(Please see my overview of the 2018 vintage in Burgundy here.)
Regular readers know that I’ve long been very positive on the wines here, but the 2018s rise above previous levels. This is one of the most impressive collections of the vintage.
Regular readers know that I’ve long been very positive on the wines here, but the 2018s rise above previous levels. This is one of the most impressive collections of the vintage.
Charles van Canneyt said that harvesting began on 5 September. Alcohols ranged from 13.5º to 14.2/3º. Charles did not want too much extraction and so did pumping over rather than punching down of the caps. All grapes were destemmed. Malolactic fermentations finished in July.
2018 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
This is a marvelous Bourgogne with a spicy, fruity nose, followed in the mouth by a silky, smooth texture with dark fruits and good purity. (89-91)
2018 Chambolle-Musigny
The Chambolle village shows dense dark plum fruit with richness but also balance. There is an explosion of fruit in the mouth — power but also elegance. (90-92)
2018 Vosne-Romanée
The village Vosne has spicy dark fruits, licorice, and intensity to go with density and elegance. (91-93)
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Bas de Combes
This wine is spicy, pure, and structured with dark fruits, length, finesse, fine tannins, and freshness. (91-93)
2018 Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeot
This is as outstanding a Petits Vougeot as I can recall — from any source. The wine is rounder than the Bas de Combes with black raspberry fruit, length, a silky texture, density, and freshness. (92-94)
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Murgers
The outstanding Murgers is dense with fruit that is almost sappy but pure, penetrating, mineral, lively, and concentrated. (93-95)
2018 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes
The Chambolle-Charmes can sometimes be a bit of a laggard in this cellar, but not in this vintage. The wine is dense and concentrated, but with Chambolle elegance, and it has good length and liveliness. (92-95)
2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts
The Beaumonts shows typical violets and minerals with lightness, a steely texture, and freshness. It is an excellent example of the Beaumonts terroir. (93-95)
2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
The Suchots is smooth and silky with depth, minerality, purity, intensity, and freshness. (93-95)
2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Malconsorts
Hudelot-Noëllat’s rarest wine is the Malconsorts, with a holding of just 0.14 ha. The 2018 version is sensational. Almonds in the nose, the mouth is pure mineral, deep, dark, and spicy. There are tannins here, but they are not overly hard. The wine is very complete. (95-97)
2018 Clos de Vougeot
There’s some sharpness from the acidity along with density and finesse for Clos de Vougeot, density, depth, length. The wine’s combination of power and finesse makes it a proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. (94-96)
2018 Romanée-Saint-Vivant
With a nose of minerals and violets, followed in the mouth by a smooth sensual body with dark fruit, depth, excellent concentration, and great finesse, this is a very great Romanée-Saint-Vivant. (97-99)
2018 Richebourg
It’s always interesting to see whether it is the Richebourg or the Romanée-Saint-Vivant when we get to the end of a tasting here. One year it’s one, the next year the other; this year I couldn’t decide. The spiced dark plum nose is quintessential Richebourg. The mouth shows dark fruits (especially plums), liveliness, finesse, purity, depth, and power. Phenomenal. (97-99)