The 2013 Burgundy en primeur report: buyers beware

The annual Burgundy en primeur frenzy has kicked off. But Matthew Jukes is less than impressed.

Matthew Jukes
By Matthew Jukes
published

726-vinyard

The annual Burgundy en primeur (wine sold before being bottled, for delivery at a future date) frenzy kicked off last week and there was a lot of fuss made by a lot of merchants about a distinctly motley collection of wines.

I am disappointed to report that there are too many underwhelming reds and whites in 2013 so there's little cause for excitement. As much as the merchants are pushing them hard, citing the low yields and challenging conditions as reasons for you to open your wallets fast and deep, you should exercise caution.

The reds are certainly more tannic and acidic than usual and this might lead one to surmise that they are built for the long run, but I am not wholly convinced. There is no flamboyance, flair or charm in this vintage. The whites are often raw and sour, too. There are severe, sinewy, taut wines made up and down the Cte d'Or, so caveat emptor.

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There are few wines that I consider to be balanced and therefore worthy of your consideration. In fact I have only ordered three cases for my own cellar to date. If you would like to read my full report the 2013 Burgundy En Primeur Report you will find it availalble for free on my website.

I have found a number of worthy wines which will not let you down. In the report I also delve deep into the reasons why some wines were successful but the vast majority were not.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

Matthew Jukes
Matthew Jukes

Matthew Jukes has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books.  

Matthew regularly lectures, judges, speaks at wine conferences and runs masterclass tastings for both corporate and private clients all over the world. Matthew is also the creator of his ground-breaking initiative, the One Day Wine School, an indulgent day of tasting and learning first performed in 2006.

He has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006 and has written a weekly column for the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine since 1999. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website, www.matthewjukes.com.

Matthew is one of the world’s leading experts on Australian wine and, with Brisbane-based wine writer Tyson Stelzer, runs an annual competition in Australia to find ‘The Great Australian Red’.  He was made Honorary Australian of the Year in the UK at the 2012 Australia Day Foundation Gala dinner. 

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy.  His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.

 

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