The 2013 Burgundy vintage

Friends,

Just had 2 ECHEZEAUX 2013 yesterday and both were ready and utterly enjoyable. The Anne Gros (93p) was more profound than I expected it to be when I tasted it in barrel in 2015. Anne Gros’ wines always seem lighter at that stage then they eventually turn out to be. DELICIOUS it was. Slightly even more profound was the BOCQUENET version. (95p) Ultimate proof, if stilll needed, of the brilliance of this former winemaker whose last vintage was 2015. It made us decide to have a deeper tasting of 2013 ECHEZEAUX with apart from the 2 domaines mentioned before also MILLOT, LAMARCHE, ARNOUX-LACHAUX and Vicomte Liger-Belair. Peter CHIU, if you were in Belgium at the beginning of March then I would be honoured if you could join.

SINCERELY JOHAN

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Friendqs,

My point was that, if representative, then the 2013 vintage may turn out much better than expected. We’ll have further tastings and not only ECHEZEAUX…
SINCERELY JOHAN

Thank you Johan. I’ve been wondering about the vintage but have not opened any. Don’t really play at GC level but I have some village and premiers I’ll look at.

I like 13 a lot; Rousseau 13 cdlr was fabulous a few months ago.

Johan,

I’m glad you enjoyed the wine. For me, the fact that a nine year old grand cru from a top maker is “ready” is, if not an indictment of the vintage, a big neon sign exclaiming, “TASTY, BUT NOT LONG LIVED VINTAGE.”

Tasty, but not long lived is fine, but not what many of us made case purchases for. So funnily enough, your note makes me more likely to sell, rather than buy 2013 burgundy. Your experience mirrors mine, albeit with lesser wines.

But for those who would like to buy/open/drink a good burg now, I think it’s super-helpful. Thank you.

I’m not convinced the vintage won’t be long lived. The wines are still primary imo.

I think 13 is a good burgundy vintage, just lighter in body than every vintage around it except for 11. It’s probably most similar to 06-08 than any vintage in the 2010-2020 range.

My note:

2013 Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche

More Rousseau than CDLR but Rousseau purity, sappiness, and complexity and super long finish. Took about an hour to really hit its stride. Some beautiful red fruits and extreme elegance

I had a 13 Mugnier Amoureuses last year and that blew me away. I echo the comments that 13 doesn’t feel like a super long lived vintage, but it tastes more classic and maybe suits certain villages and producers

I never understood the antipathy toward this vintage.

Used the opportunity to buy better wines than I can normally acquire. I only wish I had gone even deeper on 2013.

Plus 1

Never a great fan of the vintage, I prefer 12 and 14.
However what I’ve tasted over the last year, GC toVillage, was nowhere near “ready” … wondering what is “ready” for some …accessable, drinkable, even enjoyable , maybe yes … but ready ???

No …

(ready means fully mature, on apogee … right?)

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I agree with Gerhard, I have enjoyed some 2013 reds in the last year, but IMHO not really ready yet.

Same here. Plenty of wines got discounted, and were good buys. Same with 14 a year later.

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Wow…Johan. I am honour for your invitation [cheers.gif] . I seldom traveled now [head-bang.gif] and I will take a rain-check.

I am with Michael here - in general about the character of vintage 2013 red.

Beside my above statement - I would like to offer some general comments : enjoyment of red Burgundy wines. I sensed some are suggesting that any burgundy wine lovers…should not open any g-crus until one is sure that the wine is ready or matured .

It may make sense.

BUT…here is the hard part : If I owned more than a case of 12 bs ( or for me normally 14 bottles) of the same g-cru. Why should I …not open it ? If I do not open a bottle at an interval of let say : 5, 7, 9 and 11 and so on…how do I know ?

Once in a while, I buy 26 bottles…so I open a bottle at age 4 to 5…then at least 1 bottle each year or 1 bottle each 6 months.

Matt Kramer used to say : if you wish to know a wine, one needs to have 12 bottles of the same wine.

Plus 2 - I enjoying my 2013 ( at all levels ) and 214 ( also at all levels ) - now. I am not touching any 2018 red yet …and none for 2019 red yet .

I did not mean not to buy any 2013s when a bargain … (I only would prefer a 2012 or 2014 at the same price) -
I also do not mean not to open any 2013s just to try, especìally when having a dozen bottles …
I just mean it’s misleading to call them “ready” … most better wines are not (imho) … imagine someone opens a bottle due to that call … and is heavily disapointed …

Gerhard…thanks for the your comments and I always treasure them. I do not always buy any g-crus for more than a case of 12. Since vintage 2010…I stay with Corton red for most of my purchase for g-cru. In other words…I do not own any Ech at all from vintage 2013.

I agree with you that it is often a risk of opening a bottle which may let to heavily disappointing. Hence i try to avoid it by checking on it…periodically BUT…it is not an easy call. Reading TNs posted here…will guide me.

I did do some pair comparative pair tasting of the same wine from 2013 and 2014. Here I am with it that I prefer 2014.

Another points…I live in Quebec, Canada - it is very difficult to back-fill old vintage red Burgundy due to the Customs.

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Peter,
I´m sorry for your customs situation in Canada, it was probably as bad in Austria before we joined the EC in 1995.
That´s why I started to go to France anually in 1988.

It´s neither possible nor necessary to stock 12+ bottles of each wine and cru, I´m no millionaire … and often there are not that many bottles available for a private customer …
but I can quite well conclude from one vintage to a similar one, from one cru to another, from one producer and style to another … and from a barrel sample to a bottled wine … that doesn´t exclude surprises both positive and negative, but it´s certainly better that a crystal ball
flirtysmile

Gerhard…thanks for your additional comments. I know that you went to France quiet often since we were posters way back in Parker/Board and I am always interested in reading about TNs for the all tastings - specially about Musigny - in the good old days.

Your comments bought me back some memory. So I dig keep and checked and the found the following ( or similar text ) which was part of a post back in ParkerB in the early part of the 2000s in which we talked about the following subject ( and got me into buying more g-cru).

Burgundy Hierarchy - Is Grand Cru always best and When to open it for your enjoyment ? Hierarchy had been firmly established since the mid 1930s for many reasons. But will CLASS always rules ? So…in a way : To answer the question - Is Grand Cru always best ? One needs to know : What is the meaning of YOUR * best ? Who is to judge which is best ?

I firmly believe there are two basic important facts in enjoyment of burgundy : (1) Buy wines from your favorably producers ( and if money is not one of the important factor in your buying decision - buy his top wines in his portfolio; and then (2) When to open the bottle for enjoyment !

People often said and expressed : why open it ? Is it *ready" ? For me, personally , the right answer to the question of when to open the bottle …should be answered by another question : what is the purpose for you to open the bottle ?

I want to post the above as we seldom have different opinions about red burgundy wines [pillow-fight.gif] !!