Vintage report 2012

The "Miracle" Against All Odds

• The Climate: A "catastrophic" growing season plagued by frost, mildew, and vicious hailstorms that decimated the Côte de Beaune (Volnay and Pommard lost up to 80% of their crop). A sunny September finally allowed the tiny remaining crop to ripen perfectly.

• Côte de Nuits (Red): Surprising power. Because yields were so low, the wines are incredibly concentrated, dark, and structural. Many critics consider 2012 Côte de Nuits reds to be superior even to the 2010s for their sheer "sap" and density.

• Côte de Beaune (White): Rare and muscular. Despite the hail, the surviving fruit produced "electric" whites with great weight. They are scarce but highly rewarded for those who find them.