Burgundy lovers will be guided on the best picks with over 1,700 tasting notes for the 2019 vintage and reappraisals of 2018 in bottle

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 2 February 2021 - Top-end Burgundy wines remain one of the mostsought-after wines around the world, with appreciation and investment value atan all-time high. The Robert ParkerWine Advocate Côte d'Or Wine 2019 Report is a timely guide to navigating the domaines, from aspiring tovenerable, in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, where the highestconcentration of Grand Crus in the region can be found. Reviewer William Kelley says, "In short, 2019 is a superbvintage, and these are wines that all Burgundy lovers are going to want tosecure for their cellars."

Robert Parker Wine Advocatereviewer William Kelley and Madam Lalou Bize-Leroy, one of Burgundy's greatestwinemakers. (Photo credit: Gretchen M. Greer)

Highlights of the report:

• Insights intothe 2019 vintage of the top rated Burgundian domaines: Domaine Dugat-Py, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and DomaineJacques-Frédéric Mugnier
• Indepth 2019 white and red Burgundy report and reviews
• Reviewer's 10 favourites

TheRobert Parker Wine Advocate report format includes an in-depth introduction andvintage reports that are the reviewer's expert opinions on the vintage, basedpredominately on their tastings and taking into consideration their regionalvisits and interviews with winemakers / viticulturalists. The annual Burgundy Côte d'Orreport is helmed by William Kelley since 2017, who also reportson the Mâconnais, Chablis and Beaujolais in separate dispatches. Althoughtasting events were cancelled and international travel became difficult due toCOVID-19, RPWA's global base of reviewers still enabled physical visits and continuouscoverage of this important region without interruption.

What you need to know:Burgundy Côte d'Or 2019

Where: Côte d'Or comprises of Côte de Nuits and Côtede Beaune, the two most important regions in Burgundy. Translated as goldenslope, it gets its name from the east-facing slopes that are bathed insunlight during the growing season.

Vintage conditions: 2019 was, on paper, a ratherextreme vintage, yet the vines proved remarkably resilient while the wines areremarkably classical in profile. "We are convinced that the vines are adaptingto warmer, drier years, and we find this very reassuring," observed Aubert deVillaine of Domaine de laRomanée-Conti inspeaking to Kelley, a sentiment shared byBurgundy lovers. 

Kelley summarises the 2019 vintage:"A mild and dry winter set the stage for drought conditions later in theseason. Budbreak came early, and spring was comparatively cool. Summer was warmand sunny, with heat waves in June and July compounding with hydric stress toslow ripening. August and early September were cooler and sometimes cloudy,though sunny conditions returned for harvest; but it was a dry north wind,rather than excessive temperatures, that concentrated both sugars and aciditiesalike in the final weeks before picking began."

Grape performance: Says Kelley, "This is athrilling year for Pinot Noir, delivering wines bursting with head-turningperfume and fresh, succulent fruit. Supple and enveloping, they aresimultaneously serious and immensely charming. In Chardonnay, 2019 is more heterogenous. The small crop ripenedrapidly, and the results are invariably muscular and concentrated; but theyear's best white Burgundies are as incisive as they are powerful, with brightacidity to balance their undeniable weight, and attentive producers excelled."

Ten favourites that show the 2019 vintage at its best:

2019 DomaineArnoux-Lachaux Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru (RP 97-99 points)

"One of the wines of thevintage, Lachaux's 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru soars from the glasswith a kaleidoscopic bouquet of raspberries, blood orange zest, peonies,violets and exotic spices, complemented by subtle hints of coniferous forestfloor and raw cocoa."

2019 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes (RP 95-97 points)

"The 2019 Volnay 1er CruClos des Chênes is a magical bottle in the making.... Medium to full-bodied,layered and complete, it's elegantly powerful, with lively acids, powderytannins and a long, perfumed finish."

2019 Domaine Guffens-Heynen Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Jus des Hautes des Vignes (RP 94-96+ points)

"A cuvée composed of thefree run and first press juice from Guffens's best parcels in the appellation,the 2019 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Jus des Hautes des Vignes is showing beautifully."

2019 Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er CruBlanchot-Dessus (RP 94-96 points)

"Full-bodied, layered andconcentrated, with chalky structuring extract and racy acids, it's long andresonant."

2019 Domaine Jean et J L Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur (RP 92-94 points)

"Fleshier and moreenveloping than the Petite Chapelle, the 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ClosPrieur exhibits notes of plums, sweet wild berries, rich soil tones, mandarinorange and raw cocoa."

2019 Domaine Simon Bize et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses (RP 93-95 points)

"The 2019Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses is a striking wine.... Medium tofull-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's vibrant and velvety, withlively acids and a long, perfumed finish."

2019 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Village (RP 91-93 points)

"The 2019Chambolle-Musigny Village is superb, mingling aromas of cherries andraspberries with hints of dark chocolate, potpourri and spices."

2019 Domaine Henri Germain Meursault Le Limozin (RP 91-93 points)

Medium to full-bodied,textural and precise, it combines impressive mid-palate volume with terrificcut.

2019 Domaine Duroché Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Etelois (RP 91-93 points)

"It's a terrific cuvéefrom this optimally situated parcel that borders Griotte-Chambertin on one sideand Charmes-Chambertin on the other."

2019 DomaineDureuil-Janthial Rully Blanc (RP 89-91 points)

"Medium-bodied, chiseledand concentrated, with tangy acids and a mouthwateringly saline finish, thiswill be delicious out of the gates--though don't discount its capacity to age."

The full report is availableon https://bit.ly/RPWA2019BurgundyReport

Full press kit with images is available on:

About Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker WineAdvocate is the world's premier independent wine buyer's guide and website withmore than 450,000 tasting notes, scores and reviews from professional criticsaround-the-world. For over 40years, Robert Parker Wine Advocate (a part of the MICHELIN Group of companies) hasbeen the global leader and independent consumer's guide to fine wine with its100-point rating system and in-depth coverage of major wine regions.

For more information,visit www.RobertParker.com.