Burgundy Vintage

Question 1

Burgundy: 1971

Answer 1

Fine weather; some hail in the CdB. Excellent for across the board - full, concentrated.

Question 2

Burgundy: 1974, 1975

Answer 2

Total washout.

Question 3

Burgundy: 1976

Answer 3

Better than the preceeding vintages; hot summer, some drought. Reds are better than whites, which oxidized quickly.

Question 4

Burgundy: 1977

Answer 4

Rained out.

Question 5

Burgundy: 1978

Answer 5

Excellent quality, smaller crop. Great acidity and balance.

Question 6

Burgundy: 1979

Answer 6

Relatively temperate, troubled by severe hailstorms in Nuits, Vosne, and Chambolle. Better quality in the white wine appellations, concentrated and elegant.

Question 7

Burgundy: Great vintages of the 1970’s

Answer 7

1971
1976 (reds)
1978
1979 (whites)

Question 8

Burgundy: Disaster vintages of the 1970’s

Answer 8

1974, 1975, 1977

Question 9

Burgundy: 1980

Answer 9

Plagued by cold and damp early in the season; Cote de Nuits is much better, and the reds are juicy and vigorous. Whites show poorly.

Question 10

Burgundy: 1981

Answer 10

Troubled by hail and rain; thin, dilute.

Question 11

Burgundy: 1982

Answer 11

Huge crop; wines are soft and pleasant, but did not age very long.

Question 12

Burgundy: 1983

Answer 12

Hailstorms in Vosne and Champbolle, creating issues with rot; rich, ripe vintage all around. Whites are somewhat overbalanced; reds are better.

Question 13

Burgundy: 1984

Answer 13

Thunderstorms throughout and rain at harvest. Poor and underripe.

Question 14

Burgundy: 1985

Answer 14

Warm and very dry; Fine, ripe, vigorous wines.

Question 15

Burgundy: 1986

Answer 15

Tricky vintage; rain and rot. Whites are better, but not necessarily great.

Question 16

Burgundy: 1987

Answer 16

On again off again rain; ripeness was an issue.

Question 17

Burgundy: 1988

Answer 17

A large crop in a lean, very high acid vintage. Some reds are still coming around.

Question 18

Burgundy: 1989

Answer 18

Hot and dry, with just enough rain. Spectacularly rich whites; fruity and elegant reds.

Question 19

Burgundy: Great vintages of the 1980’s

Answer 19

1983 (reds)
1985
1989

Question 20

Burgundy: Poor vintages of the 1980’s

Answer 20

1981, 1984, 1987

Question 21

Burgundy: 1990

Answer 21

High sugar, high acid, high yield, high quality. Highly regarded across the board.

Question 22

Burgundy: 1991

Answer 22

Uneven weather with rain on and off, including at harvest. Variable.

Question 23

Burgundy: 1992

Answer 23

High yield, lower acidity; very good whites, early maturing, supple reds.

Question 24

Burgundy: 1993

Answer 24

Fine weather except for hail in Meursault and Puligny. Reds are ripe and very successful; whites are troubled.

Question 25

Burgundy: 1994

Answer 25

Rain at harvest diluted the crop. Whites are better than reds, but nothing is great.

Question 26

Burgundy: 1995

Answer 26

Small but excellent white crop; reds were lean and austere originally but are lovely now.

Question 27

Burgundy: 1996

Answer 27

Relatively cool but sunny and dry; pure, high acid wines.

Question 28

Burgundy: 1997

Answer 28

Hot and stormy vintage produced charming but early-maturing wines.

Question 29

Burgundy: 1998

Answer 29

Fat and relativley low acid whites; reds are stolid.

Question 30

Burgundy: 1999

Answer 30

Huge crop, early harvest. Powerful, charming, and balanced reds; ripe whites.

Question 31

Burgundy: Great vintages of the 1990’s

Answer 31

1990
1992 (whites)
1993 (reds)
1995
1996
1999

Question 32

Burgundy: Poor vintages of the 1990’s

Answer 32

1991, 1994, 1998

Question 33

Burgundy: 2000

Answer 33

Rain at harvest diluted the Pinot Noir but the Chardonnay did well. Excellent Chablis vintage.

Question 34

Burgundy: 2001

Answer 34

Wet and cloudy, with devastating hail in Bouzeron. Variable by producer.

Question 35

Burgundy: 2002

Answer 35

Excellent harvest with high quantity for whites. Reds are solid and charming, if early maturing.

Question 36

Burgundy: 2003

Answer 36

Heat wave, low yields. Some great wines by producer.

Question 37

Burgundy: 2004

Answer 37

Mostly cloudy and cool, with devastating hailstorms in the northern Cote de Beaune. Good but not great wines; whites in particular are relatively lean and angular.

Question 38

Burgundy: 2005

Answer 38

Perfect weather, much heralded vintage for reds; whites are opulent and perhaps a bit acid deficient.

Question 39

Burgundy: 2006

Answer 39

Cool and wet spring, heat wave July and warm fall. Pure, expressive reds; fleshy whites (late hang time lowered acidity).

Question 40

Burgundy: 2007

Answer 40

Warm spring, cool and dreary summer. Strict selection necessary. Good acidity in the whites. Reds are variable.

Question 41

Burgundy: 2008

Answer 41

Difficult vintage with hail in the northern Cote de Beaune, Marsannay, and Macon/Beaujolais. High sugar, high acidity. Wines are focused and pure; some whites more richly styled.

Question 42

Burgundy: 2009

Answer 42

Perfect weather, healthy, high quality. Akin to 2005.

Question 43

Burgundy: 2010

Answer 43

High quality but reduced yields (up to 30%). Wines are excellent and more firmly structured than 2009.

Question 44

Burgundy: 2011

Answer 44

Uneven weather, cold, rot. Difficult; whites are better, and reds are austere but coming around.

Question 45

Burgundy: 2012

Answer 45

Blighted by rot and erratic weather. Very small crop but the quality is good, if rather soft.

Question 46

Burgundy: 2013

Answer 46

Cold spring, summer rainstorms, and severe hail in the Cote de Beaune. Small but balanced crop.

Question 47

Burgundy: 2014

Answer 47

Warm spring, cool, damp summer. Exceptional whites with great acidity; reds are on the lighter side.

Question 48

Burgundy: 2015

Answer 48

Fine, warm weather; richer, riper wines than 2014, with lower acidity. Devastating hail in Chablis.