Het is nog vroeg, de wijn zit nog in de vaten. Maar Wine Spectator heeft al een uitgebreide analyse gedaan van de 2005 oogst in de Bourgogne.
Conclusie: over de hele linie veel potentieel.
Rijp fruit, frisse zuren, goed geintegreerde tanines en goede balans.
Vintage Analysis: 2005 Red and White Burgundy
A barrel-tasting visit to the region’s cellars reveals great potential across appellations, Bruce Sanderson
The 2005 vintage for red and white Burgundy has everything you could want: ripe fruit, fresh acidity, well-integrated tannins and great balance. Even at this young stage, many of the wines reveal gorgeous fruit flavors and terroir.
I spent 11 days in Burgundy in June, my second visit this year, and tasted more than 400 of the 2005 reds and whites from barrel or tank. Many wines were in various stages of malolactic fermentation, racking and fining, making them difficult to judge. What follows here are some general comments on the vintage based on my appointments at 21 domaines and houses from Chablis to Pouilly-Fuissé. (You can read more about my individual visits and early impressions of some wines in my travel blog). I’ll provide ratings of individual wines on my next visit, early in 2007.
The 2005 vintage appears to be a modern one, in the sense that it reflects changing weather patterns: Recent summers in Burgundy have been both warmer and drier than in the past. "2005 is another new kind of vintage–dry, but not too hot," said Etienne Grivot of Domaine Jean Grivot, contrasting it with the very hot, atypically concentrated 2003 vintage, which was outstanding for reds. In 2005, Grivot explained, "There was no stress [on the vines], the fruit obtained a fantastic maturity and the tannins are fat, but fresh. It’s a vintage that will become very luminous, I think."
Though quality may be high, prices probably will be too, especially if the dollar remains weak against the euro. Louis-Fabrice Latour of négociant house Louis Latour said he will likely price his top 2005 wines comparably to his 2003 wines and set his regional and village wines at prices between those for 2003 and the less-expensive 2004 vintage, which was challenged by a cool, rainy summer, hailstorms and oidium. American importers I contacted expect 5 percent to 20 percent increases over the prices for the 2004s.
One of the most attractive attributes of the 2005 vintage is ripe fruit, which shines through beautifully even at this early stage, for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The reds are marked by rich, sappy flavors of red and black fruits, flowers and minerals; the Chardonnays are fleshy, yet vibrant, with finesse and notes of white flowers, stone fruits, citrus and hazelnut. The stonier sites reveal their more mineral side. I found the majority of wines to have excellent balance, with fine acidity giving freshness and elegance.
These sentiments were echoed by most of the winemakers I visited. "2005 has excellent potential," asserted Bruno Clavelier, a former professional rugby player, about his 20th vintage at Domaine Bruno Clavelier in Vosne-Romanée. "It is complete, with density, balance, ripeness and no austerity. It has better balance than 2003. It reminds me of 1985."
Unlike 2004, the weather in 2005 was relatively uneventful. A few estates mentioned that the flowering was uneven, resulting in an irregular harvest. Hail in July affected parts of Chassagne-Montrachet, St.-Aubin and Santenay, plus three hailstorms hit the villages surrounding Chablis.
Yet overall, the warmth and dryness led to perfect maturation in the best vineyards. "It was a long growing season," recalled Nicolas Potel, who runs a small négociant house. "September was perfect for Pinot Noir in our area, and we picked late. The grapes had very good skins. It is a classic vintage."
A little rain in August benefited the maturity of the grapes in the Côte de Nuits, perhaps giving it a slight edge over the Côte de Beaune in quality. However, I tasted some stunning wines from Pommard and Volnay, as well as Nuits-St.-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin.
In Chablis, the rain in August spurred the development of botrytis, prompting Didier Seguier, estate manager at William Fèvre, to harvest early to preserve freshness and minerality in the wines. "It is a great year for those who harvested early, but difficult for others," he said.
Aside from the botrytis problems in Chablis, the grapes were healthy, allowing growers across Burgundy to pick at their leisure for ideal ripeness and balance. "For us, 2005 was the greatest maturity level since 1989," said Philippe Prost, winemaker at Bouchard Père & Fils. "Not only was [the fruit] ripe in sugar, but also the seeds and the skins. The fine weather during the harvest allowed each owner to pick according to his own philosophy, either early or late."
Working with healthy grapes with mature skins, winemakers could extract good-quality phenolic compounds to give their wines color and density. Plus they could conduct whole-cluster fermentation with the stems, if they preferred that practice.
Etienne de Montille of Château de Puligny-Montrachet paid close attention to the acid balance of his 2005 whites.
Some whites are on the fatter, more opulent side, while a few reds also show a ripeness bordering on jammy. Some winemakers were concerned about the acidity in the whites. "If we complete the malolactic [fermentation], I think the wines may be a little flat," said Jacques Lardière of Maison Louis Jadot. Château de Puligny-Montrachet manager Etienne de Montille noted that he made some minor acid adjustments for the estate’s whites.
The nascent 2005s also reflect their individual sites. According to Bouchard’s Prost, the dryness during the growing season acted as a catalyst. "There was no rain in ’05, so deep roots brought water to the vines. Therefore, you have a very interesting expression of terroir," he said.
One of the highlights of my trip was a fascinating tasting of eight Beaune premiers crus in the cellars of Chanson Père & Fils; the wines from each vineyard offered different flavors, textures and profiles.
This clear expression of terroir is the mark of the greatest vintages in Burgundy, and a principal reason so many people are so devoted to its wines, despite their low production and high prices.
Lees ook:Oogstbericht 2004: Rhone
Lees ook:Oogstbericht 2006: Bordeaux, slecht
Lees ook:Oogstbericht 2006: Zuidelijke halfrond (uitgebreid verslag)
Lees ook:Oogstbericht 2006: Bordeaux, slecht jaar!!!
Lees ook:Oogstbericht 2003: Spanje
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