Burgundy 2024 vintage report

This is a classic, throwback vintage that any true Burgundy lover should want to add to their cellar. Its modest alcohol levels, bright acidities and cool fruit profiles set it in refreshing contrast to the riper vintages that are becoming the norm. The whites are arguably the most classic since 2014, while the reds are the very essence of Burgundian Pinot Noir.

Our five weeks of tasting over the autumn revealed wines of great energy and purity. The difficult growing season and weather conditions brought the identity of each village and vineyard into clear focus and reinforced the value of the classification system. While recent, warmer years lifted the overall quality across the board, in this challenging vintage, the best sites and the most conscientious growers have produced the finest wines.

Looking briefly to the 2025s: production is again small, and it’s likely that those wines will sit more readily in the category of “new”-style vintages. The 2024s therefore represent a rare opportunity to enjoy wines from an old-fashioned growing season but made with modern techniques. The only challenge for 2024 will be getting hold of the wines, particularly from the Côte de Nuits and Chablis, where many growers reported yields of under one-third of a normal crop.

An unforgettable growing season

This was a season that will live long in the memories of the growers – even if many would rather forget its trials and tribulations. When tasting, it was clear that many had been scarred by an endless onslaught of problems. Even those with several decades of experience under their belts admitted to having never seen such a challenging year. Frost, hail and rampant mildew – brought about by unprecedented levels of rainfall – all contributed to an exhausting season.

This was a mild year on the whole. Monthly temperatures between January and September followed seasonal averages. However, sunlight hours during the same period were 10% below the norm, with April and May being particularly gloomy. Importantly, rainfall was over 55% higher than usual. It’s important to note, however, that 2024 was not a “cool” vintage.

After 2023’s drought conditions, winter saw significant precipitation with almost double the average rainfall between October 2023 and March 2024. This was welcomed with open arms, replenishing parched water tables and providing useful reserves for the following year. Rain would become the main theme for 2024; what was initially seen as a blessing would later become a curse.

Temperatures in winter and early spring were mild, almost 2°C above the average between October and March. Several days in March exceeded 20°C. The growing season began quite early as a result, with budburst in early April, eight days ahead of 2023. A huge downpour in Chablis on 2nd April caused the River Serein to burst its banks, flooding the centre of the town and several nearby cellars. Damage was limited, fortunately, but this was the first incident in what would be a particularly torrid year for the north of Burgundy.

Between 18th-23rd April, spring frost caused damage in Chablis, the Côte Chalonnaise, the southern end of the Côte de Beaune and the Hautes-Côtes. In other areas, many growers reported not an outright frost, but temperatures that were low enough to have a negative impact on the future crop, causing the nascent buds to abort at this early stage.

Organic viticulture put to the test

Simon Rollin reported that there were only one or two days without rain in May, and just a single period of three consecutive dry days between the start of May and mid-June. These were the ideal conditions for downy mildew. Typically, this appears first on the leaves before moving to the bunches if not treated; in 2023, it seemed to skip that first stage and immediately attack the grape clusters.

With such regular rainfall and a limited selection of treatments, particularly for those following organic practices, it was difficult to get into the vineyards and spray. The principal organic treatment is copper and sulphur in a solution. This is easily washed off by rain and must be reapplied; finding a dry period when a tractor wouldn’t get stuck in the sodden soil when out spraying was a challenge.

Some growers abandoned their organic certification to use a “conventional” spray in a last-ditch attempt to save what remained of their crops. Others took drastic measures to find a suitable window to spray between the downpours. Many worked extraordinarily long hours. Jean-Pierre Guyon took to spraying in the early hours of the morning and was rewarded with almost a full crop while his neighbours lost more than half. This year certainly showed the limits of organic viticulture.

Hail was another problem, particularly in Chablis where up to five separate storms were reported. A separate hailstorm hit the northern part of Marsannay on 20th May. For the region’s beleaguered growers, this felt like rubbing salt into the wound.

Summer, better late than never

Flowering took place in June, but the inclement weather conditions meant this was a slow and irregular process, spread over more than two weeks and with variable success. The window for optimum flowering was very short, and Pinot Noir broadly fell outside of it. Chardonnay, meanwhile, fared much better – with the exception, it seems, of Chablis and the Premiers Crus of Puligny-Montrachet. This resulted in significant coulure and millerandage for all reds and some whites.

