Burgundy 2024
Burgundy 2024 Vintage Report
“Joyously juicy reds, bursting with berry fruit, and lovely, precise whites – wines which are crying out to be drunk!”
Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW
Every autumn we make our pilgrimage to Burgundy to taste the new vintage and decide which wines will earn their place in our January offer. We try as hard as we can not to be influenced by media reports or even our own early
impressions of the growing season, but it was impossible to ignore how gloomy the summer of 2024 had been and next to impossible to escape the disappointment emanating from all over France as a result of the weather, with headlines of frost, hail, rain, mildew: the full catalogue of viticultural woes. We set off with a degree of trepidation, arming ourselves with enamel-repairing toothpaste, expecting to make some tough decisions.
What we found, however, was quite the opposite: joyously juicy reds, bursting with berry fruit, and lovely, precise whites, wonderfully easy to taste and beautifully open – wines which are crying out to be drunk!
The Growing Season
The season began with the third consecutive mild winter, with temperatures nearly 2°C higher than the average and almost twice the normal rainfall. Early budbreak at the end of March left the vines very exposed to frost, which duly
struck in April, albeit erratically. Chablis was hit hard, as was the southern part of the Côte de Beaune, particularly around Maranges and Santenay, where temperatures remained low for a prolonged period. This, combined with wet weather during flowering, meant uneven fruit set, already presaging a small harvest.
Summer continued with a fitful pattern of rain and warm temperatures, challenging growers with mildew and oidium pressure. For organic growers, this meant treating their vines after every shower and a significant increase in both manpower and products. Baptiste Guyot told us that missing just one treatment window in Pernand Vergelesses cost him an entire parcel – brutal retribution from Mother Nature. August finally brought respite and a short dry spell which gave the vineyards a welcome window to ripen their small
crop, followed by another warm period in September that allowed most Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to achieve full phenolic ripeness. Harvest took place in the middle of September.
Selection
Selection was key in the 2024 harvest with some growers picking their fragile crop grape by grape. Where normally there might be one sorting table at the cellar, they were sometimes four deep in this vintage to ensure that only the
most pristine fruit was selected for fermentation. Domaine Faiveley even employed an optical sorting machine, a rare sight in Burgundy but a firm statement of their commitment to quality.
The Wines
With yields as low as 10 hectolitres per hectare in parts, many growers had to combine crus to fill their tanks or barrels, so some favourite wines will be missing this year, but fermentations went smoothly and relatively rapidly once the fruit was safely in. Elevated levels of malic acid, a result of the cool summer, meant that malolactic fermentations were slow, in some cellars finishing after those of the 2025 vintage.
The investment in the vineyard and fruit selection paid off and the 2024 white wines are of very high quality indeed, showing beautiful balance and precision. As you will see from our tasting notes and drinking dates, they will benefit from a couple of years in the cellar before drinking extremely well for several years, depending on the appellation.
The 2024 reds are instantly charming. With thinner skins than in more solar years, growers opted for shorter macerations and fewer interventions (such as punching down) to preserve the gorgeously fresh fruit and the resulting
wines are incredibly limpid, with a jewel-like colour, super-fresh fruit and soft, supple tannins behind. This joyful, juicy character makes them irresistible and they will drink early and well at all levels, although the top premiers and grands crus will reward a little more patience.
After the turmoil of the growing season in 2024 few expected Burgundy to deliver a vintage of such charm – but make no mistake: this is a return to red Burgundy as it should be, perfumed, elegant and linear, and these wines will give immense pleasure to all Pinot lovers.
Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW
November 2025
To discuss the vintage, learn more about the wines and for help in preparing your wish list, please call us on 01353 721 999 or contact your usual salesperson.
