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Every January in London the leading UK importers and retailers of Burgundy show their wines to the press, the trade and – increasingly often these days – to private clients. This year there were nearly 20 tastings spread over two weeks in mid-January, sometimes with five tastings in a single day. Any plans for a January detox had to be put on hold.
The pre-campaign hype asserted that 2009 would be the latest addition to the Burgundian tradition of fine vintages ending in a “9”: 1999, 1979 (for the whites), 1969, 1949, 1959 and 1929. The weather through 2009 pointed towards a fine vintage. Spring was mild and June, July, and August were hot, with occasional downpours that caused fears of mildew, particularly the weekend of 14 July. But there was no mildew and September was sunny and windy. Clive Coates, author of The Wines of Burgundy, said, “The weather conditions and the state of the fruit as it was being collected moves me to put 2009 up with 2005 and 1999 as the very best vintage of the last 25 years.”
Overall, the reds are elegant and moreish, with ripe rather than aggressive tannins. The whites are richly flavoured and have the same docile acidity as the reds, which reminded some tasters of 1992. These are wines that will make charming drinking in the short to medium term. It is a year when the vintage conditions have prevailed over terroir – the wines taste of sunshine rather than of soil. Although the richness and generosity of the fruit recalls 2005, the 2009s are unlikely to endure as long as the best ’05s. The reds might turn out to be similar to the 1985s, some of which matured very quickly.
Producers are happy with the wines. Guillaume d’Angerville of Domaine Marquis d’Angerville thinks, “The 2009 wines are harmonious and complete and they decisively express their Pinot character.” The d’Angerville wines are among the best and are well worth cellaring. As usual, the Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Ducs had superior tannins and length to the other Volnays.
Domaine A & P Villaine’s manager Pierre de Benoist feels, “The 2009s are wines of the sun, with a spectacular texture, racy minerality and plenty of character.” A & P’s Bouzeron 2009, made from Aligoté, was a pleasing discovery and the Mercurey Les Montots has excellent richness and structure for such an unassuming Burgundy village.
The Chablis grower Vincent Dampt likens 2009 to 2006: “It’s a vintage that is similar to 2006 but more concentrated.” His wines were quite plump, though they retained the characteristic green apple flavour of Chablis. The Premier Cru Lys is quite fat but the Côte de Léchet is leaner and finer. Domaine Billaud-Simon’s Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre is very clean, with a mineral finish. Domain Jean-Paul Droin’s Montée de Tonnerre is also a good example. In Chablis those who picked early were able to retain acidity in the grapes and make brisk wines.
Of the negociant bottlings, Louis Jadot’s Côte de Nuits wines show bright, sweet, juicy fruit, sometimes verging on jammy. The Côte de Beaune reds give a bit more to chew on, becoming more structured as the vineyard becomes smaller and the price becomes higher. Of the top-end whites, Jadot’s Bâtard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Grands Crus were both very good, with splendid length. The Montrachet was already very drinkable, with the 100% new oak barely discernable.
Maison Louis Latour’s wines were satisfactory but Bouchard Père & Fils’s selection was very poor, with too many bitter and extracted wines. Perhaps they will taste better once finished and bottled.
Most people are happy with the quality of the wines. But even if the euro has fallen against the Aussie dollar, it remains strong against the pound, making exports expensive. Johnny Goedhuis, one of the leading retailers of Burgundy in the UK, noted that prices at the 2010 Hospices de Beaune were up by 15% overall, driven largely by demand from Chinese buyers. He told me, “Prices of the 2009s are realistic. Burgundian growers haven’t gone mad. They are more expensive than the 2008s but not ridiculously so. 2009 may well be the last opportunity to buy well-priced red Burgundies before increasing demand from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mainland China really affects prices.”
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