In the world of fine wine — or really the world of wine in general — Burgundy is king. In recent years, wine lists have basically become “Burgundy” and “every other region,” and it doesn’t appear as if anything, not even a bad vintage, will ever be enough to tarnish the illustrious region’s reputation. Part of what has made Burgundy so untouchable is the quality of its ancient limestone soils, which are particularly conducive to growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the region’s star grape varieties. There’s also the reputation of its producers to consider, with household names like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), Domaine d’Auvenay, and Leroy adding prestige to the region at large.
But while drinkers are quick to sample any and every vintage produced in the region, it doesn’t mean that each year knocks it out of the park. Wine is an agricultural product, after all, and the quality of each year’s bottlings is incredibly reliant on the weather patterns observed during the previous 12 months. That said, there are Burgundy vintages that are so good they’ve ascended to legendary status, with some bottles produced decades ago still drinking beautifully today.
Here, we’ve taken a look back at the past century of Burgundy production to identify some of the very best production years in recent memory. From the first vintage produced following Nazi occupation to the warm, dry summer that led to what some have called the best year of the new millennium, these are 10 of Burgundy’s most iconic vintages.
1945
1945 will likely live on as one of the most iconic vintages in French wine history. Despite the growing season getting off to a promising start with a warm spring, late frosts in early May destroyed portions of the crops, significantly reducing its final yields. Grapes that survived benefited from a long, hot summer with the ideal amount of rain before the harvest began in late August — one of the earliest start dates in Burgundy’s history. The stellar growing conditions laid the foundations for a truly remarkable vintage, made all the more desirable considering it was the first produced following the defeat of the Axis powers.
Known as the Victory Vintage, 1945 Burgundy is characterized by its refined tannic structure and impressive aromatic complexity that has allowed it to mature beautifully in bottle over the decades. Of the bottles produced that year, DRC’s Romanée-Conti Grand Cru is easily the most famous. Not only were just 600 bottles made in total, but it was the final vintage produced from the winery’s pre-phylloxera vines, which were uprooted and replanted with grafted vines in 1946. And consumers are willing to pay a pretty penny to get their hands on it — in 2018, two bottles sold at Sotheby’s for a whopping $558,000 and $496,000, respectively.
1949
Similar to 1945, 1949 saw extremely limited yields in Burgundy. While flowering was complete by the end of May in 1945, in 1949, vineyards didn’t finish blooming until late June. Not only did budding occur much later than normal, but that summer’s record drought conditions and hot temperatures further reduced final crop yields. Despite the hot, dry summer, a series of rain storms in September prevented grapes from developing too much tannin and losing their lush ripe fruit notes. Despite the rocky start, 1949 proved to be an outstanding year for both red and white Burgundy, yielding wines lauded for their rich profile and low acid levels. One of the most sought after to this day is 1949 Maison Leroy Richebourg, a Grand Cru Pinot Noir made from fruit harvested on the prestigious 20-acre vineyard in Vosne-Romanée. The wine is said to have maintained its powerful structure, with subtle pops of mint and citrus.
1959
Following the success of the immediate post-WWII years, Burgundy fell into a bit of a lull, experiencing a series of bad and then just OK vintages. That all came to a screeching halt in 1959, which, at the time, was regarded as the best vintage since 1945. An early spring flowering gave way to a lengthy, hot, dry summer with the arrival of sufficient rain in September to revitalize the grapes. The favorable weather conditions allowed for record-setting crop yields, with the size of the harvest equal to its quality. While most white Burgundies from 1959 have already been consumed, the wines were characterized by their impressive acid concentration and rich fruit notes. Red Burgundies from 1959 are renowned for their full-bodied, robust profiles, with many developing beautifully over the decades to reveal succulent and savory tertiary notes. Some of the best examples are 1959 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg and La Tâche, the latter of which is a DRC monopole. Today, the wine is said to deliver rich, deep, dark fruit notes with undercurrents of forest floor, truffle, leather, and spice. Other standout bottles from the vintage include 1959 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru and 1959 Bouchard Chapelle Chambertin.
1978
For all intents and purposes, Burgundy’s 1978 growing season got off to a rough start. The spring season was cold and wet, with the less-than-favorable weather conditions carrying on through the end of June. While the start of the growing season was slow, preventing an abundance of flowering, things turned around in August and September. That year, a warm, sunny second summer allowed the grapes, which had already benefited from the sun protection of so much rain, to ripen without the risk of scalding. The result was a truly sophisticated vintage for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with both demonstrating concentrated fruit notes, strong acidity, and firm structure. Several red Burgundies from 1978 remain drinkable to this day, with six of the 10 most popular bottlings from the year on Wine-Searcher coming from one producer: DRC.
