Burgundy 2020 en primeur: Full report plus top-scoring wines

Côte d’Or 2020 whites score: 4/5

Côte d’Or 2020 reds score: 4.5/5

‘2020 was the third year in a row of hot, dry weather, and may prove a template for the future era of global warming.’

White wine of the vintage:

Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Montrachet Grand Cru

Red wine of the vintage:

Domaine Georges Roumier, Musigny Grand Cru

The unique conditions – economic as well as meteorological – of 2020 mean it is an exceptional Burgundy vintage.

The potential was there to make sublime wine if one avoided the traps of overripeness and over-extraction.

A judicious choice of picking date and a gentle hand in the winery were required, but the best producers made delicious wines that will last for decades.

‘It’s good. But is it Burgundy?’, I found myself asking on more than one occasion during the recent month I spent in the region tasting the 2020 vintage.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of Charles’ top-scoring Burgundy 2020 wines

After more than 1,200 samples tasted, I’m still on the fence. There is one certainty, however. As more than one winemaker pointed out: ‘We have no choice but to deal with what nature has given us.’

2020 was the third year in a row of hot, dry weather, and may prove a template for the future era of global warming. The results are delicious, but they hardly conform to many wine lovers’ idea of what Burgundy is.

The colour in the reds is often inky dark and the aromas are more black fruit than red. Still, unlike 2018, the differences between terroirs are apparent.

As Guillaume d’Angerville, sixth generation head at Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, remarked: ‘2015 was greatly affected by the warm conditions; 2018, less so; 2019, even less so; and 2020 was almost classical in style.’

See the Burgundy 2020 en primeur score table listing Charles’ top 153 wines all scoring 95 points or above

See all 650 Burgundy 2020 tasting notes and scores

Quick links:

See further analysis and top-scoring wines of the following areas:

Côte de Beaune | Côte de Nuits | Mâconnais | Côte Chalonnaise

Morey-St-Denis | Meursault | Gevrey-Chambertin | Chambolle-Musigny | Pommard and Volnay | Vosne-Romanée

Beating the heat – 2020 climate and growing conditions

2020 began warmer and drier than average, and temperatures remained high in February. Fortunately, much of the region (except the Côte Chalonnaise) received much-needed rain to recharge reserves in the soil.

Bud break began three weeks earlier than usual, between 18-23 March. Temperatures again greatly exceeded the norm in April, and flowering was also three weeks early, the process beginning in some precocious sectors as early as 14 May and producing many bunches and little evidence of coulure or millerandage (respectively, poor fruit set due to inconsistent flowering, and uneven-sized grapes on bunches due to poor fertilisation).

The summer season continued to be warm, but less so than April. There was an intense heatwave during the second week of August, but the real story was the drought.

After the refreshing rains in March, there was little precipitation. The small amount of rain that fell was in the form of highly localised thunderstorms that didn’t benefit the broader region, and in general, drought conditions prevailed.

This was particularly true in the Côte d’Or, where precipitation was down by 62%, according to the Burgundy wine board BIVB.

By contrast, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais to the south were 28% drier than usual.

Along with the lack of rain, total hours of sunshine were more than 25% above the average. Yet despite this, many growers reported a blockage of maturity due to the lack of water.

Veraison [onset of colour change in the berries], which was underway before 1 August, was slowed by the blockage and did not finish until the end of the heatwave.

The vines shut down at this point and stopped ripening, which posed the danger of green, unripe tannins.

Exceptionally low yields

Conditions also led to a concentration of the juice by evaporation. Growers cited a harvest anywhere from 20%-40% lower than expected because of this phenomenon.

Fortunately, tartaric acid was also concentrated – this acidity helped the grapes retain freshness even in the face of malic acid levels that were very low.

According to Bertrand de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, a north wind that prevailed from Palm Sunday (5 April in 2020) onward also helped concentrate the fruit.

It is this wind and concurrent cool nights that gave 2020 the balance which sets it apart from 2018 and 2019.

Beaune-based producer Philippe Pacalet compared the 2020 and 2019 vintages in this way: ‘2019 had a smaller sortie [number of bunches] leading to a smaller harvest; 2020 had a good sortie, but because of the lack of water, the grapes didn’t swell. An average picking case was 2kg less than usual. It’s the millésime of density.’

However, the same sunny, dry conditions also exposed the bunches to the danger of sunburn, which can bring bitterness to the wines.

Growers found it necessary to sort for sunburn, although there was little disease.

