The 2014 Vintage
The climatic conditions
After an exceptionally mild winter, spring rose early and the vegetal cycle resumed its activities from the middle of March, with temperatures nearing 20°C under shelter in Vosne.
This mild weather lead to an early whitening of the buds and the “tears” are a foretelling sign of the rebirth of the vines.
Hot and sunny weather in April made for a fast and early appearance of the buds. Stage C, the “green peak” was reached as early as the 11th of April in Vosne, then Stage D “leaves sprouting” 2 days later, and Stage E “flat leaves” on the 16th of April.
Climatic conditions are then very close to that of spring 2011. Stage F is reached on the 20th of April, Easter Sunday, and tiny grapes are now visible on the sprout.
This was observed on the 19th of April in 2011. In May, weather conditions remained very good but the lack of rain is making us fear a premature hydric stress.
Some strong gusts of easterly wind at 65 km/h have led us to anticipate the lifting that consists in tying and maintain the young boughs with wire. We got a fright but suffered no damage.
The beginning of flowering was observed on the 23rd of May in precocious plots, flowers were really fully bloomed on the 9th of June in heat wave temperatures: 33.5°C and 35°C the following day.
At the end of June the weather turned. A violent hailstones storm went through Saône et Loire and Côte d’Or late afternoon on the 28th of June, affecting almost 1,500 ha and causing more or less damages depending on the area. This storm seriously damaged the vines in Beaune.
The weather got worse and it rained almost every day until the 15th of July. From then on, a quick rise in temperature caused some grapes to be sun scorched, with a few dried by this brutal sun-scald.
The beginning of ripening was observed on 23rd July by its progression was slowed down by the lack of sunshine and the low temperatures in the middle of August.
Despite these conditions, maturation progressed regularly thanks to the precocity of this vintage.
At the beginning of September, summery conditions were back and the easterly wind helped finish ripening and cure the few grapes affected by a type of fruit fly, the Drosophila Suzukii, commonly called the spotted-wing drosophila.
Exceptional weather conditions at the end of the maturation will lead to a good sugar concentration.
In 2014, the weather was capricious, early spring looked promising, then we saw destructive hailstones, a grey summer, but good weather came round in September to save the crop.
The expression “Burgundian miracle” really made sense in 2014. Were we lucky or is our terroir “blessed by the Gods”? In any case, the result is a very good vintage!
The harvests
We started harvesting on Monday 15th September in Beaune, Savigny Les Beaune, and Pernand Vergelesses, then on the 16th in the plots of Bourgogne Rouge.
On the 17th, we harvested Richebourg, Vosne Romanée 1er Cru “Les Petits Monts”, Nuits St Georges “Les Plateaux” and 1er Cru “Aux Boudots” and the Bourgogne Blanc.
On 18th and 19th, the harvesting team had reached the heart of the Domain’s Crus: Vosne Romanée, Echezeaux and Echezeaux “La Grande Complication”, Vougeot, Clos de Vougeot and Grands-Echezeaux.
On the 20th and on the 21st, we harvested Vosne Romanée Villages and 1er Cru “Les Suchots”, “En Orveaux”, for Bourgogne Aligoté, Chambolle Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin.
On the 22nd and 23rd, we harvested Fixin Villages and “Vieille Vigne”, then Marsannay “Clos du Roy” as well as the plots Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits “Le Prieuré” and “La Croix” in Arcenant.
On the 24th, the whole day was dedicated to the harvest of the 3rd plot of Hautes-Côtes called “Les Dames Huguettes”.
We finished on the 25th and 26th of September by harvesting the plots of Bourgogne Passetoutgrain “Le Libertin” and Coteaux Bourguignons “La Superbe”.
2014 is promising to be a revelation of noble and delicate fruity expressions.
The wines
Vintage 2014 presents an excellent profile of fresh fruits, a beautiful purple shine and an intense colour, a very rich aromatic range, of various scents of small red fruits, and beautiful, delicate and airy floral notes. Tanins are supple and elegant, with great gustative qualities, delicate and silky.
All of this makes a harmonious and suave vintage with a chic and distinguished texture.
The charm of fresh and crisp fruits offers a tasty, elegant and scrumptious aromatic complexity as Pinot Noir knows so well how to reveal in Burgundy!