Burgundy 2009: the harvest comes in
Author: Jasper Morris MW
It has been a remarkably fine and easy to manage harvest in Burgundy.
The sun is still shining and the grapes are in. It wasn’t a doddle all summer long, mind you, as tricky weather conditions in the first half of July required careful management in the vineyard. But August was a perfect summer month, with day after day of warm sunny weather, without any exaggerated heat spikes, and though September was cooler and a little greyer, the rains held off and the crop was brought in.
Picking started in the Mâconnais from around 2nd September, in the Côte de Beaune from the 5th and a few days later in the Côte de Nuits. It continues in Chablis and the Auxerrois where they are still enjoying glorious sunshine.
I did two mornings’ picking as I try to do every year (see above) – Jean-Yves Devevey’s Beaune 1er cru les Pertuisots (in which I am a shareholder) and Lafon’s Le Montrachet (because I’m a snob). With dry ground below, a cool breeze above and healthy grapes all round it was much easier work than usual.
I also like to work on the sorting tables at various domaines, making sure that no sub-standard grapes get into any cuvées which we buy! This year there was hardly anything to do though. Nor was there a lot of discussion about the subtleties of the vintage as everybody had the same story to tell, the same smiles on their faces. It looks like being a decent sized crop, though drier summer conditions in the Mâconnais have reduced yields as there was precious little juice in the bunches. Sugar levels are where they should be everywhere, acidity either just right or sometimes a touch on the low side. There’s a feel of 1999 rather than 2005. Sounds good to me.
Jasper
This sounds very exciting. A novice’s question – how quickly will you know whether 2009 has the quality of either 1999 or 2005?
As it happens I have already tasted a few reds straight after they have fermented. It is always a sign that vignerons are pleased with what they have when they urge you to taste the new wine as early as this.
However I will not do any really systematic tastings until next autumn when the wines will have spent a year in barrel, prior to us offering them for the first time in January 2011.
By that stage we should have a real feel for exactly where 2009 stands in the quality stakes, and indeed the specific style of the vintage.
thanks Jasper. We will be following your reports closely!
Dear Jasper
I believe that everybody now is talking about this vintage will be next 59,79,90….even greater than 05,how would you say this harmless ‘rumor’?
I turly hope most of them can make thier wine as the epic of the decade.
Cheers
Mike
The wines are going to be lovely and almost certainly merit a ‘best of the decade’ quality rating – or they would if it were not for 2005 which happens to be in the same decade and for me is best of a lifetime.
Jasper
Hi Jasper.
A question from Denmark:Many of your fellow wine tasters talks about the problem of the wines maturing differently over the years(like -89).Do you also see this as a problem?
Christophe Perrot-Minot wrote in a letter to me,that the acid og his 2009 wines is better integrated with the fruit compared to his 2005.And he predicts,that the 2009 wines will be drinkable before the 2005´s…but also that his 2009´s will keep longer than his 2005,which sounds a little peculiar to me.What is your view on that ?
And a last question:Is the alcohol going to be a problem with the 2009´s over time ?
I was in Bouilland together with Peter and Elsebeth Winding in their house,where me and my wife had the privilege to meet your wife (you were unfortunately doing business in England)…but please give her our greetings…
Jesper Rosenqvist-Odense,Denmark.
Hi Jasper.
I forgot to ask you:When is your book about Burgundy wines going to be released…?
Jesper
It is really to early to say about 2009. I am going to reserve judgement until this autumn when I have had the opportunity to taste from all the producers we work with, and in most cases more than once. It is too difficult to form a relaible judgement until the malolactic fermentations are finished and the wines have had some time in barrel.
From what I have tasted so far, the wines are likely to be sumptuous. We will have to assess the balance of each wine: acidity levels are low, but tannisn and alcohol are also part of the mix.
My hunch is that the 2009s will be a delight to drink young, most will also age well, but not for as long as 2005.
Sorry not to have met you at Peter’s!
Jasper,
I have been enjoying “Inside Burgundy” now over the last three weeks. I was marveled by the parcel map of Le Montrachet as much of that information, I suspect is generally not open to the public.
I am curious about a particular parcel (AB 58) in Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts, originally belonging to Charles Noellat, and from what I believe, to now be owned by Leroy. I know that J.J. Confuron also has a .30 ha. section in this area but your book does not indicate actual ownership of Confuron in Beaux Monts. Is a section of AB 58 (2.36 ha.) being leased to them by Leroy or does Confuron actually have a holding there (in which case the parcel would be split)? Is there any way to determine how this lease division/split parcel looks like on a map?
Thank you for your time and for your insight into Burgundy!
John
I cannot give you a definite answer on this I am afraid, except to say that the Confuron holdings stem in large part from the Noellat family, so probably at some time the parcel of Beaux Monts was divided with one half going to Charles N. and thence to Leroy, the other half through marriage to JJ Confuron. Normally when this happens the cadastral map would show a split in the parcel and subsequent renumbering. Not sure if this helps!
I will advise if I find out more.