Decanter’s Côte d’Or vintage ratings

2020

Whites 4 | Reds 4.5

2019

Whites 4 | Reds 4.5

2018

Whites 3.5 | Reds 4

2017

Whites 4 | Reds 3.5

2016

Whites 4 | Reds 4.5

2015

Whites 3 | Reds 5

Overall verdict – healthy and ripe

Overall, the 2020 Burgundy vintage was the hottest since the start of the 21st century.

Harvest commenced as early as 12 August in the Mâconnais, and growers throughout the Burgundy region began picking the following week.

Many harvested the Pinot Noir first, because the thinner skins are more susceptible to sunburn and water stress, and left the hardier Chardonnay for later harvest.

Many growers even finished picking before the beginning of September – but those who waited were rewarded with a bit of rain over the last weekend in August, which helped the vines finish their ripening.

In the end, the crop was healthy, slightly smaller than usual, and very concentrated.

Among the reds, 2020 saw a very high average level of tannin – on a par with 2015 – and the amount of colour in the skins was the highest ever measured.

According to Frédéric Drouhin, the harvest was ‘completely homogenous, from Chablis to the Mâconnais, everywhere healthy and ripe, although yields were 20% less than a normal crop’.

In red and in white, Burgundy 2020 is certainly a vintage worth buying.

Among the whites, perhaps the most compelling are the southwest-facing Corton Charlemagne, Chevalier-Montrachet from high on the slope, and the premiers crus from the highest reaches of Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault, such as Puligny Champ Gain, Chassagne La Romanée or Meursault Blagny.

For the reds, Bonnes-Mares, Richebourg, Ruchottes-Chambertin or Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts are all superb options, if money is no object.

Burgundy 2020 top-value whites:

• Domaine Paul Pillot, Bourgogne Blanc, 2020
• Domaine Ferret, Hors-Classe Tournant de Pouilly Cuvée, 1er Cru Les Reisses, 2020
• Domaine A & P de Villaine, Bouzeron, 2020
• Domaine Barraud, La Roche, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Vergisson, 2020
• Domaine Lucien Jacob, Savigny-lès-Beaune, 1er Cru Vergelesses, 2020
• Benjamin Leroux, Auxey-Duresses, 2020
• Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, St-Aubin, 1er Cru Chatenière, 2020
• Domaine Henri & Gilles Buisson, Sous la Velle, St-Romain, 2020
• Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Clos du Four, Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine, 2020

Burgundy 2020 top-value reds:

• Domaine de la Cras, Bourgogne Montre Cul, 2020
• Domaine Gérard Mugneret, Pourpre, Vin de France, 2020
• Domaine Jessiaume, Clos du Clos Gênet, Santenay, 2020
• Château de Chamirey, Mercurey, 1er Cru Ruelles, 2020
• Domaine Trapet Père & Fils, Marsannay, 2020
• Domaine Rossignol-Trapet, Aux Etalois, Gevrey-Chambertin, 2020
• Domaine Michel Mallard, Aloxe-Corton, 1er Cru Les Valozières, 2020
• Domaine Comte Senard, Chorey-lès-Beaune, 2020
• Domaine Michel Lafarge, L’Exception, Bourgogne Passtoutgrains, 2020

Burgundy 2020 top-quality whites:

• Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, 2020
• Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard, Montrachet Grand Cru 2020
• Etienne Sauzet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, 2020
• Domaine Blain-Gagnard, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, 2020
• Domaine Paul Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru La Grande Montagne, 2020
• Domaine Roulot, Meursault, 1er Cru Clos des Bouchères, 2020
• Maison Pierre Millemann, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine Roulot, Meursault, 1er Cru Perrieres, Burgundy 2020

Burgundy 2020 top-quality reds:

• Domaine Trapet Père & Fils, Chambertin Grand Cru, 2020
• Domaine Dujac, Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru, Burgundy 2020
• Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, Richebourg Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine Denis Bachelet, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine Faiveley, Les Ouvrées Rodin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 2020
• Hubert Lignier, Hommage, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole, 2020
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, La Romanée Grand Cru 2020

Burgundy 2020 under-the-radar wines:

• Domaine Duroché, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine Amiot-Servelle, Les Bas Doix, Chambolle-Musigny, 2020
• Maison Pierre Millemann, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2020
• Domaine Joannès Violot-Guillemard, Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru, 2020
• Domaine Yvon Clerget, Volnay, 1er Cru Les Caillerets, Burgundy 2020
• Domaine Henri & Gilles Buisson, Sous la Velle, St-Romain, 2020
• Domaine des Croix, Beaune, 1er Cru Grèves, 2020

See tasting notes and scores for Charles Curtis MW’s top-scoring Burgundy 2020 wines:

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