After early and fast budburst, mid-flowering is set to take place around May 20-25. The 2020 vintage is thumbing its nose at the lockdown and is already beating records.
Temperatures during the first fortnight in March were above normal, triggering an early start to the growing season across the whole of Bourgogne. Across the network of reference plots monitored by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB), the first green shoots were observed as early as 18 March for the Chardonnays. The mild weather then continued, and the Pinot Noirs followed close behind on 23 March.
However, a powerful anticyclone from Scandinavia then brought a mass of cold, dry air to the region, causing temperatures to fall considerably. The growth cycle then began to slow. But temperatures picked up once again in early April and rose above seasonal averages from the 5th of the month, which led to very quick budburst.
The estimated date of mid-budburst stage (with 50% green tips) put 2020 among the earliest-starting vintages. It is, on average, a week ahead of the 2019 vintage, regardless of varietal. The temperature, which has stayed well above seasonal averages, has led to an explosion of vegetation. After the cooler weather seen in the last few days of April, progress was two to three weeks ahead of 2019, depending on the sector and varietal.
The first flowers have now appeared, and for the moment, the 2020 vintage is one of the earliest ever seen in Bourgogne.
At your service
The Grands Jours de Bourgogne rescheduled for 2021
This key event in Bourgogne will be back sooner than you think!
The 15th edition of the Grands Jours de Bourgogne was scheduled to run from 9-13 March 2020 but had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following this decision, the organizers received many messages of support, encouraging president Raphaël Dubois and the rest of the event’s organizers to reschedule this key industry gathering in the heart of the Bourgogne terroir as quickly as possible.
The event is now slated to take place next year, from 15-19 March 2021: A date to put in your diary right away!
The Grands Jours de Bourgogne will then continue its biennial rhythm, taking place in odd-numbered years. The subsequent edition will thus take place in 2023.
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Chambolle-Musigny
Perhaps the most romantic appellation in Bourgogne.
This little village on the Côte de Nuits is tiny, its land so precious. A former dependency of the Abbey of Cîteaux, Chambolle-Musigny is home to two superb Grand Crus: Bonnes-Mares, which connects it with Morey-Saint-Denis; and Musigny, to the north of the Clos de Vougeot.
However, its fame mainly comes from its Premier Cru Climats. The best of these are also well-known from their evocative names, such as “Les Amoureuses” and “Les Charmes”. Chambolle-Musigny is surely the most romantic appellation in Bourgogne. It is also home to many other Premier Crus which, despite not being so well-known, are worth a detour.
Véronique Drouhin from the Maison Joseph Drouhin describes the Côte de Nuits:
Sommelier’s tip:
Chambolle-Musigny is a red wine that is often hailed as the most “feminine” on the Côte de Nuits. Its intensity and sophistication are expressed with elegant subtlety.
It is ruby red in color, haloed with bright, luminous reflections. Over time, it may darken a little, but retains all its brilliance. Its characteristic bouquet is marked with violet, strawberry, and raspberry. With age, its fruity aromas become riper and spicier, with notes of prune, truffle, undergrowth, and animal.
Rich, full-bodied, and complex, the Chambolle-Musigny appellation caresses the palate with silk and lace. But this sophistication detracts nothing from its solid and sustained structure.
With these characteristics, this wine is ideal for serving with delicious and sophisticated meats like feathered game, Bresse capon, or slow-cooked lamb. It also makes a marvelous match with roasted veal whose subtle texture is delicately coated with the silky yet solid tannins of a Chambolle-Musigny, and a Premier Cru in particular.
In terms of cheeses, perfect partners include creamy ones such as Brillat-Savarin, Reblochon, Cîteaux, Vacherin, Brie de Meaux, or Chaource. Washed-rind cheeses are also ideal.
In terms of exports, initial results from the first quarter are good, given the global context, even if the drop is bigger than the first figures suggest: After two very good months, March was more mixed. Volumes exported were down 2.6% over the first quarter of 2019 (but up compared to 2018), while revenue dropped by 8.2% (Source: BIVB/French customs).
Among the three biggest markets for Bourgogne wines, the USA suffered the most marked decline, with exports strongly impacted by the 25% ad valorem tax, especially for the most highly valued appellations, which were down 11.6% in terms of volume and a very significant 30.1% in terms of revenue. The United Kingdom is back on the decline, after a good year in 2019, down 14.1% in terms of volume and down 13.4% in terms of revenue. Japan is still on a strong upward trend - up 16.3% by volume and up 20.4% for revenue, although this is not expected to last.
For the second quarter, things are not looking good. “We don’t have figures for April yet, but we are expecting a big drop in exports,” said Louis-Fabrice Latour, President of the BIVB. “Some markets are doing well, particularly thanks to retail outlets. This is notably the case in the UK, and for the Canadian and Scandinavian monopolies. Asia is taking off again, even though we have yet to reach cruising speed,” he added.
