En primeurs lack volume

Shocking 2008 summer weather in Burgundy has resulted in environmentally-conscious Burgundian producers encountering a dramatic loss in volume for its 2008 en primeur campaign.

Concern over the vintage conditions were voiced at the 2008 Burgundy en primeur London tastings, which started in London last week and continue this week.

Some biodynamic-operating producers lost more than half their crop during the difficult 2008 summer, as Claude Drouhin of Domaine Chandon de Briailles testifies.

Drouhin said: “We produced 60% less than previous years and on 30 August [2008] we thought we weren’t going to make any wine at all.

“Then the good weather arrived in September and we started harvesting on 1 October, 120 days after flowering. We normally harvest 100 days after flowering.

“Eventually in September it became dry and we had a window for the grapes to ripen. But this drying was thanks to dehydration, not the sun.

I was really worried about the quality of the wines before the malolactic, but thankfully, after this came, the fruit and now the wines are great.”

As well as Chandon de Briailles, biodynamic producer Maison Champy was showcasing its 2008 wines at the Haynes, Hanson & Clark tasting in London.

Represented by Pierre Meurgey, Maison Champy had “a challenging year for sure, but we managed well, considering. We’ve been biodynamic since 2004 and we’re now starting to see the rewards in quality,” he said.

Jane Parkinson, 14.01.2010