The End of Harvest – Update

There are still a few vignerons harvesting, but the majority of the 2023 grapes have now passed over the sorting table.

The current status is that of a rather monumental harvest with, for the most part, potentially attractive wines – if the worst issues in the vineyards were avoided. Thorough sorting was essential, with Suzukii fly problems (volatile acidity) in many vineyards.

The fruit in the early samples is ample, but rarely super concentrated. The high to very high yields have produced a rather elegant, but surprisingly intense character. Acidities are on the moderate side. The overall balance is quite good it seems.

The hedonistic and emotional values seem fine, even potentially delightful – at least in the wines that were harvested before the rain (these are the only wines that are almost done with their alcoholic fermentation). They have, again, a good appeal and are vivid and quite agile, even when the acidity is not a strong point.

In reality, the lack of acidity is gradually becoming a problem. So far, it seems that the wines from quality producers (the best 15%) are holding their levels well. (Remember, it’s only the top 15% I’m talking about. That leaves another 85%.)

And in reality, if you don’t go for the quality producers, then why choose Burgundy? You end up paying a horrendous premium for the label, and perhaps a crappy negociant name as a negative bonus.

Harvest nearly done

The harvest, sorting, and vinification are almost done, and some producers are now starting to press their reds. This means that one can get a first impression of the red 2023s.

And I have to say, with an absolute caveat of being premature and too optimistic, that the ’23s are looking delightful, attractive, and appealing when well made (remember the top 15%).

They are wines with fine hedonistic qualities, rather expressive and vivid, with real generosity. What they are not is extremely concentrated. The level of detail and complexity is more on the impressionistic side. These are a painting made with a big brush and lighter paint, where the 2019s have the details and the 2020s are more on the acrylic side. But the 2023s are surprisingly dark at some domaines.

They are gaining weight and one should be careful in termes of extration and fruit density … they are still pleasing without a feeling of concentration and excessive display of intensity.

First samples

My first samples of the red 2023s were at Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, where I had the opportunity to taste them with winemaker Jean Lupatelli on Sept. 19.

De Vogüé is starting to press today, as some of the cuvees are done with their fermentation.

The de Vogüé wines were all harvested before the rain, and the Musigny harvest showed textbook numbers, with sugar, acidity (acidity + PH), and phenolic ripeness showing signs of good timing harvest-wise.

The Musigny is harvested in sections to give a better understanding of the vineyard, and to provide some tools for blending the optimal cuvee. The sections can be seen on the map below:

The different sections quite show the same differences that were shown by the 2022s when I tasted them.

Let’s take a look at the wines from the various sections.

Les Petits Musigny South (1)

The wine from the southern part of Petits Musigny is vivid, lively, and lighter than the other sections. It’s airy, with some stylistic resemblance to the Combe de Orveaux made by Bruno Clavelier. This is the lightest part of Musigny.

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Middle part of Les Petits Musigny – bottom (2)

This is the bottom middle section of Les Petit Musigny, and it produces a richer, more opulent wine bearing a certain resemblance to the Chambolle 1er Cru. While there’s a stronger mineral structure than in the 1er cru, and more fruit weight on the mid-palate, this is still refined.

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Middle part of Les Petits Musigny – top (3)

This is livelier than the wine from the bottom part. It’s vividly expressive and mineral, without having the depth and intensity of the bottom part. It’s a larger wine than the southern part (1).

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Northern part of Les Petits Musigny (4)

This is a powerful section, producing a wine that’s intense and deep with a strong mineral backbone. It is nonetheless delicately airy, with real liveliness and a certain grandeur. One of the best plots.

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The southern part of Les Musigny (5)

This section is called the 13 ouvrees (ouvree is an old Burgundian measure of surface area). It has more complexity, and in 2023, more vivid red fruit. It is very delicate and comes from a plot that neighbours those of Vougeraie and the southern part of Mugnier’s holding.

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Top of Les Musigny (6)

Highly complex and delicately intense, this is vivid, deep, and spicy. While lively, it does not have the density of the lower plots. It does, however, have huge complexity.

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Bottom of Les Musigny (7)

This is for me the best section. Its wine has a unique intensity, good density, and great complexity – the full monty. Add to this all the intense mineral notes one finds in a great Musigny. This plot borders those of Mugnier and Drouhin.

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I have not yet tasted the assembled cuvee or even all the sections, but no doubt there are some very, very good individual elements. In my view, the bottom part of Les Musigny (7) is the strongest section, followed by sections 4 and 5. But others will contribute mineral vivacity and variation in the fruit components, leading almost certainly to a final whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

2023 perspective

Comparing 2023 with 2022, they are not alcohol-heavy wines, and the fruit stance is surprisingly intense given the high yields.

The wines still need to be pressed, but and given the intensity a gentle hand with the press is advisable.

It’s still early. Perhaps I will get another chance to taste the samples before they are barrelled down.