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"One of the earliest harvests in memory, 2020 was an excellent vintage for reds and an exceptional year for whites which show wonderful intensity and freshness, along with great terroir expression."

Vintage Report

One of the earliest harvests in memory, 2020 was an excellent vintage for reds and an exceptional year for whites which show wonderful intensity and freshness along with great terroir expression. 

According to the Dijon weather station, 2020 was the driest growing season since 1945. Fortunately for the vines, rainfall at the end of 2019 replenished water reserves in the soil. A mild winter continued into the spring leading to an early budburst, some two weeks ahead of 2019. The flowering took place over the last two weeks of May. Isolated showers caused a few issues, according to Olivier Leflaive, and Domaine Anne-Françoise Gros reported some millerandage, but it promised to be a very generous harvest at this stage. Sunny weather continued into June followed by a hot and extremely dry July and August. By early August it was evident that 2020 was on track for a very early harvest.

Deciding when to harvest was critical. Above average temperatures and dry weather concentrated the fruit and accelerated maturation. Some vignerons kept to the traditional 100 days between flowering and harvest but with grapes gaining around 1% potential alcohol every 48 hours, it was more like 90-95 days. Olivier Lamy emphasised the importance of picking quickly. For most the harvest began around 20th August and was over by early September, one of the earliest and quickest harvests ever recorded. Faiveley started picking Pinot Noir in Mercurey on 19th August, moving to Volnay the following day, while the Chardonnay harvest began on 25th August with Ladoix Blanc. Jacques Carillon started on 23rd in Puligny, three weeks ahead of 2019, and in Morey-Saint-Denis Hubert Lignier began on 27th, the earliest vintage in the domaine’s history.

Due to the drought, the fruit was very healthy, so much so that sorting tables were almost redundant. The white grapes from the Côte de Beaune were ‘healthy and in great shape’ reported Olivier Leflaive and the reds in the Côte de Beaune were concentrated and ripe with thick skins. In common with most growers, Anne-Françoise Gros hardly did any treatments at all. To protect the bunches from the sunshine, the vines were topped at 1.5m and leaf stripping was avoided. Apart from a few traces of sunburn the grapes were perfect. Sugars were naturally high, without going beyond 13.5%, and tartaric acid levels were just right.

In terms of yield, apart from the Côte Chalonnaise which was down 25-50%, due to frost and a chilly spell during flowering, Chardonnay held up well. For Jacques Carillon, 2020 was a ‘pretty normal’ year for yield as the ‘the vines were never thirsty’. The conditions had much more impact on Pinot Noir, especially in the Côte de Beaune. Despite the promise of a generous harvest in the spring, it was nothing of the sort for Olivier Leflaive who explained that ‘across all appellations (the) provisional estimate was slashed in two’. According to Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini in Gevrey-Chambertin, 2020 was 50% below normal. As Benjamin Leroux explained, tiny berries with thick skins yielded very little juice.

The outcome for the reds partly depended on what happened in the cellar and the subject of whole-bunch fermentation naturally came up in this context. A ‘feeling’ rather than something which is easily explained, growers have differing views on the subject. Whole-bunch fermentations can certainly absorb colour and tannins and may reduce alcohol levels. They can also add a sense of freshness and elegance, even a floral note, and as such, have become an integral part of the style for many growers. Others take a nuanced approach depending on the vintage or terroir. Erwan Faiveley, for example, noted that maturity was blocked for some vines at the height of the summer preventing the stems from lignifying. On the other hand, Anne-Françoise Gros increased the use of whole bunch while Olivier Leflaive thought the stems were perfect, ‘a lovely vintage to vinify in whole bunches.’ 

Whole bunches aside, the main challenge for Anne-Françoise Gros was to ‘keep soft and silky tannins’ in the reds which is why they avoided pigéage. Most growers opted for gentle pump-overs, rather than punch-downs, with cooler fermentation temperatures. Olivier Lamy moderated the use of wood, avoiding new oak altogether for his whites in favour of two-year-old barrels to keep as much freshness as possible. 

