Jean Claude Boisset Santenay La Maladiere 2014

After three very small vintages what Burgundy urgently needs in 2014 is quantity. Our prayers may have been answered: the 2014 vintage is very promising with good yields! After another year of surprising weather, September lived up to its reputation and played its part to the full in terms of ripening the grapes. In the springtime, the 2014 vintage looked like being an early one and the vines profited from the hot and dry weather, which indicated an abundant harvest and healthy vines. In summer, the sun appeared to have gone on vacation elsewhere, and the advance gained at the start of the cycle was soon lost. However, despite the wet and chilly weather, maturation began to gather pace at the end of August. The Burgundy winegrowing region, like France’s other winegrowing regions, experienced a few pockets of sour rot. The plots of Pinot Noir were subjected to strict sorting, both in the vines and in the winery. This occasional phenomenon was localized in an otherwise very healthy year. The harvest began in mid-September in the sunshine. The grapes brought into the wineries were ripe, healthy and aromatic. 2014 will be an excellent year for white wines in the Burgundy region. Their clear-cut, precise structure promises good keeping potential. Red wines offer intense colors, a fruity nose, and concentration in the mouth, with smooth, pleasant tannins, and lovely notes of fresh fruit. They are wonderfully sophisticated, hinting at all the qualities of great red Burgundy wines.