Top 2018 Côte de Nuits en primeur wines

‘When it’s good, it’s superb; when it’s bad, you really should look elsewhere’

The 2018 Côte de Nuits reds are the most inconsistent of all in this Burgundy vintage, ranging from the sublime to the almost undrinkable.

Yields were generally lower here than in the rest of Burgundy because of the heat, and some of the resulting wines are pretty powerful, even figgy at times.

Picking dates varied widely, with the harvest covering almost a month and culminating on 20 September.

Scroll down to see Tim’s top Côte de Nuits tasting notes & scores

Deciding what to pick when was a major headache. Many producers opted to start with their best vineyards and leave others to accumulate more sugar by the day.

As a result, it is not unusual to find generic wines with 14.5% alcohol. At their ripest, some of the grands crus hit 16.5% alcohol or more. The biggest wines have more acidity than the 2003s, but are even headier in style.

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Côte de Nuits tasting notes by village:

Chambolle-MusignyFixinGevrey-ChambertinMarsannayMorey-St-DenisNuits-St-GeorgesVosne-RomanéeVougeot

Gevrey-Chambertin fared best after seeing generous yields that were very close to the record levels of 2017. However, the top producers made impressive wines in Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée as well.

Vineyards closer to the cooling breezes wafting down from the Hautes Côtes through the valleys often performed well in the glass following such a hot vintage.

Nuits-St-Georges was much more mixed, especially in the vineyards to the south of the village. Those closer to Vosne-Romanée generally fared better.

In terms of challenges in the vineyard, mildew was a problem in Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges, Fixin and Marsannay, while parts of Nuits-St-Georges and Premeaux were hit by hail on 15 July.

This reduced yields by 50% in some vineyards, further concentrating what was left behind.

Overall, this is a very mixed vintage that merits careful selection. When it’s good, it’s superb; when it’s bad, you really should look elsewhere in Burgundy in 2018.

Best Côte de Nuits producers:

Domaine Arlaud Père et Fils

Domaine Cécile Tremblay

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Domaine Denis Mortet

Domaine Dujac

Domaine Dugat-Py

Domaine Fourrier

Domaine Jean Grivot

Domaine J-F Mugnier

Domaine Robert Groffier

See Tim’s top 2018 Côte de Nuits en primeur wines:

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