As for quality, 2020 is a ‘great year for whites’ for Lamy. Faiveley says it has ‘all the hallmarks of an outstanding vintage, intensely aromatic, with enticing notes of cut pear and lime’. We found quality to be consistent across the board, the wines showing a wonderful balance of ripe fruit with refreshing acidity and lovely tension. One of the reasons for this is that despite a lack of rainfall, there was enough water in the soil to keep the vines going. Unlike 2018, when the vines shut down and ripening was interrupted, the grapes were able to achieve excellent phenolic maturity. The dry weather caused dehydration for sure, but it also concentrated the sugars, flavour and acidity in the berries. Cool night-time temperatures also helped to maintain freshness so there is great natural acidity in the wines. For Domaine Henri Boillot, while 2020 was definitely warm, it was less extreme than 2019 and never too hot. Lamy said that tartaric acid levels were a key factor, creating the perfect combination of ripeness and energy, ‘exactly what we are looking for’. Jacques Carillon highlighted the minerality of the whites which show excellent terroir expression in his opinion.

The 2020 vintage is an excellent year for red wines though quality is less consistent. Pinot Noir was certainly more affected by drought and intense sunshine, absorbing more of the sun’s rays than white grapes. Sebastien Magnien made the point that while vines in Meursault and Puligny could draw on water reserves, other vineyards in Pommard and Beaune suffered some water stress. Nevertheless, there are lots of very attractive reds offering surprising freshness along with appealing, elegant fruit and supple tannins. A few were noticeably more concentrated. The wines from Gouges were some of the densest we have tasted, balanced by excellent acidity thankfully making this a ‘very particular’ vintage for the domaine. Stylistically there is more variation in the reds, but everyone agrees that they show great ageing potential thanks to their freshness and the richness of the tannins. 

Comparisons with other vintages are notoriously difficult. While the growing season is perhaps close to 2003, the 2020s taste nothing like the 2003s. Several vignerons, including Benjamin Leroux, likened the vintage to 2017, due to the freshness of the wines. Jacques Carillon thought that 2020 had more ageing potential than 2019 and was somewhere between 2017 and 2018 with its rounder textures. The precision of the wines makes a comparison with 2014 but the 2020s are richer. Franck Grux of Olivier Leflaive likened 2020 to 1985 and 1988. Whatever the comparison, 2020 is clearly a brilliant year for whites. The reds are harder to define. Pinots from 2019 are also round in the mouth but there’s more tension in the 2020s drawing comparisons with 2016. Florence Heresztyn-Mazzini thought the 2020s showed similarities with 2010 but with more intensity. Asked to contrast the last two vintages, Marie-France of Domaine Robert Sirugue thought that 2020 had a slight edge as it was more ‘nuanced’ than 2019. 

In summary, one of the earliest harvests on record, 2020 produced superb quality fruit with concentrated flavours. An excellent year for reds, which have great ageing potential, the whites offer the perfect balance between ripeness and crisp acidity. 2020 is certainly one of the best Burgundy vintages in the last decade. With such a small 2021 vintage to follow, down by as much as 75%, demand is bound to outstrip supply. We encourage you to seize this opportunity to purchase some 2020 en primeur Burgundy while you can. Finally, we are delighted to inform you that we will be holding our Burgundy tasting on 13th January 2022. Details will be sent to you next week.

Meet the Producers

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Guy Amiot in Chassagne-Montrachet possess an enviable line-up of top crus. Under Arsène Amiot, in the 1920s, the estate started acquiring vineyards in Chassagne including Caillerets and a few rows of Le Montrachet itself. More parcels were added in the 1930s, including Macherelles and Les Demoiselles in Puligny-Montrachet. By the time Guy Amiot took over in 1985, followed by his son Thierry in 1993, the domaine had built up a very impressive collection of holdings...

Domaine Guy Amiot et Fils

Chassagne-Montrachet

Founded in 1831, Maison Albert Bichot has been passed down from father to son through six generations.
Preferring to nurture individual domaines, they own six estates including Domaine Long-Depaquit in Chablis,
Domaine du Clos-Frantin and Château-Gris in Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Domaine du Pavillon in Pommard. In
addition to the wines produced at their own estates, they continue to work in the classic Burgundian role of a
négociant, buying grapes from trusted growers...

