I would guess that there is a break in the perceptions of Burgundy drinkers based upon when they began drinking the wines from the region. A YMMV factor.
Long term Burgundy drinkers, or even newer ones with significant experience drinking wines from the previous century would be more accustomed to higher acids and lower alcohols than someone who began drinking the wines post 2001 vintage. My formative vintages were late-80s into the 90s. Capped by 1996 heralded as a truly great vintage,which may have been overplayed at the time.
As Jasper noted, early(August) harvests were 1 in 100, prior to 2000. 4 of 6 in the most recent vintages and 7 of 20 beginning in 2001. And that doesnāt include 2002, 2005, 2006, or 2009. All vintages that were either optimal or warmer as well.
For me, most vintages since 2001 seem to have considerably more fruit available early in the wines life than I remember from early on in my Burgundy experience, with 1990 a possible exception. Even the charming early on 1999 vintage lacked the weight I see in many of the younger Burgundies I drink these days.
Oh, itās certainly subjective. Iām just some random chump on the internet!
There are certain people who love 2018s and theyāre not wrong - I just think we differ stylistically. Some of the 2018 Cote de Nuits wines I tasted were the most open barrel samples of Burgundy Iāve ever had, and I had one producer compare the vintage to 2003. I certainly havenāt been drinking Burgundy as long as you have Marcus, so your perspective will be different, but I started drinking seriously more around 2007/2008. That said, I definitely fall on the higher acid/lower alcohol/less oak side of the spectrum, so for me the 18s were pretty hot. I opened a bottle of 2018 1er from a producer I typically buy over a case every year and I though it was some of the better California Pinot Iāve had in a while.
I donāt mean to suggest all 2018s will be hot overripe 2003s - I think winemakers are far more prepared today to deal with the challenges of warmer weather and other adverse conditions than they were in 2003 (certainly most producers are picking early). However, as much as I like the story of Burgundy, Iām also a consumer and donāt have cellar door allocations - Iām a retail consumer. And for me, other than a few producers Iām very confident can handle the heat, 2018 is a pass. Thatās the great thing about wine - thereās always next year.
Interesting post Greg
I am probably a little bit more upbeat on 2018 than you, while definitely finding that it didnāt work for some - perhaps even many (though at this stage I am more in the āsomeā camp).
But hereās a nuance. You said āAnd for me, other than a few producers Iām very confident can handle the heat, 2018 is a pass.ā I am not sure how to determine who can handle the heat and who cannot. But certainly it did work for some and less for others, so the nuance for me is to find those for whom the heat of 2018 is proving not to be an issue. Amongst that group, some will have had more difficulty in 2019.
Jasper, obviously you taste far more widely than I do, so Iām sure you have a better view on the vintage. (I donāt really need to write that for people to know it, lol )
There are some producers on which Iāll read notes from reviewers (not so much for points but for style guidance), some producers whose wines I hope to taste before buying, but mostly I will just have to take a view regarding styles and how I think they would adapt to a hotter vintage (i.e., if they tend to favor more extraction already, Iām not sure that will favor 2018). I could be absolutely wrong, of course, and miss out on some wonderful wines - I just had a terrific 2011, which shows that talented winemakers make great wines in tough vintages. But I would rather miss out than have wines in my cellar that I donāt want to drink, and I think in 2018 that risk is higher than usual. (Not unlike 2011 - there are some excellent wines, but I wouldnāt be thrilled with a cellar full of 2011s either.) If Burgundy were cheaper, Iād probably have a different view, but thereās a lot of month left at the end of the money sometimes.
I will also add, as many already have - thank you for your impressions on the vintage - and Iāve been enjoying your rundown of the various parts of Burgundy on YouTube very much.
Sorry that it didnāt come across this way, but my post was in agreement with you.
My sampling of 2018 Burgundy is not large, but the vintage comes across as being a vintage where making lighter bodied, elegant wines will take work from the viticulturalist and cellar rather than just going with the flow. Which is perhaps a nice way of saying that I am restricting my purchasing to producers that I feel do well in warm vintages.
