It was the best of years. It was the worst of years. 2018 in the Côte d’Or was a very hot, dry, sunny year, and for most producers, it yielded large crops. Additionally, it yielded wines that qualitatively and stylistically are all over the map. Some are classic in style; some have overripe, jammy fruit. Some have normal alcohols in the 13% range, some are in excess of 15% (and I have even heard from one of my colleagues who tastes more widely than I that he has tasted wines at 16.5%!). And yet, some of the wines above 14% (even at 14.5%) do manage to be surprisingly good.
This diversity has caused me to delay writing about the vintage until I felt that I had tasted enough to understand this very complex vintage and give you an introduction that explains what to expect and why. I have now finished three weeks out of four of tasting the wines and finally feel competent to give that summary. (Continue reading here.)