The 2021 vintage saw Burgundy ravaged by devastating spring frosts, but how did the wines from its most prestigious estate hold up? Louis Thomas reports. The domaine’s co-directors Perrine Fenale and Bertrand de Villaine were present at the offices of merchant Corney & Barrow for the en primeur showcase of its 2021s to a cohort of assembled wine trade professionals. Corney & Barrow managing director Adam Brett-Smith revealed that the tasting was not a sure thing: “We had a debate with the domaine over whether to do anything given the pathetic size of the vintage, but we decided we must.” After a mild winter, the decisive blow was inflicted on the nights of 6, 7 and 8 April, when a sudden cold snap caused the mercury to drop to -8°C in some parts of the estate. Snowfall on 7 April followed by another frost the next night wrecked the buds. This disaster confounded the received wisdom that lower lying vineyards are more vulnerable to frost (as cool, moist air settles), as higher areas, such as La Tâche in Vosne-Romanée, were more acutely affected. A warmer, but often wet, summer did little to assuage fears of low yields, especially when the damage had already been dealt. While “pathetic” is a strong word, the figures do indeed make for grim reading. The frost cost the vineyards dearly. The area of Vosne lost around half of its crop, and Corton and Montrachet both lost a staggering 90%. Harvesting in Corton, which took
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Fine Wine
