The more you go to Bourgogne, the more you will notice interesting things. For example, tourists like to eat Burgundy’s famous snails, but actually, local people rarely have it. The favorite cheese of Burgundy people would be a soumaintrain or époisses. More interestingly, if you do a blind test with local Burgundy winemakers, they will usually try to guess the vintage of the wine first, then try to guess the properties of the land from which it originated, and finally try to find some specificities related to the producer’s wine making methods. These rules especially go for white Bourgogne wines blind tests. Over time, I also began to grasp the characteristics of white Bourgogne’s different vintages. These games are really helpful for our daily sommelier work. Below is a summary of some white Bourgogne vintages’ characteristics:

Cool years

The region of Bourgogne has a relatively cool climate, but two to three times in ten years, the grapes will face lower temperatures. This weather will affect the maturity of the grapes, but also slow down the concentration process of glucose. Most of the time, Bourgogne wines from cooler years have a sharper acidity and a thinner body. Their flavor is close to the one of citrus fruits, with prominent mineral plots that perform particularly well and have a long, linear palate with high acidity. Typical years include 1997, 2001, 2007, 2011 and 2013. The outstanding works of these years have an excellent aging potential. Stored properly, they can age up to at least 15 to 25 years.

Rainy years

Too much rain can cause Bourgogne vineyards’ drainage problems. Too much water will dilute the strong taste of the white wine, but will also give it a nice fragrance of flower. Most of the time, Bourgogne wine made during rainy years appears to be light and ethereal, with a soft, mild-tasting core of fruit. It is better to drink it early after it was produced, especially if its grapes grew on flat vineyards. The best is to drink it during the first five years of production, to enjoy the floral taste. Typical years include: 1992, 2004, 2012.

Mild years

Bourgogne's mild years tend to produce the most complex and changeable white wines. With such a weather, wine farmers have more picking options. The fruits can grow over a longer time period, and develop more complex phenolic compounds. Most of the time, the fruit flavor, the acidity and the complexity of Bourgogne wines from moderate climate vintages are balanced. These wines are suitable for early drinking but can also be expected to grow better later. When they are young, the right alcohol level enhances their complexity. However it can decrease after a few years, suppressing the wine’s expressiveness. Typical years include: 1999, 2002, 2005, 2014.

Hot years

Hot years are always challenging for Bourgogne farmers accustomed to cool climates. High temperatures and ample sunlight can lead the fruit to ripen quickly. Hot weather produce white Bourgogne wines with rare tropical fruit flavors, a relatively plump and thick body. It gets a sweet fruit flavor and is easier to drink once it is stored at a cool temperature. Due to global warming, hot years in Bourgogne are more common. With such climatic conditions, it is hard to control the acidity of the wine, which cannot age properly. Especially those from southern Bourgogne. In addition to the most outstanding works, it is better to drink this vintages when they are young, to enjoy their rich, sweet fruits taste. Typical years include: 1998, 2003, 2009.

Hot years are always challenging for Bourgogne wine farmers accustomed to cool weather. High temperatures and ample sunlight allow the fruit to ripen quickly, making the Bourgogne white wines of hot weather with rare tropical fruit flavors, and relatively plump, with some flavors similar to oil. There will be some sweet fruit when you shut the shell, and it will become easier to drink with the mild acidity. As the global climate warms, the hot years of Bourgogne are more common. In such climatic conditions, wine can be difficult to age, especially from the southern Bourgogne white wine, if the acidity is not treated properly. In addition to the most outstanding works, the hot vintage is better suited to drinking in the young and enjoying its rich, sweet fruit. Typical years include: 1998,2003, 2009.

Of course, the above is just a superficial generalization. Subtle differences remain in every region of Bourgogne, but this is what make her charm, have us obsessed with her, and is the reason to our constant learning. I hope that you will be able to form your own opinion on the weather impact after reading this simple summary.