What are the critics saying about 2011 Burgundy?

[JimHow]

I've been out of the loop, what is the general consensus?

[OrlandoRobert]

Not sure, but just a little bit South, I'm loving the 2011 Bojos and Northern Rhones. More rocks than fruits. Lovely minerality. I bought deeply from a lot of great producers (including all of their various cuvees).

Some standouts in 2011:

Clape
Gonon
Roilette
Vissoux
Thivin
Bouland

I have to admit enjoying the 2011 Thivin Cote de Brouilly yesterday more than I did the 2010 La Gravette de Certain. Much more approachable now than the Bdx, at a fraction of the cost, thought I'm certain 10+ years out the Bdx will be the star.

[Nicklasss]

Seem to me that 2009 and 2010 are the Bourgogne vintages to buy.

If it can help you, seem like 2011 is an " honest" vintage, full of charms. Very early piking (like the 6 th or 7th earliest in the last 300 years!) so a bit complicated for the Pinot Noir. A "vigneron" vintage.

Nic

[Jay Winton]

I've read that 11 and 12 are small vintages and I know there was damaging weather this year so not looking good for 13. If it was me, I would be back filling on older vintages. For some reason, I imagine this strategy has occurred to others.

[JimHow]

I thought I read somewhere that Burghound liked 2011.

[Chateau Vin]

I thought I read somewhere that Burghound liked 2011.

Looks like Jim is struck by the devil yet again...

Here is tidbit at BBR about Burghound on 2011...

Allen Meadows (Burghound.com) describes the 2011 Burgundy vintage as "reasonably classic in style with good if not great typicity but... more fruit forward and approachable than a truly classic white burgundy vintage..."
He goes on to say that the 2011s in Chablis are often intensely saline in character, something that is much more common in so-called classic vintages. 2011 also produced some lovely wines in the Mâconnais and the Côte Chalonnaise. In the case of Chablis... the 2011 is less interesting in the south than 2010, particularly in the Mâconnais."

[JimHow]

How about the reds CV?

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

How about the reds CV?

Didn't see that one coming. Nope, not at all.

[Chateau Vin]

How about the reds CV?

Here are some of the overall impressions though...

Allen Meadows:
From an overall quality perspective, I would go so far as to say that out of the triumvirate of 2009, 2010 and 2011 that 2009 is in third place, 2011 in second and 2010 is in first. 2011 doesn't quite hit the highest highs of 2010, and it's not quite as consistent as 2009 but it's encouraging to consider that it is competitive with both. Moreover, any number of producers made outstanding 2011s and thus despite the relatively short crop, it will still be possible to find them to purchase for your cellars.

John Gilman:
The 2011s have turned out beautifully with marvelously precise and transparent aromatics and uniquely harmonious and svelte palate impressions...There is an absolutely beautiful harmony to the vast majority of the 2011 reds that I tasted and these are wines that are going to absolutely enchant red Burgundy lovers who value elegance and transparency...2011 is really an equally superb vintage white Burgundy as it is for reds.

Jancis Who?
2011 Disappointing quality with widespread rot and uneven weather conditions throughout the year. The results can be surprisingly good in parts, but 2010 is a much safer bet.

[Comte Flaneur]

My impression of the 2011 red burgundies is pretty good but my experience is quite limited.

I have drunk many 2011 white burgundies and it is my favourite recent vintage. It is quite similar to 2007, and less dense than 2010, but much more accessible and racy.

[Michael-P]

The critics on BWE are saying:

"WHY WASTE ANY OF YOUR TIME, MONEY OR DRINKING CAPACITY ON THAT PINOT JUICE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE A REAL WINE, A BORDEAUX?"

That's what I'm hearing.

Michael-P

[Chasse-Spleen]

I have to say, I don't really take John Gilman or whoever he is very seriously. What is he, a wine seller or what? Every vintage is spectacular, delicious and better than the last. Geez... But then, is it possible that Burghound placed 2009 behind 2010 and 2011? I mean, 2009 is a very good Burgundy vintage. Not exactly 2002 or 1999, but very good. I will add that I generally take Burghound's notes as Gospel. But... Sometimes these notes are confusing. I must be getting old and feeble-minded... your ever faithful..
-chasse

[JimHow]

Burghound writes terrible notes. Grammatically he is even worse than Parker. His sentences are long, meandering, confusing bridges to nowhere.

[Tom In DC]

Burgundy is really hard to buy on release (or esp. pre-release) because I don't think anybody gets it right with any consistency. Yes, of course you can buy DRC, Rousseau, Leroy, and the other names every year, but only if you get an allocation, and then you probably have to buy every year to preserve said allocation, and you'd better have a billion-esque bank balance to pull it off.

