©2006, Terroir Wine Merchants. All Rights Reserved | |
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Vintages / Les Millesimes |
| 2003 |
The ban de vendange of August 19 was the earliest in recorded history, allowing only 80 days between bud break and harvest which is well short of the long-established Burgundian rule of a minimum of 100 days needed give the grapes full phenolic ripeness. The vintage began with killer frosts and culminated in a heat wave of epic proportions. Predictably, the wines are intensely concentrated due to the loss of buds, which reduced yields, and the dessication caused by the hot, dry summer weather. The Hospice de Beaune commenced its harvest on the 23rd in order to save what little acid was left in the quickly-cooking grapes. There are a number of strange, Rhone-ish wines on the market, but most quality producers made wines which show remarkable balance and terroir. |
| 2002 |
The north wind, coupled with abundant September sunshine saved a large crop that was about to succumb to all kinds of rot. Blue skies and dry weather eliminated mildew, concentrated the juice, maintained acidity, and increased sugar levels to the extent that almost no one had to chapitalize. The wines are lovely and balanced, with bright fruit and an almost liqueur-like quality due to the ripeness of the grapes. |
| 2001 |
In spite of extreme temperatures at both ends of the spectrum, yields were relatively high, as was acidity, and it was feared that the vintage would be thin, harshly tannic and charmless but most wines fleshed out nicely in barrel and the resultant bottlings were soft and approachable. Those estates which picked late, held down their yields and triaged all the unripe fruit made very pleasant, slightly edgy, terroir-driven wines. |
| 2000 |
More soft and beautiful wines, but from a less perfect, smaller harvest and lacking the sparkle, structure, and je ne sais quoi of the 99’s. These are wines for early drinking; sappy and bright-fruited but without the tannic and acid grip of the great vintages. |
| 1999 |
A beautiful, perfectly ripe and healthy, but huge vintage with wines of great purity, silky texture and lush fruit. The nicely balanced fruit required little chapitalization, and, at most estates, no acidification. Some estates’ wines lacked concentration. |
| 1998 |
A very small vintage with difficult weather conditions that at the best estates yielded austere wines with elegant terroir, and at the lesser ones hard, thin, and occasionally rot-affected wines. |
| 1996 |
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