Vintage report 1999

The Grand Finale of the Decade

• Reputation: A "banner year" for Red Burgundy. It was a massive crop that somehow managed to reach perfect ripeness—a rare feat where quantity met quality.

• Red (Cote de Nuits): Powerhouses. The tannins are silky but substantial, and the fruit is dark and concentrated. Many Grand Crus (Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée) are only now hitting their secondary peak.

• Red (Cote de Beaune): Surprisingly strong. Volnay and Pommard produced wines with incredible depth that avoided the "thinness" sometimes associated with high-yield years.

• White: Good quality but historically plagued by premature oxidation (premox). Most should be consumed, though top-tier producers like Coche-Dury or Leflaive remain legendary.

• Current Status: Peak. Top-tier reds have decades left; village wines should be enjoyed now.