Maison Albert Bichot

Beaune

One of the first Burgundy domaines to bottle their own wines, Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur was born of the
marriage of Vincent Bitouzet of Volnay and Ann Prieur of Meursault. Today, this family domaine is run by
François Bitouzet who has recently moved to an impressive new cuverie just outside Meursault. The holdings, 40% of which is Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir, include a selection of the finest Premier Crus in Volnay and Meursault...

Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur

Volnay & Meursault

Domaine Henri Boillot covers 15 hectares of vines, mostly in Puligny and Meursault for the whites and in Savignylès-Beaunes, Beaune and Volnay for the reds. These days, Henri’s son, Guillaume, is taking on an increasingly important role in the management of the estate. The superb quality and precision of these wines is testament to the family’s dedication and focus. Highly meticulous in their approach, they follow sustainable methods and pick early to retain freshness...

Domaine Henri Boillot

Meursault

Guillaume Camus is a rising star in the Côte de Beaune and his stunning 2020s, produced from exceptionally
old vines, impressed us from the very beginning. Despite picking early, on the 25th of August, the fruit came in
between just 13.0 and 13.6%. To avoid over extraction, temperatures were kept low during fermentation and
during élevage large 500 litre oak barrels were used to maintain the purity of the fruit...

Domaine Camus-Bruchon

Savigny-lès-Beaune

The Carillon family has been making wine in Puligny-Montrachet since the 16th century, beginning with Jehan
Carillon in 1520. Jacques Carillon joined his father in the family vineyard in 1980. In 2010, Jacques and his
wife Sylvia founded Domaine Jacques Carillon with 5.25 hectares of vines, primarily in the village of Puligny Montrachet. Eschewing the use of herbicides and pesticides and tending everything by hand, they prune meticulously and green harvest when necessary...

Domaine Jacques Carillon

Puligny-Montrachet

Domaine du Clos Frantin in Nuits-Saint-Georges is owned by the Bichot family. A beautiful 18th century
chȃteau, the vines cover 7.3 hectares, over half of which are Premier and Grand Cru. The vineyards are overseen by Christophe Chauvel previously of Domaine Leflaive. Severe pruning and an absence of fertilisers and herbicides, replaced by compost and ploughing, produce the best possible fruit...

Domaine du Clos-Frantin

Nuits-Saint-Georges

Founded in 1893, Delaunay is back in the ownership of fifth-generation Laurent Delaunay. The original négociant business, established by his great-great-grandfather Edouard, was one of the most prestigious names in Burgundy. They were the distributors of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and exclusive for La Romanée until the 1940s. Laurent purchased the business back from Jean Claude Boisset in 2017. This included the cellars next to their family home, Château de Charmont, in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune...

Edouard Delaunay

Nuits-Saint-Georges

Located on the edge of the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, at the foot of the legendary Clos Saint-Jacques, Sylvie has cultivated 7 hectares under her own name since 1988. Her deep knowledge of the vines and meticulous vinification techniques result in wines of great maturity and intensity, capable of long ageing. An energetic and passionate winemaker, as well as an avid traditionalist, Sylvie spends most of her time tending her vines...

Domaine Sylvie Esmonin

Gevrey-Chambertin

Domaine Faiveley covers 120 hectares of vines in some of the most sought-after vineyards in Burgundy, including 12 hectares of Grands Crus. Founded in 1825 by Joseph Faiveley, it is now run by the seventh generation under Erwan Faiveley. Erwan believes that quality comes from the vineyards, hence treatments are kept to a minimum and yields are low. Modern barrel presses, custom wooden vats and long ageing produce deeply flavoured reds and elegant whites...

Domaine Faiveley

Nuits-Saint-Georges

Established in 1959 when Jacques Gagnard married Marie-Josèphe Delagrange, Gagnard-Delagrange is one
of Chassagne-Montrachet’s best domaines. After Jacques’ death in 2009, Marie-Josèphe and their grandson
Marc-Antonin Blain took over the remaining three hectares. A talented winemaker, Marc-Antonin worked in
the cellar alongside his grandfather for three years learning the traditional style of the domaine - elegantly
refreshing wines with great expression of the terroir...

