourgogne, delightfully idiosyncratic Villages, gossamer-like 1ers Crus and finally to the operatic Grands Crus. Vintages like 2023 are without question the foundations of Burgundy’s well-deserved reputation as the epicentre for terroir-specific winemaking.
The Skill of the Winemakers
To the latter, a vintage such as 2021 or 2024 naturally limits the choices open to a winemaker through factors including low-yields and the need to apply certain treatments to combat adverse conditions. 2023 did nothing if not give growers a plethora of options with which to apply their own personal styles and philosophies in the vineyard and winery. It was fascinating to hear that quite radically different approaches had been taken in the face of tremendous yields and generous summer heat.
Simon Follin-Arbelet in Aloxe-Corton, for instance, recognised early that in order to preserve concentration at harvest yields would have to controlled so pruned incredibly aggressively and picked comparatively early. The talented Cyprien Arlaud, conversely, preferred to adjust his vines through the season completing a remarkable two full green harvests and picking slightly later than is his norm. The results were wines at Follin-Arbelet described as similar to 2019, yet Arlaud considered 2020 an apt comparison – significantly different! Both, however, shared a delicious signature of the vintage behind their styles.
The Reds
More broadly speaking with regards to the reds, the wines possess a certain crispness and crunch intermingled with moreish juiciness thanks to the abundant vintage. They showed very well from barrel, being neither too imposing nor thin and lacking material. We would advise against, however, being fooled by this early approachability into thinking the 2023 Pinot Noirs of the Côte-d'Or won’t last the distance in cellars. Parallels with 2017 were mentioned by several producers, a vintage hailed as quaffable on release which is now showing a much more serious side to its pedigree with a few years in bottle. As with many great fine wines, there will be a balance to be struck between catching the juicy primary red fruits of Bourgogne and Villages level wines, some of which are indeed utterly delicious especially in 2023, and setting aside the shimmering potency of 1ers and Grands Crus bottling for a little while longer.
The Whites
2023 is a particularly successful vintage for the whites of the Côte de Beaune in our eyes, it may even rank as a future classic of the decade. Almost universally, the wines possess a remarkable texture which suggests the use of bâtonnage, the process of stirring lees in a barrel, yet very few went through the process. Those that did received a very limited regiment as producers are keen to avoid both oxidative stress and any overbearing signatures that hinder clarity of fruit. Instead, the 2023 Chardonnays are crystal-clear and precise with a delicious oiliness that proves totally mouth-coating. Whilst tasting through the truly remarkable wines of Céline Fontaine at Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard, she remarked that never before had she experienced a vintage in which the wines changed so dramatically throughout their élevage. From one week to the next her wines morphed from tropical to orchid fruits, open to closed and so on, suggesting that when bottled and allowed to unwind they will possess legendary complexity and longevity. A large number of our releases will be worth serious consideration.
Pricing and Allocations
With regards to pricing and allocations, we are tentatively hopeful given reports from most growers that increases in the former are unlikely. Many in the region convey an ardent desire for their wines to remain accessible to true lovers of Burgundy and certainly do not take their position as the world’s most in-demand fine wine region for granted. Allocations, however, are in some cases also unlikely to increase despite the availability of wine in 2023. Many will be aware that 2024 has been extremely quantitively challenging for much of Burgundy, especially in Chablis where a few smaller growers will sadly produce no wine at all. With this in mind, intentions to keep some portion of 2023 in reserve to offer next year have been expressed. As always, we will do our utmost to secure our collector’s requirements wherever possible.
Following a less regimented schedule of releases than Bordeaux En Primeur, please do look out for an exciting array of releases over the next few months.
