Tuesday morning in NSG – harvest is moving on… although it has become relatively quiet in the vineyards.
The 2026s are now in many cuveries and one thing is clear – very little juice – only 50% of the normal yield … even 60% less or 70% below normal.
The other word that springs to mind is “plenty” … plenty of color, plenty of tannins, and plenty of extract – in most grapes.
It is therefore important to go light on the vinification … if you don’t want to end up with some Shiraz lookalikes!! If I buy a pinot, I don’t want it to look like a and taste like a Shiraz or a heavy Zinfandel …
I know that a lot of the less talented vignerons … by some called vin nature … think they can hide all kinds of mistakes and unclean notes in the dark and extracted wines … I just say – don’t go there … even though some Italian wine DJ favour and promote these wines. It’s not Burgundy, it’s just crap!
Go light … go with the talent
I try to find new vignerons … talents and vignerons who are producing wines that are joyful and emotional … vin d’émotion…
With global warming, lightness is a virtue that can no longer be ignored … as most wines in a vintage like 2026 can easily become monsters with plenty of tannins and extract.
It is not exactly easy to find these wines … even if you accept that not all wines in a lineup should qualify for vin d’émotion. Not all vineyards have the potential, and not all clones unfold into emotionally moving wines.
To me, it is also a quality that the wines produced are drinkable and enjoyable within a normal drinking window … and do not require 20 years of cellaring before they are ready to enjoy.
In reality, most wines are drunk within the first 5 years … and if a wine is untastable for 10 years after bottling, then perhaps 90% of the wines are consumed too early and at a bad time … think about this … scary, isn’t it?
With global warming and years like 2026, this problem will just get worse …
Go Aligoté
In my view, Aligoté handles the heat better, and the top-end Aligotés can give you a lot of complexity … look at Fournier, Pataille, d’Auvernay and the very hyped William Kelley. So aligote today is far from the inferior ingredient of a Kir.
I love aligote!
Go for the human and female touch
In a male-dominated wine world, I find it in its place to promote wines made by female producers …
The girls and the ladies rarely produce dense and extracted wines … it can happen, but rarely does. And often they produce elegant and enjoyable wines without the tannins that will kill your palate for 15 years.
So look for female vignerons like Agnès Paquet and a new name this year on Winehog – Maï Roblin Bazin. They offer delightful wines that drink well.
It is often sensitive to speak about the cellar ideal drinking age – cellar potential – as a lot of Burgundians are afraid to say that their wine is ready to drink when it is 5 years old, although most will drink the wine even before this point.
Some producers do indicate 10 to 15 years to maturity … and this is way more than the average bottle is kept in the cellar.
I understand the worry, as many collectors ask about the cellar potential, although they drink the wines way earlier.
They should rather ask … when can I drink this wine with pleasure … or how soon can I drink this wine!!!
Frais et Léger
Some new producers… mainly female … have more courage and relate to the drinking habits and palate of the consumers. Both in relation to readiness to drink and the lightness and freshness the wine brings you …
The French term “léger” is perhaps the best … often used by a dear friend of mine when ordering Champagne or red wine, “frais et léger.”
A sense of lightness, freshness, energy, and effortlessness are the key parameters, meaning that the wine should have a feeling of effortlessness and vivacity carried by the freshness and energy.
One such producer is Aurélie from Ledy Vins, who makes wines that can keep, but are made for almost immediate enjoyment and pleasure.
The drinking window
Drink and buy wines that give you pleasure … drink 2017 if you are in a wine bar or a restaurant, and even 2015 is starting to show the slightly maturing side …
2013 is maturing ,,, but the 2012s are just beginning to unfold – would wait for the 2012s but go for the 2013s at this stage.
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Harvest time … Forecast
| Forecast date | Harvest Côte de Beaune | Harvest Côte de Nuits |
| May 18th | August 15th | August 22th |
| June 20th | August 15th | August 22th |
| July 5th | August 15th | August 22th |
| August 7th | August 12th | August 18th |
| August 9th | August 7th | August 9th – early start small plots |
| 2025 Harvest Final | August 17th | August 27th |
Weather – forecast
I will follow the weather in the harvest reports; start date August 12th – base level is Nuits-Saint-Georges,
Yesterday’s Harvest View
Harvest articles
- Harvest 2026 – the final cut
- Harvest 2026 – a light vinification, please
- Harvest 2026 – passion and bias
- Harvest 2026 – a rising star
- Harvest 2026 – a common passion
- Harvest 2026 – the effect of rain
- Harvest 2026 – then the rain came
- Harvest 2026 – the final run
- Harvest 2026 – lower alcohol in Côte de Nuits
- Harvest 2026 – the big harvest days
- Harvest 2026 – and vin d’émotion
- Harvest 2026 – in the mood
- Harvest 2026 – lacking pickers
- Harvest 2026 – the alcohol in the room
- Harvest 2026 – avanti … Avanti!!
- Harvest 2026 – a fair bit of rain!
- Harvest 2026 – here we go … but no rain
- Harvest 2026 – Burgundy is now in harvest mode
- Harvest 2026 – possible panic is lurking
- Harvest 2026 – Friends, free and Fee
- Harvest 2026 – preparing for harvest next week
- Harvest 2026 – preparing the start
- Harvest 2026 – the harvest unfolds
- Harvest 2026 – has started
- Harvest 2026 – less than two weeks to the start
Contact – mail me a tip or a photo
Send me an email – if you have some harvest news
- A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion
- A truly hedonistic wine – lively and enjoyable
- A vivacious wine for pure indulgance
- A potential vin d´émotion - frais et léger
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