One year later, the 2018 vintage confirms its promises
On the eve of Bourgogne Week in London as the 2018 vintage is about to be released onto the marketplace, tastings are confirming the very lovely profile that was already beginning to take shape in November 2018 (see press release).
The exceptional nature of this vintage is down to the two key success factors of volume and quality. Bourgogne harvested 1.8 million hectoliters in 2018, which was well above the average of 1.5 million hectoliters. Furthermore, the wines are of wonderful stature, with reds that are ideal for drinking in their youth but with the necessary structure for good ageing. The whites are both rich and lively.
Older winegrowers have been telling the younger generations that this combination is the kind of thing only seen once in a lifetime, and they should make the most of it!
In order to read our tasting notes by color and region…
British importers along with winegrowers and négociants from Bourgogne are inviting journalists and market influencers along with a few enlightened winelovers to enjoy a foretaste of a selection of Bourgogne wines from the 2018 vintage.
The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) will be supporting all the events organized within the framework of Bourgogne Week through a dedicated online platform at bourgogne-week.com. On it, tastemakers will find all the information they need about the tastings on offer and who may attend, along with plenty of other details to facilitate their full participation in the event, such as lists of the winegrowers and négociants in attendance and information on how to access the various events.
A dynamic social media campaign will ensure widespread coverage, focusing on the visibility of wines and producers involved.
This year, the spotlight will shine on Régionale appellations + an additional geographical denomination, such as Mâcon-Lugny, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, and Bourgogne Tonnerre, and lesser-known Village AOCs, such as Fixin, Viré-Clessé, Auxey-Duresses, and Saint-Bris. These appellations, which have long been overshadowed by their more illustrious neighbors, deserve more attention. This is especially the case given how their quality has never been so good while their prices remain very attractive.
It will also be possible to discover the portraits of several winegrowers via Twitter throughout December.
Matt Walls, blogger and market influencer who specializes in wine will be the BIVB’s special envoy during the whole of Bourgogne Week. Given that 2018 is a very high-quality vintage, Matt will be heading off to discover those lesser-known appellations and present them on social media. He will be revealing his most remarkable discoveries. From tasting to tasting, he will be sharing his thoughts on the Bourgogne Week website, as well as on Twitter and Instagram, with the two hashtags of #BourgogneWeek and #BourgognePassItOn, to ensure you don’t miss a trick.
The next edition of the #GrandsJoursdeBourgogne is the international event that everyone is eagerly anticipating: Winegrowers and négociants will be ready to meet market influencers and journalists from around the world to discuss the amazing 2018 vintage. All 84 Bourgogne appellations will be presented.
From Chablis to the Côte Chalonnaise, and from the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, visitors will be able to explore the terroir through nine different tasting sites. For practical reasons, the wines of the Mâconnais will be offered for tasting in Beaune.
This unique event, which is now a key date on the industry calendar, brings together more than 1,000 winegrowers offering almost 6,000 wines over the space of five days.
For journalists, the mobile press room is back again this year to facilitate your work during this very busy week.
2019 was a unique and very changeable year. It brought its own stresses for a great many producers, but harvesting passed without a hitch. The end result has inspired enthusiasm amongst industry professionals, surpassing expectations.
The weather was hot and dry, but the wines are promising a freshness that will delight fans of Bourgogne wines, with an indulgent side to boot.
Amaury Devillard from the Château de Chamirey in Mercurey provides a quick description of this unusual year:
The only downside was below-average volumes with 1.2 million hectoliters. However, this result will only have a limited impact on markets as producers now have decent stocks of wine thanks to the generous 2018 vintage (1.8 million hectoliters).
François Labet presents the 2019 vintage, with a focus on estimated volumes:
Chablis wines and Marennes Oléron oysters have been working in partnership since 2013. And to further this fruitful collaboration, they have been joined by Charentes-Poitou butter, with Asia as their focus.
Chablis wine with Marennes Oléron oysters and Charentes-Poitou butter is a classic combination. And the bodies representing these three flagship products of French gastronomy have joined forces to participate in the European program that is “Enjoy, it’s from Europe”. The program aims to promote products that bear a European protected designation of origin and quality label, such as AOC and IGP, beyond the EU’s frontiers. The trio is focusing its efforts on China and Taiwan.
In addition to the creation of shared marketing tools, they will be present at different trade shows to offer a tasting of their produce.
In June 2020, the École des Vins de Bourgogne is offering a unique training session to explore all 33 Grand Crus in Bourgogne, including the legendary Romanée Conti.
Once a year, the École des Vins de Bourgogne offers you the chance to experience all 33 of these exceptional appellations. And from 25-27 June 2020, three whole days will be dedicated to tasting them in a unique educational experience.
The Ultimate Bourgogne wine tasting: The 33 Grands Crus Appellations is hosted in English by two experts who are passionate about wine, one in terms of tasting and the other in terms of geology.
Immerse yourself in the heart of Grand Cru terroir through a series of landscape readings amongst the vines on some legendary plots such as Montrachet and Corton. The workshop will also include visits to Grand Cru-producing estates and guided tastings with the École des Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune.
The price also includes a concert at the exclusive Paulée Musicale at the Festival Musique et Vins on Friday 26 June at the Château de Meursault.
Registration required. For more information, please contact delphine.thivat@bivb.com - Tel: +33 (0)3 80 26 35 12
Bourgogne wines continue to show dynamic growth at export
The 2018 vintage has allowed the region to break records. In terms of exports, over the first eight months of 2019, sales grew by more than 9% in terms of revenue, for more than 650 million euros.
