(Please read my overview of the 2018 vintage here.)
Harvesting began on 3 September. Except from Premeaux (Bourgogne and Côtes de Nuits-Villages), where there was hail, the quantities were very large, resulting in 42-43 hl/ha overall.
Malolactic fermentations were irregular in the sense that some were early, and others later. By March, all had finished except for the Nuits, Fleurières vineyard.
Many of the wines were made with whole clusters, as indicated below.
With respect to new oak, the Bourgogne, Côte de Nuits-Villages, and village wines have about 20% new oak, the premiers crus about 33% new oak, and the grands crus about 50%. This is in keeping with the long-term trend here in the direction of wines of more elegance and less new oak than was the case in the 1990s. Alain and Sophie Meunier’s son Louis has now taken over the fermentations and has made changes continuing in that sense — less cold maceration, less punching down, but longer macerations, and less new oak.
The highest alcohols here are 13.8º (Nuits-Boudots and Côtes de Nuits-Villages).
2018 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
70% of the crop was lost due to the hail. Dark fruit aromas. The mouth shows crushed blueberry fruit, finesse, and structure. No sense of a hot vintage here. (86-88)
2018 Côte de Nuits-Villages Aux Leurey
Stony elements in the nose. The mouth shows dark fruits, pureity, and good structure and freshness. 50% whole clusters, no SO2 at vinification, but a little added during the malolactic fermentation. From vines that are more than 40 years-old. About 12.8-13º alcohol. (87-90)
2018 Côte de Nuits-Villages La Montagne
This wins is mineral and pure with good acidity and tension and attractive dark fruits. 100% destemmed. There was no hail in this vineyard. Malolactic fermentation was very long. (89-91)
2018 Côte de Nuits-Villages Les Vignottes
In contrast to La Montagne, basically all this vineyard was hit by hail. The nose here is stony and floral. The mouth is dense with crushed dark berry fruit and good purity and freshness. 100% destemmed fruit, rapid malolactic fermentation. 13.2º alcohol. (89-91)
2018 Chambolle-Musigny
This is most attractive Chambolle, displaying finesse and purity to its intense dark fruits, and there is a hint of licorice. Very good length. 100% destemmed. This was the earliest wine in the cellar to finish malo-lacitic fermentation. (91-93)
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Fleurières
This vineyard escaped hail damage in 2018. The wine shows freshness, good acidity, and good tannic backbone with intense dark fruits and density of texture. 100% destemmed, long malo-lactic fermentation, yield of about 48 hl/ha. (90-92)
2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts
The Vonse-Beaux Monts is still undeveloped but it is dense with minerality, finesse, and Beaux Monts lightness of texture. 15% whole clusters. (92-95)
2018 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
From the Châtelots and Feusselottes vineyards, this wine shows finesse and lightness on the palate with length, purity, and elegance. 15% whole clusters. (92-94)
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots
The Boudots has violet aromas and flavors with lightness on the palate and excellent complexity. As mentioned above, this is tied for highest alcohol wine in the cellar at 13.8º, but the alcohol is not noticeable. 15% whole clusters. (92-95)
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaboeufs
This is a rather atypical Chaboeufs. It is stony in the nose, and then pure but light in the mouth with intense dark fruit and tannins that are not as marked as usual. 75% of the vines are ten years old, and that, along with the vintage, probably explains the unexpected elegance of this, in any case, attractive wine. 15% whole clusters. (92-94)
2018 Clos-Vougeot
The Clos-Vougeot is stony in the nose; the mouth shows typical black raspberry fruit and is dense and concentrated but with elegance. There’s some minerality here and very good complexity. In short, a very fine Clos-Vougeot. 50% new oak, 13.5º natural alcohol, almost 42 hl/ha yield, all destemmed fruit, malo-lactic fermentation in January. (93-96)
2018 Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Last, the Romanée-Saint-Vivant is silky and smooth with dark fruits and the sensuality of the vineyard. It is still relatively closed, though. Like the Clos-Vougeot, malo-lactic fermentation in January, entirely destemmed fruit, 50% new oak. (94-96)