1985
Despite a lengthy and very cold winter and spring delaying the start of the growing season, a warm June and July transformed 1985 into one of Burgundy’s best vintages of the 20th century. The agreeable, sunny climate remained through all of August and September, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly and develop lush fruit notes. Harvest that year did not get underway until Sept. 24, and it resulted in impressive Pinot Noir yields. As such, 1985 is widely regarded as a stellar year for red Burgundy in particular, with many bottles demonstrating impressive finesse in their youth. For this reason, several bottles were ready to drink immediately upon release, demonstrating bright fruit notes, grippy tannins, and zippy acidity. Equally as many were designed to mature in bottle, with the most sought after coming from the usual big hitters: DRC, Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux, and Mommessin Clos de Tart.
1990
Burgundy benefited from near-perfect growing conditions in 1990, with a relatively warm winter giving way to a cool, damp spring with no severe frosts. The summer season was long and hot before refreshing rains arrived in August and September, resulting in smaller yet highly concentrated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. While the warm temperatures resulted in slightly more tannic red wines, they demonstrated tremendous aging potential, especially those hailing from the Côte de Nuits. One of the most impressive is arguably 1990 Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru, which is exemplary for its expressive acidity, muscular structure, and seductive black and red fruit notes. As for white Burgundy, 1990 Domaine Comte de Vogüé Musigny Blanc Grand Cru stands out for its abundance of orchard fruit notes and rich, round profile. As the only Grand Cru Bourgogne Blanc produced in the Côte de Nuits, the wine sells for a pretty penny today, with the global average retail price above $2,400 per bottle.
2005
Burgundy’s 2005 growing season started with a temperate spring that laid the foundation for what has been regarded as one of the best vintages of the new millennium. Spring gave way to a hot, dry summer, with temperatures that remained elevated through the end of August, allowing for exceptional ripening. September arrived and brought a near-perfect amount of rainfall, which imbued the grapes with refined acidity comparable to that of cooler vintages. The balance of ripe fruit and structured acidity is present in both reds and whites across the board, though bottles from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits are particularly prized. Given the hot growing season, reds from both sub-regions are characterized by their strong tannic structures, though there are plenty of vibrant, juicy red fruit notes for balance.
While Grand Cru red Burgundies like DRC Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, and Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny are often cited as the cream of the crop, even village-level wines from 2005 have maintained their structure over time and still drink beautifully 21 years later. White Burgundies from 2005 do tend to be slightly less consistent across the board, but they are as a whole known for their vibrant acidity and juicy fruit notes. One of the most notable is 2005 Domaine Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne, a Grand Cru Chardonnay presenting plush orchard fruit and rounded honeyed notes.
2010
Just like 1978, 2010 started with a very difficult growing season, leading to fears that the vintage would succumb to disease and leave farmers with extremely low yields. The winter was severely cold, with several vine-damaging frosts that did not abate until the early summer. Even so, June, July, and August were all relatively cool and very damp, with conditions failing to improve until September, when temperatures started heating up and the sun finally came out. Despite overwhelming fears of mildew and rot, the climate turned out to be ideal for preserving laser-beam-like acidity and highly concentrated aromatics. The coolness led to a vintage marked by its bright, fresh fruit and refined balance between tannins and acid. While some wines will continue evolving for many years, like those from Domaine Leroy, several 2010 Burgundies drank exceptionally in their youth, like that year’s La Tâche bottling from DRC.
2015
The weather conditions in Burgundy in 2015 could not have been more different from those in 2010. Both winter and spring were relatively mild, leading to early and abundant flowering. Where 2010’s summer was cold and wet, 2015’s was notable for its extremely high temperatures and intense drought conditions, which actually caused some vines to shut down for a brief period. August finally brought a reprieve from the heat, with increased cloud cover and scattered showers relieving dehydrated vines and pushing the ripening process forward. Given the long periods of sun earlier in the season, 2015’s harvest started relatively early, with the first producers picking on Aug. 27. Red Burgundies produced that year are known for their intense muscularity, demonstrating strong tannins, robust ripe fruit, and refined acidity. White Burgundies, while slightly less regarded than their red counterparts, deliver similarly impressive structure and are notable for their orchard fruit notes and sharp minerality.
2019
2019 is often cited as one of the best Burgundy vintages in recent memory, despite the fact that the year proved to be a tumultuous one for growers in the region. A mild winter transitioned into a cold spring, with frosts that occurred as late as April damaging vines, most notable in the Mâconnais. That summer demonstrated the profound impacts of Burgundy’s changing climate, with an extremely hot and dry July and August stressing vines and drastically lowering crop yields. While fears of poor quality abounded, the resulting red wines demonstrated a hoped-for lack of overcooked or stewed fruit notes and instead presented rich complexity with surprising tannin and acid balance. Whites from 2019 are similarly refined, with below-average yields creating juicy, ripe-tasting wines, several of which came in high at over 14 percent ABV. For some of the best of what the vintage has to offer, look no further than bottlings from the always-prized DRC as well as those from Domaine George Roumier and Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux.