Domaine Gagnard-Delagrange

Chassagne-Montrachet

Based in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Henri Gouges started bottling at the property in the 1920s and, as such, was one of Burgundy’s pioneers. Henri’s grandsons, Pierre and Christian, were responsible for carving out the domaine’s reputation for sturdy, long-lived Burgundies. Christian’s nephew, Gregory, has been making the wines since 2007 staying true to the family’s motto that ‘great wines are made on the vines’ though he has made a few subtle changes...

Domaine Henri Gouges

Nuits-Saint-Georges

Domaine AF Gros is owned by Anne-Françoise who inherited vineyards in Savigny, Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle Musigny, Echézeaux and Richebourg. Anne-Françoise’s talented daughter and son, Caroline and Mathias, have now taken charge and continue to make extremely classic wines. Maturation in new wood depends on the wine (40% for villages, 66% for Premier Cru, 100% for Grand Cru) but is an increasingly subtle influence on the wines...

Domaine A F Gros

Pommard

Antonin Guyon started buying vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin and Meursault in the 1960s. A decade later, his
son Dominique added 350 plots in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits. Today, Dominique and his daughter Hombeline,
the fifth generation of the family, look after a domaine covering more than fifteen different appellations. As
William Kelly writes, ‘it is a mystery how this 48-hectare estate….blessed with grand appellations continues to
fly somewhat under the radar’...

Domaine Antonin Guyon

Savigny-lès-Beaune

A rising star, Florence Heresztyn-Mazzini took over her family’s vineyards in 2012. The estate covers 5.5 hectares across the villages of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, and Chambolle-Musigny, vineyards which are unique in having very old vines. She is one of twenty Burgundy growers who are following an approach known as phytotherapy - meaning that vines are strengthened with natural plant remedies - which she combines with biodynamic methods. The aim is to minimise the number of vineyard treatments. As she explains, her role is to protect ‘the life of the terroir’ and ‘to feel, to understand, to better decide’...

Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini

Gevrey-Chambertin

One of Meursault's best growers, Patrick has carefully increased his holdings to 10 hectares since 1990.
Individual plots are vinified separately before extended ageing on fine lees for an extra layer of complexity.
Patrick is a firm believer in blending grapes from different vineyards to create wines which are more than their
individual parts, as with the Meursault Les Clousots and Tête de Murger. The Les Forgets and Oligocène cuvées remain some of the best value Bourgognes you can find...

Domaine Patrick Javillier

Meursault

Dominique Lafon is one of Burgundy’s most innovative winemakers with a reputation to match. From 2008,
he decided to make a few wines under his own label, separate from the family domaine (Domaine des Comtes
Lafon). The wines are now vinified, matured and bottled at Château de Bligny where Dominique and colleagues
operate a custom crush facility for small artisan growers...

Dominique Lafon

Meursault

Domaine Hubert et Olivier Lamy is one of the most innovative producers in Burgundy. Based in Saint-Aubin,
Olivier joined his father in 1995. While the backbone of the domaine are the stunning wines from Saint-Aubin,
the jewel in the crown is their tiny holding in Criots-Bâtard Montrachet. Although not certified, Olivier practices
organic viticulture and yields are low. Among his exciting innovations is the planting of high density (haute
densité) vineyards to force the vines deep into the bedrock...

Domaine Hubert et Olivier Lamy

Saint-Aubin

Olivier Leflaive needs little introduction for those who have followed Burgundy for some time. Olivier comanaged Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent through the 1980s and then with his cousin Anne-Claude in the early 1990s. It was at this time that he established Olivier Leflaive Frères. At the start he owned no vineyards, instead purchasing grapes from selected growers whilst vinifying, maturing and bottling on site. Quality was paramount...

Olivier Leflaive

Puligny-Montrachet

Benjamin Leroux made a name for himself at Domaine du Comte Armand where he was general manager until
2014. He still found time to launch his own label in 2007 and now produces wines from over 50 vineyards. Apart from 4 four hectares owned by the domaine, grapes are purchased from trusted organic or biodynamic growers. The 2020 harvest took place over just six days, starting on 20th August in the Côte de Beaune and a few days later on 25th in the Côte de Nuits...

