2015 Bourgogne Rouge

Nicolas Rossignol has just finished building a new winemaking facility outside Beaune—a gutsy financial move considering how much potential revenue he lost to hail in vintages 2012, 2013 and 2014. To make matters worse, he told me he made just 20% of a normal crop in 2016, owing to the widespread frost. Happily, Rossignol only lost 25% to 30% of his crop in 2015, which he describes as “a great vintage: I’ve never seen a year like this in my life.” Rossignol started harvesting on September 3 and finished on the morning of September 12, just before the rain started. Potential alcohol levels ranged from 11.8% to 12.8%; he chaptalized his lighter village wines to 12.5% and his premier crus to 13%. “The rains came at just the right time during the summer,” he told me. “It was a dream season; we really didn’t have any blockage of maturity in 2015.”

“Two thousand fifteen is better than 2012, 2009, 2005 and 1999,” he insisted, “as the vintage character in 2015 does not dominate the terroir. The wines are large, thick and long; rich and complex; and elegant too. Also, 2015 was a small crop, which will make a difference in the longevity of the vintage.” Rossignol carried out a total of just four or five punchdowns per cuvée and also minimized the number of pumpovers. He opted to use a bit more new oak than usual in 2015: 25% to 30% for his premier crus and 10% to 15% for his village wines. As he is “obsessed” with letting his wines expand during their élevage, he had not sulfured them since the harvest. He may also bottle some of his 2015s later than usual.