Burgundy 2024
En Primeur
Ahead of a second opportunity to taste the 2024 vintage in mid November, a few thoughts on Burgundy so far.
It has clearly been a very challenging year for Burgundian vignerons. After two relatively plentiful vintages in 2022 and 2023, frost, mildew and millerandage hit volumes hard in 2024. So, quite apart from anything else, there is simply far less wine to go around.
But what of quality? Start with the whites: they are, quite simply, delicious. Bright acidity, concentrated, ripe fruit, and terrific clarity. Some are calling it the best since 2014. I am not sure I would go quite that far. I would put 2017 ahead, but 2024 certainly belongs in the next tier. I suspect the best whites will age well, though with yields so tight, there may not be enough in the market to put that theory properly to the test. In any case, they are already very appealing, and it will take uncommon restraint not to drink them young.
The reds are more nuanced. Ripening, and the concentration that comes with it, was the sticking point, so a touch of underripeness and a hint of greenness does appear in some wines. At their best, though, the reds are vibrant, fresh and genuinely enjoyable. Much like the 2017s, they seem to reward careful handling: gentle extraction looks crucial, and in general it feels a vintage to avoid too much new oak. I do not see 2024 as the year to go overboard on Grands Crus, nor as one to cellar for decades. For me, it is a lovely vintage to buy at Bourgogne, regional and village level, with an emphasis on wines to be enjoyed in relative youth.
A fuller report will follow in January.