The French market is much trickier. Bourgogne has a particularly close relationship with the hotel and restaurant sectors, which together represent around half of all sales of its wines around the world. In France, it’s a key pillar for sales of Bourgogne wines. “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with restaurants. And while they remain closed, a proportion of our wine stocks will remain in our cellars,” Latour added. Major retail channels are not making up for lost sales, while direct sales are also very limited, due to the fact that cellars have had to close, and tourists are staying away. A few estates and négoce businesses have taken their sales online, via their own websites or national and international platforms, but this remains fairly rare. Some businesses have also launched a click-and-collect service to meet local demand.
Louis-Fabrice Latour again: “Until now, we have done well, thanks to the diversity of the industry, its wines, and its markets. In particular, we have noted greater demand for those appellations offering good value for money, such as the Bourgogne or Mâcon AOCs plus a geographical denomination, Bourgogne Aligoté, Crémant de Bourgogne, and Bourgogne Villages. But we are anticipating things to get worse, at least until hotels, wine bars, and restaurants can once again open their doors.”
Australia: Great potential
This promising market is opening up even more to the lesser-known Bourgogne appellations.
Australia has long been an important outlet for exporters of Bourgogne wines. In 2010, it was ahead of China and even Hong Kong in terms of export volumes (581,820 bottles). In 2019, exports of Bourgogne wines to Australia increased once again. It is even the leader of these three markets in Asia-Pacific by volume for Crémant de Bourgogne, the Chablis and Petit Chablis appellations, and Régionale Mâcon white wines.
Key figures in 2019 for Bourgogne wines in Australia: Exports: 1.59 million bottles (up 9.8% on 2018) for 18.25 million euros up 9.2% on 2018), by volume:
• Still white wines: 48 %
• Red and rosé wines: 26 %
• Crémant de Bourgogne: 26 %
Australia is a very stable market, split between the prestige appellations and celebrated producers and Régionale, Bourgogne, and Bourgogne plus geographical denomination appellations. However, a 2017 survey underlined the region’s potential, with professionals very familiar with Bourgogne wines, and a market that is very open to Village appellations, particularly red and sparkling ones.
The first two months of 2020 showed the initial consequences of the 240 of days of vast Australian wildfires. Bourgogne wines sales were down by volume (down 9.7% on the first two months of 2019), although revenue continued to grow (up 24.6% on the same period in 2019), driven by Bourgogne red wines (up 79.4%, for 49% of the revenue).
For the rest of 2020, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be a major factor (closure of restaurants and wine bars, lockdown, suspension of flights, closed borders, etc.). Initial figures should be available by early summer.
While they wait for news of their Premier Cru campaign, the Marsannay AOC has now succeeded in having some 80 hectares reclassified.
Around a decade ago, the Marsannay AOC began a major campaign to have some of its plots classified as Premier Cru. This is a slow process, but worth the wait for this area that obtained its Village AOC back in 1987.
At the end of last year, the INAO validated the transformation of 80 hectares of vines within the area. These plots, which until now have been classified under the Bourgogne or Marsannay Rosé AOCs, are now authorized to produce under the Marsannay AOC, in white, red, or rosé. This decision, confirmed by government decree on 20 March 2020, applies retroactively to the 2019 harvest.
Among the notable changes, it is worth mentioning the transformation of Bourgogne Le Chapître into Marsannay Le Chapître. This transformation from a Bourgogne plus geographical denomination into a Village appellation confirms the positioning of this category of the Bourgogne AOC, which is the first step towards identification with the terroir, something very dear to our region.
Work is continuing within the Marsannay management organization to have the first Premier Crus officially recognized in the next two to three years. The dossier, which is currently being examined, is based in particular on a major soil study carried out by Françoise Vannier in 2014, which focused on the analysis of some 21 trenches across the area.
Winemakers and maisons
A website for the Domaine de la Côte de Fasse
This new site offers a mine of information about the Chablis estate.
The Domaine de la Côte de Fasse owns around 20 hectares of vines in the Chablis and Grand Auxerrois areas. It recently launched a brand-new website at https://www.chablis-cotedefasse.fr/?lang=en
This extensive site includes plenty of information about the estate, its history, and its wines, which come from six different AOCs. It will ensure you stay up to date with all the latest news from the Domaine. It also includes an online boutique through which visitors can buy the estate’s wines.
“Bourgogne de Vigne en Verre” was created more than 30 years ago. Its founders recognized how difficult it is to be good at both the technical side of winemaking and the sales side at the same time. So, they decided to outsource the commercial aspect of their business, leaving them to focus on what they enjoy doing best, namely working in the vines and the winery.
In the space of a few years, the way people select and enjoy their wine has changed a great deal. Now, people want to learn about and understand what they are drinking, and they want to get to know the people behind it.
And that is why this series of 13 short films has been produced. In a couple of minutes, they present the founding estates of Bourgogne de Vigne en Verre. They were produced over the course of the past four seasons with Bourgogne LiveProd, a company specializing in promotional films for winemakers.
The Domaine du Cellier aux Moines revealed on video
The Cellier aux Moines is an historic estate on the Côte Chalonnaise and was formerly the property of the Cistercian Abbaye de La Ferté, constructed in the 13th century in Givry. After several years of neglect, the estate was returned to winemaking in 2004, when it was taken over by new owners.
This story, and much more, is explored during a new 13-minute video called “Burgundy Story”, which in addition showcases the beautiful landscapes of the region and the expertise of its winemakers.
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.
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