Paul Wasserman
02/02/2004
The 2001 vintage for red Burgundy offers many wines that combine all the elements necessary for future classics. But sometimes a vintage’s fate is linked more to the perception of the vintages that surround it than to its own inherent quality.
Sandwiched between the much heralded 1999 and the highly anticipated 2002 vintages, and weighed down by a weakening dollar, the 2001 vintage faced long odds. Despite the praises of influential reviewers such as Allen Meadows, Clive Coates and Stephen Tanzer, the vintage was dealt a severe blow when the Wine Advocate, the most influential wine publication, disavowed it. Although the Wine Advocate’s influence is waning among Burgundy collectors, it can still make the difference between a cult hit and a household name. The Wine Advocate—like many in the wine trade—is betting on 2002, just the kind of dark colored, fruit-forward, ripe and showy vintage that is likely to receive mass acclaim. Even so, the best 2001s will not disappoint, at least not among those who love precise, pure, very detailed wines of great elegance and complexity. Knowing this, savvy Burgundy buyers, predicting a mad rush on 2002s, salivated at the prospect of the 2001 closeout sales by cash poor importers and retailers. Everything seemed to align in favor of the vintage’s proving more than simply a sound investment: It looked as though it was going to be a steal. Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking; as it turns out, 2002 is not everyone’s enfant cheri, and so attention may turn to 2001.
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.
Late Bloomers
As to how the value of these 2001 Burgundies will fare over time, the best parallel is perhaps the 1991 vintage. Because it seemed initially more tannic than the richer and more fruit-driven 1990 vintage, 1991 found little critical acclaim. But despite being initially tight, 1991 remains a classic red Burgundy vintage that has fleshed out remarkably and whose tannins have integrated. Consequently the prices for many of the blue chips of that vintage (such as the best of Rousseau, De Vogue, Ponsot and Lignier) are approaching those of the same wines from the 1990—between 300 percent and 600 percent more than their release prices.
As is often the case with Burgundy, the best wines do not necessarily come from the most famous estates. The top 10 wines—a medley of the famous, the up-and-coming and the obscure—all have the stuffing and balance to age a couple of decades at least. Many of their counterparts from the 2002 vintage may show more richness in their youth, but will not necessarily have the structure to ensure such aging potential.
Additional Information
The Top 10 from 2001
Photograph by Victor Budnik
Wine courtesy of Woodland Hills Wine Company and Veritas Imports