The 2001 Red Burgundies at Age 15

BY STEPHEN TANZER | APRIL 6, 2017

When I first tasted the 2001s from barrel in late 2002, I described them as “scented, stylish midweight Pinot Noirs with the lightness of touch, tension and aromatic complexity no other part of the world can duplicate.” Fifteen years later, they are perhaps a bit less refined but somewhat sturdier than I originally believed, and even though virtually all of them are ready to drink, I was pleasantly surprised by how slowly they are evolving.

This progress report on the ‘01s at age 15 is based entirely on bottles that were opened for me by the producers during my visits to Burgundy in November and December. In other words, I did not have the opportunity to taste the 2001s in peer-group tastings. In nearly every case, bottles were simply uncorked and poured (i.e., not decanted), which is almost certainly the way I would have tasted these wines had I conducted group tastings in my own dining room.    

As a rule, the 2001s show lighter and/or more advanced colors than the 2002s did a year ago. Two thousand two generally boasts greater retention of fresh fruit character while the 2001s show more earth tones, not to mention tertiary notes like dried fruits, leather, mushroom, fig, tobacco, cigar box, coffee and nuts. They are generally farther along their arc of maturity than the 2002s, which, though expressive on the nose last year, were frequently quite youthful in the mouth. Still, at the level of the wines the producers chose to show me, the 2001 vintage remains full of life.

A Brief Recap of the 2001 Growing Season

March was rainy and the spring featured moderate temperatures. The flowering was then drawn out by cool, rainy weather in early June, which planted the seeds for irregular ripening of the grapes. There was also the potential for a fairly large crop that would require green harvesting. July began cool and wet but turned hot during the second half of the month. The first three weeks of August were also quite hot, with a couple of major storms, including a severe hailstorm on the evening of August 2 that devastated much of the Volnay appellation and also affected some adjacent parcels. 

The weather then turned cloudy and cool again in late August and the first ten days of September (with nighttime temperatures twice descending to the low 40s in early September). The ban de vendange, the “official” legal starting date for the harvest traditionally set by the local authorities (but discontinued in 2008), was September 17 for the Côte de Beaune and the 20th for the Côte de Nuits. But except where yields were very low, not a lot of fruit was ripe enough to pick by then, as the inclement weather in early September had made it difficult for the late berries to catch up.