2019, 2020, and 2021

The 2019 vintage is a truly great year for red Burgundy, and the whites are also growing on me as time goes by. The ’19s have a hedonistic flair in their details that makes them both complex and delicate, while both the reds and whites seduce you with gorgeous generosity.

The 2020s are a contrast to this in many cases. Don’t get me wrong: They are very fine indeed, and can in both colours be extremely impressive, even dominant. They are big wines, they are dark, and they are serious. The whites are beautifully balanced and show lovely purity; very impressive indeed.

This conclusion is, of course, all in its wording: In your vintage choice, do you want to be seduced or impressed?

The rank outsider: 2021

The 2021s are playing a different game. They are at best transparent, crunchy, delicate, and with beautiful balance. The low yields which resulted from the April frost have in many cases saved the day, and the intensity of the vintage. Most of the wines display a slight fragility that makes them charmingly lively.

The ’21s are a return to classical Burgundies, as acidity, balance, detail, and complexity offer a combination we don’t find in the 2020 reds.

The character of the 2020s is an issue for the vintage, as their solid density makes it difficult to get fully involved with them. Directly comparing the same wine in the 2019 and the 2020 vintage quite often reveals a lack of sensuality, delicacy, and vivid energy in the ’20.

The 2020s are not poor wines by any standard, but they are simply lacking hedonistic freedom and expression – the key characteristics of a vin d’émotion.

Downgrading the 2020 reds (a notch)

The 2020 reds are slightly too dense and monolithic, and are missing the energy and seductive delicacy of the 2019s.

Some ’20s excel in their intensity and fine liveliness – Dujac Vosne-Romanee Malconsorts for example. But in comparison, the vivacity and seductiveness of the 2019s are difficult to match.

It’s feels as though the thoroughgoing predictability of the 2020s is too great (like the 2005s), and they lack the casual vivacity of the ’19s.

I know what I prefer: the seductive, refined, and hedonistic 2019s. The 2020s simply don’t have the delicacy and liveliness to take them to the top of the vin d’émotion scale. I have therefore decided to downgrade the red 2020s from “Outstanding to Extraordinary” to “Outstanding+“.

I am also giving an emotional rating to the vintage, which is really the motivation behind the downgrade. The 2020s get as a vintage; a good rating, reflecting the fact that the hedonistic joy is perhaps not the year’s strongest side.

The 2019 vintage gets , and is the top scorer on this parameter. Perfect? Perhaps not; but there is a lot of hedonistic joy to be found in 2019.

As for 2021, I have awarded it for the reds; generous perhaps, and with the caveat that there is huge variation.

Points? Is the sky really the limit?

The downgrade of 2020 also means that I am reluctant to pull out the stops on the points and ratings.

I’m sure some reviewers of 2020 are throwing 100 points at excellent wines, but the question is: Can all the grand crus reach 100p? Or does the scale stop just below for certain vineyards? Especially in a power vintage like 2020? Just sayin’…

Moving to the 1ers crus, a Pommard Rugiens at 98 points is generous, yes. But again, it’s from a vintage that lacks some hedonistic values. And even with a full pot on the hedonistic score, I can in no case see a Rugiens scoring 98p. But this is just me!

OK, one can argue that Rugiens should be a grand cru. But if it were, it would not be a great grand cru – think Corton red or Charmes-Chambertin, which rarely hit heaven and always lack the intensity and sheer depth of Chambertin or Clos de Beze.

One needs to respect the order of nature and terroir, otherwise the problematic point scores break down entirely.

Points – or not

I know many of you won’t like this, but the Winehog is getting a proper, old-school ass-whipping regarding the Parker points.

It appears that only a rather few producers want to drop the points. I still need to do a bit of testing, but I’m coming to the conclusion that I don’t think we’ve reached the point where points can be abolished.

Stay tuned!