Vintage Report 2009

The 2009 Burgundy Briefing Vintage Report is an in-depth assessment of the 2009 vintage on the Côte d’Or. The sunny conditions produced beguiling wines. It was hard to make a bad wine in 2009, but the style will vary according to harvest date and work in the cellar.

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 comprehensive vintage reports, one for red wine another for white, which follow a similar format. They include plenty of contributions from the growers and hence cover 33 pages, however 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 lieux-dits as well as premier and grand cru vineyards, highlighting the best performing.
  • Ageing capacity and when to drink the wines.
  • Pricing and the market in and for Burgundy, reflecting the growers’ perspective

Tasting Notes

The bulk of the report consists of approximately 250 pages of tasting notes with introductions to each domaine or negoce (90 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.

Older Vintages

As usual I like to include some vertical flights of premier cru to consider how past vintages are developing and when it is best to drink them.

  • The highlight for the reds this year was a tasting of Maison Joseph Drouhin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Procès 1998 to 2004.
  • Also tasted was a flight at Domaine Forey, Père et Fils, Vosne Romanèe 1999 to 2008.
  • There are occasional older vintages tasted to compare and contrast with 2009 for example Domaine Georges and Christophe Roumier, Chambolle Musigny, Les Cras 2002 and 2005.

The report can be purchased for £65. 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.