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Burgundy 1996 Vintage Report:
:by DRC: Burgundy exults in the sun, tempered by a subtle autumnal mist. These ideal conditions, which have been present in our region since the beginning of September and continued throughout the harvest, today transform the hills into a magical picture, where all the shades of gold, red and green dance in the cool October air. In the streets of the village, as far away as in the vineyards, more than ever, we smell the opulent perfumes coming from the cellar and revealing the exceptional richness of the vintage. The winegrower experiences perfect happiness and becomes lyrical! Forgive him: he is not used to such a celebration!
It was in fact to a party that the Burgundian winegrowers were invited. Who could have said at the end of August, when initial gray rot was already beginning to appear, that a month later, we would harvest a great vintage combining quality AND quantity to such an extent! In 1996, Burgundy found itself in a climatic “bubble” which it enjoyed almost alone, while it rained almost everywhere else in France.
As usual, afterwards, when we look back, we realize that this miracle is the fruit of a strange logic, full of meanders, that of the vintage, and we begin to understand the original factors:
- an exceptionally rapid flowering which lasted only a few days around June 15 and ensured both the good quality and even maturity of the grapes.
- the “famous” rains that we experienced with anxiety at the end of August provided the quantity of water necessary to ensure the maturity of the grapes throughout the dry period that followed.
- and above all, a real godsend, the persistent North Wind which appeared at the very beginning of September. It maintained the cold climatic conditions, but also the bright skies conducive to photosynthesis, and, more importantly, dried out and removed all signs of rot.
If today we can speak of a miracle, it is because the rest of the year the climatic conditions were far from excellent: late start of vegetation. April wasn't bad, but it rained a lot and there was a high risk of mold - fortunately controlled in May. The summer was rather cold, without hot weather or rain. Conditions were close to drought, except in late August as described above, as thirsty grapes absorbed the water they needed to ripen.
At that time, the north wind and the drought concentrated the sugars and acidity, which remained very high until the harvest. Faithful disciples of our ancestor DUVAULT-BLOCHET, ardent defender of late harvests, the Domaine harvests the latest harvests possible and won in all respects: the alcohol percentages are superb (exceeding 13° for Romanée-Conti and La Tâche harvested last ) and the acidities, as mentioned above, are exceptional. The wines will therefore be very well balanced.
Yields are also exceptional for once - more than 30 hl/ha in almost all wines. We are delighted because, once again, Nature has been exceptionally generous this year in all respects and it was “natural” that we took advantage of it! [Never mind the “piss vinegar” (“grumpy”?) who will not fail to criticize the generosity, however rare, that we have received from the reigning Gods! ].
The harvest began on September 25 (with the exception of young ripe vines harvested a few days earlier) with Montrachet and ended with La Tâche on October 3. The Romanée-Conti was harvested on the superb morning of October 1st.
To summarize, we believe we have a great vintage in the cellars today. The barrels are just being filled; It is too early to determine the level of the vintage or to try to make comparisons with others. We will have a more precise idea in a few weeks, as well as precise quantities. We will then take the liberty of supplementing this report with further information.