I used the quotes to get both views, hot and not. And while you may only have been drinking Burgundy since the 2000s, my point is still that things in Burgundy are most definitely warmer these days than last century.
I enjoy your posts quite a bit, and you rarely come across as a chump. Your point about 1er Cru Burgundy tasting like California, jibes with the August picking dates of the vintage.
I donāt see myself buying much in the way of 2018 Burgundy at the present time. First, they are frightfully expensive in the US with the tariff and all. Much better value to go back and buy earlier vintages. Second, I usually go to the Paulees in NY in March to taste a vintage widely (and sometimes go to Burgundy). I donāt usually go to SF for their turns (2018 will be in SF) and esp. donāt see myself going to SF under current circumstances (or even to NYC). Third, with the heat of the vintage (even Jasper said āBut certainly it did work for some and less for others, so the nuance for me is to find those for whom the heat of 2018 is proving not to be an issue.ā), I donāt see myself buying much unless I get to taste some someplace. Fourth, I am now 65 and cutting back on Burgundy purchases anyway - at least the more expensive ones that take a long time to mature. These days, with a cellar full of Burgundy, something has to convince me to buy a wine, not to not buy a wine. Less likely give 2.
Visiting Beaune next week, and current forecasts are for 100 for 1-2 days, imagine everyone is going to start picking once back from their August holidays.
It has not been to hot in the daytime, until today, and this week is forecast to be mostly hot, but dropping next week (unless that has changed). If its stays consistently hot that sometimes blocks the ripening.
Nights have indeed remained blessedly cool
There is a general feeling in the Willamette Valley that the viness shut down if there are many days with temps higher than 95F. I donāt know if that holds true for irrigated areas like the Columbia Valley. And my personal feeling is that it might be better said that many plants will shut down if temps are much above 95F.
Do you know if the vignerons there feel that there is a correllation between cool nights and acidity in the fruit?
I didnāt think we were disagreeing! I just tend to caveat my posts when I judge an entire vintage, especially when Jasper and William post on these threads. I tasted at some domaines in barrel, but Iām not a wine critic, just someone with his own palate preferences. For all I know, the wines will all turn out superbly (though I doubt it). It also always slightly worries me to pan an entire vintage when these are winemakers whom Iāve visited and who need to sell wines to make a living, though I suppose in Burgundy I donāt feel too bad about that - I donāt think my negative view on a vintage will affect Burgundy sales
I do agree with you, that wines over the past 20 years (I did a fair amount of backfilling when I started out) have gained more heft, though I suspect this is also in part to changing stylistic preferences. The switch at chez Faiveley is a notable sign of this - whereas the old wines were monolithic (a 93 Les St. Georges a friend brought to dinner on Thursday felt much younger than its nearly 30 years), the new wines feel to me made to a California palate - lots of oak and extraction. Other producers like Gouges have recently moved in a very similar direction. I think climate has certainly contributed to this, but I donāt think itās the only factor.
I also agree with you about picking dates - I thought even in 15, which was widely hailed as a phenomenal vintage, there were some producers that picked too late and produced wines that reminded me of Syrah. A similar mistake in 2018 will be far more drastic, I think. I havenāt broached 18s whites from my favorite producers yet (other than one bottle of Rollin Sous Fretile), but have one on deck and am curious to see how that goesā¦though I also bought sparingly for whites as well.
Iām loving this thread, primarily because Iāve not heard any negativity about 2018 until just now, and quite a few seem to have a somewhat negative opinion on it. 2020 sounds like it will be much more ideal, and likely not subject to dispute on quality and results.
From a vigneron in Gevrey:
āEverything is fine for us, holidays for the moment. Harvest will start around the 27th of august, everything looks good for an other nice vintage!ā
![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
(I donāt really need to write that for people to know it, lol 
)