The Bourgogne region is one of the only French wine-producing regions to continue to show dynamic growth both at home and aboard. However, winegrowers and négociants remain cautious, aware of clouds gathering over certain markets.
Exports of Bourgogne wines were up 6.9% by volume and 9.3% in terms of revenue (first eight months of 2019 over the same period in 2018). In terms of revenue, Bourgogne wines set a new record, reaching 650 million euros (first eight months of 2019). Over the 12-month period from October 2018 to September 2109, exports even surpassed one billion euros of revenue for the first time in history.
Revenue for the period is split as follows:
- 50% white wines
- 46% red and rosé wines
- 4% Crémant de Bourgogne
This spread reveals a strong appetite among external markets for Village, Village Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines (excluding Chablis). Thanks to better perceived value, this group of appellations accounted for 47% of export revenue for just 18% of volumes sold abroad.
Chablis, across the whole range, returned to more normal export levels, after several years of low production.
Régionale Bourgogne appellations (all colors) were mainly up, accounting for 37% of volume sales for 28% of the revenue.
In the first nine months of 2019, performance picked up for Bourgogne wines. The volume of wine exported to Britain saw growth of 7.9% by volume and 5.4% in terms of revenue.
The Chablis and white Régionale Bourgogne and Mâcon appellations proved most popular, selling 7.22 million bottles, which represents two-thirds of total sales over the period.
But whether this is a true recovery or simply pre-Brexit hoarding, only the future will tell.
On 25 and 26 January 2020, wine lovers will be heading to Gevrey-Chambertin for the 76th edition of the Saint-Vincent Tournante, the biggest wine celebration in the Bourgogne region. Since 1947, this festival, which celebrates Saint Vincent, the patron saint of winemakers, has been hosted by a different village every year.
This wonderful weekend begins on the Saturday morning with the parade of banners and statues through the village. Each winegrowing village in Bourgogne is represented and brings their own figure of Saint Vincent. The procession takes a route through the village.
Then, the festivities begin! This packed weekend includes performances from folk musicians, street artists, and plenty more across the village. At lunchtime on the Saturday, the wine cellars will open their doors, offering tastings of special cuvées from five vintages, namely 2009, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018.
The Saint-Vincent Tournante is a unique event in the wine year, and provides and exceptional opportunity to discover the legendary Bourgogne hospitality, to meet producers, and discover the appellation in a different way.
Join the jury at the Concours des Vins de Chablis wine competition
Journalists and wine industry professionals are invited to take part on Saturday 18 January 2020, under the presidency of the Best Sommelier in France 2016.
The jury for this competition, comprising an average of 80 people, is made up of journalists, restaurateurs, sommeliers, traders, enologists, and enlightened amateurs. The producers and négociants of the Chablis region do not participate so that they are not called upon to pass judgement on their own wine.
The selection process has two stages. The samples which had the best marks during the first tasting with all the tasters then go before a super-jury which decides upon the winners.
Every year, around 10% of the wines presented obtain a medal, thus becoming ambassadors for Chablis wines.
Now part of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction weekend, the Majors du Tastevinage 2019 were unveiled during a tasting evening in mid-November at the Château du Clos du Vougeot.
Major is the highest distinction conferred by the Chevaliers du Tastevins brotherhood. It recognizes the efforts winegrowers and négociants who must be unanimously elected to receive the Tastevinage seal.
Of the 1,215 wines presented this year, only 12 won the coveted Majors label.
The winners - namely young winegrowers or those who recently took over an estate - were presented with their trophies on the eve of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction on 15 November.
The Groupe des Jeunes Professionnels de la Vigne, or Group of Young Vine Professionals, has announced its Young Talents 2019.
A jury of 70 wine professionals selected the estates participating in this 31st edition. Each candidate presented three different appellations from the 2017 vintage at their estate.
The seven winners are all aged under 40 or have been in business for no more than five years.
Albert Bichot, the leading buyer at the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction
The leading buyers at the Hospices de Beaune, négociants have always been key to the success of the famous auction, and Albert Bichot remains at the head of the pack!
The 159th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction once again raised a significant sum of money to finance the investments at the Hôpital and the celebrated museum of the Hôtel Dieu. More than 12 million euros will be handed over from the sale of just 589 pièces, or traditional Bourgogne 228-liter barrels, compared to more than 700 in 2018.
Placing 65% of bids, worth approximately 7.5 million euros, the wine houses of Bourgogne were in first place amongst buyers.
Once again at the top of the list, wine house Albert Bichot acquired 122 pièces, 82 red and 40 white, representing just over 20% of the total of pièces on sale for a combined price of €2,795,100. Over the last decade, Albert Bichot has acquired 1,002 pièces, 16% of the total sold.
Bourgogne vs. Burgundy: to re-affirm their identity, the region and the producers are reverting back to the original French iteration of the name, Bourgogne.
EN DIRECT 9 issues per year, published by
Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne
12 Boulevard Bretonnière - BP 60150 - F-21204 BEAUNE CEDEX
Tel. 00 33 (0)3 80 25 04 80
DIRECTOR: SYLVAIN NAULIN
EDITOR IN CHIEF: CECILE MATHIAUD – cecile.mathiaud@bivb.com
TRANSLATOR: SARAH JACKSON
For access to our press release archive and thousands of rights-free photos,
go to our on-line pressroom at: www.bourgogne-wines.com
COPYING OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER FOR FAIR USE IS AUTHORISED
Press
professional access
Educator Area 
extranet
Partager
