Burgundy 2014: lovely reds, stellar whites

As ‘Burgundy Week’ comes to an end, there has been plenty of praise for the whites of 2014 – but also calls to not forget the reds.

The main topic of conversation for the 2014 Burgundy vintage has been the quality of the white wines, “the best in a generation” for certain producers Berry Bros & Rudd’s fine wine director, Max Lalondrelle, told the drinks business.

He continued that stylistically it was, “more of a fresh mineral rather yellow and fat vintage, with some lovely wine from Mâcon to Chablis with the latter having done exceptionally well.”

Don’t forget the reds though, advised Corney & Barrow’s fine wine director, Will Hargrove. He told db: “People seem to be focusing on the whites (on a par with 2010 and other top vintages) but, as ever, this is Burgundy and it s not wise to generalise. If the whites weren’t outstanding then I think there would be more focus on the fact that many reds are lovely.”

Renaissance Vintners’ Joss Fowler added that though the reds were being “touted as early drinkers”, he had a feeling they would keep well. “[They have] More fruit and more weight than 2013. No sharp edges,” he said.

There didn’t appear to be any appellations that stood out in particular although the Côte de Nuits’ reds were judged marginally superior and slightly more plentiful due to the hail which hammered parts of the Côte de Beaune on 8 June.

A few merchants tipped Chassagne as a particular sweet spot, Giles Cooper of Bordeaux Index noted: “For whites, Chassagne was right at the top with the grands crus of Bâtard and Chevalier delivering immense quality. Further down the scale both Savigny and Pernand-Vergelesses have produced their best wines for many, many years.”

It’s the third year in a row with a hail-reduced crop and so there has been some pressure on prices (up 2%-5% said Hargrove).

On the other hand, Lalondrelle noted: “Prices are slightly up to cover the shortage of wines but due to a most favourable exchange rate we have been able to pass the saving to the customers and maintain similar prices to last year.”

Looking ahead quickly, it looks as if the 2015 vintage will return a more ‘normal-sized’ crop.

Interest from buyers themselves has also been positive too. “Interest at all levels,” Hargrove reported. “ I would say steady and good interest rather than a mad scramble.”

Lalondrelle said: “We have had a good response so far and are tracking ahead of last year but as ever the first two weeks of our campaign is mainly grand and premier crus so the success will be measured further down the line! But Burgundy always works as we have a good following.”

Philippa Wright, marketing director at Goedhuis, reported: “We started our campaign early in December with a pre-release of Chablis, followed by two Côte de Beaune producers (Marc Colin and Jean-Philippe Fichet) which resulted in many cuvées already being sold out.

“In addition, since the release of our full offer on Tuesday, we have seen demand for reds matching that for whites. It is wonderful to see the demand back in abundance for white Burgundy, something we have not seen for a number of years. Customers are really engaging with producers and vineyards. A vintage like 2014 has brought the passion back for areas like Chablis, St Aubin and Chassagne, which we feel have excelled in 2014.”