Clément Boillot (son of Louis Boillot and Ghislaine Barthod, now running those estates) and Arnaud Mortet felt they lost more volume to coulure than mildew. Arnaud explained that with coulure, not only are there fewer and smaller berries, the grapes themselves often don’t have seeds. The berries therefore don’t fill up, because the vine is “aware” that they are not fertile. Consequently, the bunches weighed much less than normal because the grapes contained so little juice.

July was warmer and with so much water available to the vines, development continued rapidly between the showers. Frequently a period of four or five dry and warm days was followed by a couple of days’ rain. As drier weather arrived at the end of the month, véraison began.

Summer properly arrived in August, with over 300 hours of sunshine – 70 hours more than the norm. However, ripeness was still quite irregular even within parcels. An extended period of dry and sunny weather helped the grapes to ripen, with temperatures hitting 32°C, although the process was gradual rather than rapid.

Rain returned at the end of the month and in early September; more fell in the Côte de Nuits than the Côte de Beaune. A cleansing northerly wind arrived, and fair weather then set in, with picking beginning around 12th September. Harvest dates were quite consistent across the region, and everything was brought in within two dry weeks before the rain returned once more at the end of the month.

Picking was relatively quick, in stark contrast to the abundant 2023 harvest. For Maxime Rion, harvest took three days, less than half the normal time. Elsewhere, one grower joked wryly that the post-harvest lunch lasted longer than the harvest itself.

“The year of the sorting table”

After such a torrid growing season, rigorous sorting was essential. Mercifully, the small number of grapes allowed the cellar teams to carefully choose only the healthy fruit. Sylvie Poillot of Domaine de la Vougeraie declared 2024 “the year of the sorting table”. Sorting tables were rare 20 years ago but are now present in every cellar. Most producers have a vibrating table to shake out any dried berries, useful in 2024 for removing mildew-affected grapes. A moving conveyor belt then allows for manual sorting. Domaine Faiveley even hired an optical sorting machine, more frequently seen in Bordeaux.

With such a small crop, time was less of an issue than in 2023. Some growers decided to stop the sorting table completely to sort more carefully. At Domaine Comte Armand, Paul Zinetti explained it was important to cut inside the bunches to remove unhealthy fruit, taking a “berry by berry” approach.

Alcohol levels were lower than in recent years, typically around 11.5-12.5% potential alcohol. Chaptalisation by half a degree to a single degree was almost universal; only those with a strict non-interventionist policy didn’t add any sugar. As a result, final alcohol levels will typically sit around 12-13%.

Total acidities were high relative to recent warm vintages. However, they were not searingly fresh because they were diluted a little by the significant amounts of rainfall during the growing season. Crucially, the balance of acidity was also different: compared to warmer years, there was more malic acid, which is later converted to softer lactic acid during malolactic conversion. As such, the final wines didn’t induce any toothache during our tastings, and the mid-palates possess a pleasantly creamy character as well as a crisp finish.

Whole bunches, new oak and other decisions

For red wines, whole-bunch usage was generally reduced. Many growers, including Marc-Olivier Buffet and Paul Zinetti, argued that the ratio between fruit and stem was unsatisfactory because of the impact of mildew. On the other hand, Jean-Pierre Guyon stayed true to his 100% whole-bunch approach. Pierre Vincent also increased the proportion; he felt the phenolic maturity was better than in 2023 and so the stems wouldn’t add unwelcome bitterness to the wine. In a small number of cases, keeping more whole bunches was useful for filling up tanks when the crop was small. Arnaud Mortet explained that he used more whole bunches in 2024 as the potassium inside the stems helps to raise the wine’s pH and naturally soften the acidity.

Most red-wine producers emphasised the importance of gentler extraction for 2024, taking care not to extract harsh or green tannins. Often, punch-downs were replaced with gentler pump-overs, and the latter were less frequent than in riper vintages. This, along with generally thinner grape skins, has given wines with relatively pale colours and refined tannins.

Alcoholic fermentations passed quickly, but many reported slow malolactic conversions. For wines where malolactic conversion was late, tasting was sometimes a little trickier; an extended ageing may be needed before bottling. This was the norm 10-15 years ago, and in fact a late malolactic can be valued by some, who argue that it gives greater complexity.

