A taste of the top 2020 Burgundies
TOP WINES OF THE 2020 VINTAGE: CURTIS’ PICK
White Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Montrachet Grand Cru
Red Domaine Georges Roumier, Musigny Grand Cru
Gevrey-Chambertin
1 Domaine Dujac, Chambertin Grand Cru 99 O
This is a genuinely epic wine, concentrated, tannic, and impressively persistent on the palate. The domaine crafts its Chambertin from a little more than 0.29ha, although most of the vines are located in the Clos de Bèze near the top of the slope, and there is a smaller parcel at mid-slope at the southern end of Chambertin itself. The combination of the two in 2020 has delivered a wine of delightful complexity, with lush, approachable red and black fruit, superb minerality and a luxurious floral edge. Packed with substance, this will age for decades. Drink 2025-2070
2 TOP QUALITY RED Domaine Trapet, Chambertin Grand Cru 99 B
The 2020 Chambertin from Trapet is sublime. From 1.85ha over three parcels stretching from the bottom nearly to the top, there is some variation in the terroir: one parcel has more marl, one more pebbles, and one has deeper soil; 15% of the vines are trained high on stakes (‘en echalas’). This complexity gives an incredible fruit expression that ranges from plum and black cherry to pomegranate and redcurrant, shot through with floral notes, spice and mineral. However, it is also a wine of power and depth, with the tannin and extract to live 80 years or more. One certainty: Trapet has mastered the art of Chambertin. Drink 2025-2060
TOP QUALITY RED Denis Bachelet, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 98
There are two parcels in Aux Charmes that total 0.43ha. Bachelet notes that after three drought years, the vines are suffering, particularly given the difficulties now seen in some old rootstocks. However, these old vines (planted 1907-1917) continue to make epic wine despite these challenges. There is an intense black plum aroma with hints of ginger, liquorice, violets, and earth. The concentration the old vines give allied with the freshness brought by the Combe Grisard [location] is a sublime combination. Not heavy or over-extracted, yet the finish lingers liltingly, seemingly forever – a superb experience. Drink 2025-2060
Domaine Dugat-Py, Chambertin Grand Cru 98
Dugat-Py produces one of the rarest bottlings of Chambertin, but it is certainly worth seeking out. The wine is produced from a tiny 0.05ha plot of vines planted in 1910 near the top of the slope. Dugat-Py used almost 90% whole clusters in the fermentation in 2020, but the wine has no rustic edges, and the focus remains on the finesse and depth of the ripe plummy fruit accented with mineral notes and a hint of violets. The wine is concentrated, complex and long, yet it retains a consummate elegance despite the power. Drink 2025-2070
3 TOP QUALITY RED Domaine Faiveley, Les Ouvrées Rodin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 98
Domaine Faiveley owns several parcels in the Clos de Bèze that total 1.3ha, and Les Ouvrées Rodin accounts for one-third of a hectare, a broad swath in the centre of the vineyard. The vines were planted in 1966 and today they deliver a wine of incredible power and concentration. 2025-2060
