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| Wine & Spirits |
Burgundy 2001: A Year Overlooked
Paul Wasserman
02/02/2004
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 Allen Meadows, whose quarterly newsletter Burghound.com is increasingly regarded by Burgundy collectors as the most reliable source of information, says: "If regional appellations and village wines are clearly better in 2002, the top premier and grand crus in the Côtes de Nuits are not necessarily better than in 2001." He adds that the best 2001s have fleshed out since their reviews in cask. Long-time Burgundy collectors who have been able to taste the first shipped examples of 2001 may not be loading up like they did with the 1999s, but they are buying. While slow off the block, the 2001 red Burgundy is catching on quickly.
Opportunities still exist with the 2001s. Vintage hypes have, in recent years, assumed epic proportions: witness the 2000 Bordeaux, 1997 Brunellos and even previously invisible categories, such as Sauternes and German wines. If the shrugs of a Burgundy specialist such as Meadows do not deter the faithful, 2002 Burgundy may be poised for similar buildup, leaving plenty of 2001 red Burgundies on the market, some of which will perhaps even be sold at discount.
The controversy over the 2001 vintage really is about size. The 2001 is not a full-bodied vintage, but there is a big difference between size and intensity; and if the 2001 red Burgundies are middleweights, the best premier and grand crus from the Côtes de Nuits lack no intensity of flavor and
aroma. Furthermore, they exhibit the best acidity since the 1996 vintage and plenty of tannin to guarantee a medium to long aging potential. As the wines have fleshed out,
the overall balance is now impeccable. But the true distinction of the vintage remains its great length and a transparency that this taster has rarely encountered. Also, the 2001s magnify the differences between each vineyard as few vintages have ever before, and it is those differences that Burgundy aficionados value above all. This is a very terroir-driven vintage.
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