New oak was another subject that divided opinion. Several growers used none at all, like Benjamin Leroux; François Bitouzet-Prieur used none for his reds: many cancelled their barrel orders for the year. After such a large crop in 2023, there were plenty of empty barrels lying around. Many growers feared the lighter vintage would be overpowered by new oak. Clément Boillot decided to shorten the élevage and bottle earlier, in order to preserve the delicate profile of the vintage. On the other hand, Frédérique Goulley of Domaine Sérafin argued that new oak helps to sweeten and round out the wines in less-ripe vintages like 2024; she went with her usual approach, with positive results.

Most growers tended to stick to their normal regime for élevage. Some, however, decided to reduce the length of time in barrel or tank and instead bottle the wines early. Their aim was to preserve freshness and avoid tiring the wines out. The small volumes have permitted some to be more flexible, bottling each wine as and when it’s ready. Others have taken the opportunity provided by the generous 2023 crop to bottle the 2024s later.

White wines

Though the red wines are also delicious, it’s undeniable that the whites have stolen the show. Overall quality is particularly consistent for Chardonnay and Aligoté, and stylistically 2024 offers the most classic interpretation of white Burgundy since the epic 2014s. There isn’t quite the same level of austerity and piercing acidity as in 2014, perhaps no bad thing. The 2024s have a little more charm and mid-palate flesh and are arguably more complete wines as a result. This should make for slightly earlier drinking.

In Chablis, this is the vintage that traditionalists have been crying out for. This is the most “classical” set of wines since 2014, with plenty of citrus and orchard fruit, hallmark minerality and stinging acidity. Sadly, volumes are low and it’s unlikely we’ll have a similar vintage for several years at least. It’s therefore recommended to stock up as soon as the wines are released; they will quickly become scarce.

The Mâconnais, with its slightly warmer climate and sunnier sites, has produced stunning wines. The region’s natural generosity is nicely kept in check, and I caught myself noting that several wines felt distinctly Chablis-like. If you can’t source what you need from Chablis, I strongly recommend looking here for crisp, refreshing whites.

Red wines

Given the more traumatic growing season for Pinot Noir, it should be no surprise that the reds are a little less consistent than the whites. However, conscientious growers have made good to outstanding red wines for early to mid-term drinking.

These wines are what red Burgundy should be all about, the very essence of cool Pinot Noir. Many are wonderfully ethereal, with the floral perfumes and crushed-strawberry character of whole bunches, even when the fruit has been entirely de-stemmed. They are wines to savour and enjoy as they unfurl in a large glass, with the lightness and energy to be enjoyed without food.

Furthermore, many wines display admirable concentration of fruit, plenty of mid-palate texture and ripe tannins. This is little surprise when you consider the reduced yields which allowed the healthy fruit to ripen fully. The gorgeous and pure fruit character will make these wines difficult to resist in youth.

While many wines are already very charming, it’s important to note that some will be seriously age-worthy. Burgundy ages on balance and acidity, not tannins. I expect that many collectors will flock to the usual big names of the Côte de Nuits, but in 2024, the Côte de Beaune has been more successful. We tasted a great many excellent reds in the likes of Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune and Santenay. With yields being so small, those prepared to look outside the established villages will be rewarded.

A word on volumes

This is a very small crop. For some growers, it is by some margin the smallest they’ve ever made. It was painful seeing such empty cellars; Marc-Olivier Buffet’s production of just over 20 barrels was a visible demonstration of the shortfall. The number of wines that simply won’t be made this year is another.

Domaine de la Vougeraie made 82,000 bottles in 2024, a full 207,000 fewer than in 2023. Worryingly, 2025 is little better at just 105,000. At Domaine Jean Grivot, they made 83 barrels of Pinot Noir, against 314 in 2023.

The picture is brightest for Chardonnay, with the winners being those who have made something near a normal crop. This applies mostly to the Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais.

The worst-hit areas are those where less than half a crop was produced. In many cases, yields were in the low teens of hl/ha, or even single figures. This applies to much of Chablis and most Pinot Noir, particularly the sector between Nuits-St Georges and Chambolle-Musigny.

The picture is slightly brighter for Côte de Beaune reds, though yields are often around half the norm. This is the case for low-lying Chardonnay parcels in Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet and St Aubin, and the Premiers Crus of Puligny-Montrachet.

Summary of Burgundy 2024

• Tiny volumes, the smallest crop ever for some growers
• A reminder that climate change does not simply mean long, hot summers, but rather extreme weather patterns. In 2024, this meant extended rainfall and lower-than-average sunshine
• A challenging vintage, but it was possible to make good and very good wines for short- and medium-term drinking
• Throwback conditions, but modern vineyard management and winemaking mean the wines have turned out beautifully