Winehog Food for Thought: Phenolic Ripeness

The Winehog “Food for Thought” are my reflections on the core qualities of the wines we drink … these are merely thoughts and reflections that I use when I try to understand and appreciate wines … and I hope they can offer you a better insight in the qualities and potentials of the wines we drink … why do we love some wines … and why we call some wines … vin d’émotion.

I have tasted good and great wines for many years, having started out when I was still at the University of Copenhagen.

The world of wine and the ripeness picture has changed a lot during these years, and this is a big part of my understanding of wine today. With me, I carry the Burgundies of the past, of today and, therefore, also a good view of the Burgundies of tomorrow.

For me, it is important that the wines develop according to the new possibilities given the evolution of the climate, but even more so that the wines still maintain the core qualities …

… A Burgundy should have a phenolic ripeness that ensures a wine that one could call “fresh et legér” and have a energy that makes you want to drink a glass and a bottle more.

This is what we love about these wines … this is our vin d’émotion … this is the future Burgundies but with the best quality of the past. A wine without these core qualities will never unfold the complexity and the emotional energy that will capture your mind and attention.

Yes, some vintages are better and offer more vin d’émotion than others, but what the vintage actually offers is the better possibility to catch and capture the perfect phenolic ripeness … a Vin “fresh et legér” with a emotional radience.

Climate and Burgundies

Global warming has changed the fundamentals of Burgundy and other regions, as the increasing ripeness has evolved the possibilities of winemaking in Burgundy.

The same has happened in Bordeaux where the ripeness has increased and the focus in the winemaking has changed … bigger focus on phenolic ripeness, and regardless of what the Bordeaux people say, an increased focus on drinkability.

In Burgundy, the same development has happened some years later … starting in the 2000s where the ripeness increased . Then, in recent years, the freshness and acidity have started to become a concern, and the rising phenolic ripeness went from being an advantage to being a concern and even an issue … perhaps more so than acknowledged by many so far.

Now, some years later, the high phenolic ripeness in some wines and vintages have become a problem … where the freshness and energy starts to suffer in many wines.

The 2022 and 2023 insights

One of the key issues in vintages like 2023 seems be to the speed of ripeness. The harvesting season is compressed, and the winegrowers face a problem with a large part of the harvest being ready at the same time.

Sometimes, the phenolic ripeness can be caught just right, but at other times, the phenolics are getting too ripe … and even a little phenolic overripeness can bring the freshness and energy in danger. This is really balancing on the edge … hours rather than days.

The issue with phenolic overripeness is actually becoming the largest problem in Burgundy with regards to producing true vin d’émotion.

Looking at some of the big lineups in the 2023 vintage, it’s rarely more than 25% of the wines that are true vin d’émotion. In some lineups, none of the wines are spot on …. problematic indeed.

And look at the slightly dosile sweet notes on the midpalate of quite many 2022s … not exactly vibrant and energetic!

Put on the edge – to produce a true vin d’émotion, the phenolics should be either spot on, or even slightly slightly underripe to ensure the liveliness … to give a vivid wine with the high ripeness, concentration and alcohol we often see these days.

Phenolic ripeness is alpha and omega of Vin d’émotion … only the correct, or should I say, adequate phenolic ripeness will give a vin “fresh and léger”.

Phenolic ripeness is one of the key factors that makes Burgundy what she is. Sometimes, hitting the optimal level is very difficult … and some vintages are more fragile than others. It seems that the 2023 vintage is rather sensitive regarding phenolic ripeness, and judging the ripeness levels can have a severe influence on the result.

If the phenolic ripeness is slightly on the high side, there is a tendency to slightly darker fruit, and in some cases, a severe loss of energy and vividness. The wines become slightly dull or lethargic, lacking some of the vital components of Vin d’émotion … frais et léger … with the glow and the sparkle of the mid-palate fruit.

It seems like some vineyards are more badly hit than others …. the big Échezeaux vineyard seems to have produced quite some darkish wines in 2023 … on the borderline to lacking liveliness and energy …. even top-end producers seem to have had some issues.

Time will show if ageing will improve this … but I sort of doubt it. This tendency has been seen in other vintages … where the ripening suddenly had gone very fast.

Vin d’émotion without perfect phenolic ripeness?

The are more factors than perfect phenolic ripeness that is required to make a great Vin d’émotion … but it remains the most important and absolutely needed.

So no, it is impossible to create a great vin d’émotion without it catching and capturing a perfect and adequate phenolic ripeness … a vin “fresh et léger” with the vital emotional feel.