Benjamin Leroux

Beaune

A young domaine by name only, as it descends from Domaine Parigot de Meloisey in the Hautes Côtes de
Beaune, Sébastien Magnien transferred to revamped cellars in Meursault in 2003. Today the property extends
over 12 hectares and is managed according to sustainable principles, the whites coming from the Hautes Côtes, Saint-Romain and Meursault and the reds from Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, and the Hautes Côtes. A talented young vigneron, Sébastien’s style is true to the most classical Burgundian traditions...

Domaine Sébastien Magnien

Meursault

Sixth generation winemakers at Domaine Michel Noëllat, cousins Sébastien Noëllat and Sophie Noëllat-Sirugue are beginning to establish a significant reputation for themselves. Sophie is married to Arnaud Sirugue from around the corner, and Ghislaine Barthod is their cousin, so there is plenty of wine making pedigree here. The estate is in Vosne-Romanée, next to Domaine Leroy, and covers 27 hectares with vines averaging between 60 to 70 years old. Their top wine is Clos de Vouqeot followed by Echezeaux...

Domaine Michel Noëllat

Vosne-Romanée

Domaine du Pavillon is located in the Côte de Beaune just south of Pommard. The vineyards, cellar and
impressive 18th-century manor are surrounded by a wall. Under the watchful eye of Albert Bichot’s head
winemaker, Alain Serveau, Domaine du Pavillon is the Beaune equivalent of the highly regarded Domaine du
Clos-Frantin in the Côte de Nuits...

Domaine du Pavillon

Pommard

Thierry Pillot is the 4th generation to take on the reins of this legendry property founded in 1900. The estate
consists of 13 hectares mostly in Chassagne-Montrachet but also in Saint-Aubin and Santenay. Thierry has
made a name for himself as one of Burgundy’s most exciting wine makers producing exceptionally pure, terroir driven wines. His focus has always been in the vineyards with a low intervention approach in the cellar...

Domaine Paul Pillot

Chassagne-Montrachet

Robert Sirugue is a family-run estate based in Vosne-Romanée. In 2000, Robert Sirugue passed the property
on to his daughter and son, Marie-France and Jean-Louis, who represent the 4th generation of wine growers.
The vineyards now occupy almost 12 hectares of sustainably grown vines including their jewel of Grands
Echézeaux and parcels in Les Petits Monts and Les Mombies in Chambolle-Musigny. Most of the bottles disappear into top restaurants around the world which is why the wines are not better known despite their undisputed quality...

Domaine Robert Sirugue

Vosne-Romanée

Established in 1880, Domaine Tollot-Beaut was among the first producers in the Côte d’Or to start bottling wines at the domaine in 1921. Now in the hands of the fifth generation of the family, Nathalie Tollot and her two cousins, Olivier and Jean-Paul, this historic domaine covers 24 hectares across Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savignylès-Beaune, Beaune and Aloxe-Corton. One of the features of their vineyards are old vines which gives their wines real concentration...

Domaine Tollot-Beaut

Chorey-lès-Beaune

Laurent Lignier and his father Hubert produce extraordinarily classic and elegant wines. They follow organic
methods and manage nine hectares of vineyards, mainly in Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin, and
they produce over twenty different cuvées. A low intervention approach involves minimal use of new oak, long
barrel ageing (20-22 months) and bottling by gravity without fining to keep as much character as possible in
the wines. The resulting style is one of elegance and purity with great ageing potential...

Domaine Hubert Lignier, 2019

Morey-Saint-Denis

Domaine Joseph Roty has been in the same family for twelve generations, since 1710, and has one of the largest followings of any Burgundian grower. Pierre-Jean has been in charge for the last few vintages and continues to make beautifully crafted wines from some of the oldest vines in Burgundy. Old vines, along with late picking and an approach which has not changed much in years, creates wines of remarkable character and depth...

Domaine Joseph Roty, 2019

Gevrey-Chambertin

Burgundy 2020 Enquiry Form

Due to the high quality of the vintage and limited quantities, demand is sure to be very high with some cuvées, especially at Grand Cru level,
available on a strict allocation basis. Get in touch with us via the form below to secure your cases.







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