Vintage Report 2008

The 2008 Burgundy Briefing Vintage Report considers the 2008 vintage on the Côte d’Or. It was a cold season in which the whites benefited from a brisk North wind in September, which concentrated both sugar and acidity.

The report has become a valuable tool for buying these expensive wines, but remans true its original concept to be an engaging insight into the region, aimed at those who wish to keep informed about Burgundy’s latest vintage and its people.

There are two vintage reports, one for red wine another for white, which follow a similar format. They include contributions from the growers and cover 28 pages in total. While not quite as comprehensive as the reports from 2009 onwards, at which point I expanded the village and vineyards section, but they cover the points below. I summarise first with a few key facts.

Vintage Vantage Point

  • The defining factors of the season which have shaped the wines.
  • Analysis: Considering sugar, acidity and tannins and how they are balanced.
  • How the vintage was handled in winery.
  • Style is considered with plenty of contributions from the growers.
  • Quality; my assessment and the growers’ opinions.
  • Vintage comparions.
  • Villages and vineyards: An overview of each of the principal villages on the Côte d’Or evaluating the style and quality. Homing in on some of the best performing premier and grand cru vineyards.
  • Ageing capacity and when to drink the wines.
  • Pricing and the market in and for Burgundy reflecting the growers’ perspective and my opinions.

Tasting Notes

The bulk of the report consists of approximately 275 pages of tasting notes with introductions to each domaine or negoce (97 visits). The wines were evaluated and those which stood out in each cellar have been marked with an asterisk.

Selection of favourite wines

A red and white ‘hit’ lists; my pick of the favourite wine from each cellar.

Terroir and Tasting with Guillaume d’Angerville

  • A walk though the vineyards of Domaine du Marquis d’Angerville in Volnay to consider the terroir.
  • A tasting of ten vintages of Clos des Ducs 1990, 1996 to 2004. Also a comparative tasting between 2007 and 2005 Volnay by tasting the premier crus Taillepieds, Fremiet, Champans and Clos des Ducs.

The report can be purchased for £55. It will be emailed as pdfs on receipt of payment via Paypal. If you wish to purchase it by cheque or by bank transfer, please contact me by email. The pdfs are sent manually, so please be patient if you do not receive it immediately, particularly in May, June and October when I am in Burgundy.