For us pedestrians who can't afford wines from the A-list, trying not to be road kill on the Burg highway, it would be nice to know when a new vintage is "like shooting ducks in a barrel" quality early on, while the wines are still on retailers shelves. But that just doesn't seem to happen. 1990 was the next big thing early on, dissed ever since. 1993 was not favored early and has been a "must have" ever since the wines were no longer available (periodic table entry: unobtanium). I wish I had more 1985's, hadn't drunk my 88's too early, had fewer 90's, had any 93's at all, fewer 95's, ..., you get the idea. The 1999's and 2002's remain consensus winners after early positive reviews -- but don't touch them now!!! -- while 1996 and 2005 (despite its BWE WOTY status) were highly touted early on but seem to get downgraded every time I read a new tasting note.

Be that as it may,I agree with Ian insofar as I can based on some bottom feeding that 2011 does seem like a dandy year for the whites. But if you buy, you have to pray that pre-mox has been fixed and I have no good reason to think that might be so.

Caveat emptor,
Tom

[Tom In DC]

"WHY WASTE ANY OF YOUR TIME, MONEY OR DRINKING CAPACITY ON THAT PINOT JUICE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE A REAL WINE, A BORDEAUX?"

Best comment so far!

[Chasse-Spleen]

You have to buy Burgundy on release. The quantities from each good house are so small, in any vintage worth having, they all get snapped up immediately. All you have to do is constantly pray to the Burgundy God and you will be rewarded. You have to read, experiment, and basically try things by producers that you're interested in on the lower level to see if you like the style and then eventually buy the bigger wines. You can't just keep buying the same wines year after year and expect to get a feel for things. Right now, 2010 reds are the wines to buy. And any 2009s that you can still find. White Burgundy is like the devil himself, always beckoning, almost always satisfying. 2010 is excellent. 2011 is supposed to be better? Maybe. Either way, you have to try them. In the end, it's always more about producer than vintage or even site. Paul Pernot is a great place to start for white Burgs. Obviously premox is a drag, but when the devil beckons...

-Chasse

[Chasse-Spleen]

One more thing - I have almost never been disappointed in any wine I tried that Burghound recommended. One exception was a Chablis by Maltroye that was too internationally styled. But there it was right in the review - tropical flavors - he warned me.

[Chasse-Spleen]

And then a final last thing... Jim, I lost your email in a transfer from one computer to another. Email me. I work at Garnet now and we have an excellent Burgundy selection and a big sale going on. One of the owners is the buyer and he's really hands on and great to work with. Totally honest. Worth a try. Good stuff..

[Chateau Vin]

And then a final last thing... Jim, I lost your email in a transfer from one computer to another. Email me. I work at Garnet now and we have an excellent Burgundy selection and a big sale going on. One of the owners is the buyer and he's really hands on and great to work with. Totally honest. Worth a try. Good stuff..

I know your approach to buying burgs, but wondering if you can recommend any 2010 or 2011 reds in your opinion...Looking for terroir driven producers roughly speaking...

[Chasse-Spleen]

I haven't really tasted many, unfortunately. I'll try and get a little list going. With so many options out there, one has to eliminate choices. One of my strategies is to 'work with what's in front of me.' I'm not trying to promote the store that I work at. But we have some wines by the producer Grivot. Knowing how Ian's eyes light up when he hears the name Grivot, I'm quite interested in trying the wines. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that they are long agers. But if I was buying Burgundy tomorrow I would buy the 2008 Grivot Vosne-Romanee Villages to drink (or try to). I would buy any of his other wines that I could afford to cellar. Another consideration is that after buying mainly Cotes de Beaune wines when I was starting out with Burgundy, because I couldn't afford the Cotes de Nuits, I'm now more interested in Cotes de Nuits. But basically, I'd drink them all. I'm sorry I can't give you more information. Ultimately, if you're really interested in buying it's imperative to go to some tastings and see what the style of the vintage is and how you like it. When I went to tastings for 2002 and 2005, it was obvious that you could hardly go wrong by simply sticking to most reputable producers. There must be some 2011 tastings out there that you could go to.

[stefan]

Jadot Cote de Beaune 1er Cru wines provide a great introduction to Burgundy, are traditional, moderately priced, and are approachable relatively young. I don't buy them much these days as I focus more on the Cote de Nuits, but recommend them to anyone who wants to start exploring Burgundy.

In Tartu this week I drank one really good bottle: 2008 Les Combottes NSG from George Lignier. Young to be sure, but it had wonderful aromatics, spice and that special NSG grip. Every time I drink one of his wines I want to run out and buy some. His '95 Bonnes Mares is among the best Burgundies I have drunk.

Grivot is very good IMO but his wines tend to be quite hard when young.

[Chasse-Spleen]

It's funny, I was going to add that if you want info on Burgundy, ask Stefan!