Burgundy 2024 En Primeur Insights
2024 Burgundy is a tiny vintage but the vines clearly put everything into the few grapes they produced, resulting in concentrated, intense fruits. The wines are deeply impressive, in particular the whites. If you can get hold of them, I am confident that the 2024s will delight you.
The 2024 Growing Season
Across the board the producers we spoke to said this was one of the hardest in recent memory. Frosts, hail and heavy spring rain sharply reduced yields and triggered severe mildew pressure, especially for organic growers. Summer required constant canopy work, yet many still lost large parts of their crop, making it one of the smallest yields in decades. Fortunately, a warm, dry turn in late August improved ripening, and careful early-September picking allowed well-managed vineyards to bring in balanced, good-quality fruit, albeit in tiny quantities.
2024 Production Levels
In contrast to my visits last year where producers delighted in some of their largest yields to date, this was one of the smallest on record. Côte de Nuit vineyards are mostly affected with yields down 50-70% on average (and in places as much as 80-90% under last year!!). Parcels on the slope generally drained better and had less mildew pressure versus low-lying vineyards. Therefore, Bourgogne and village-level volumes are much smaller while 1er Crus and Grand Crus are less affected. You can expect some producers to blend single vineyard wines to make a village level wine in this vintage, meaning that better vineyards than usual will go onto the more entry-level cuvées.
The Côte de Beaune was less affected, but it is still a small harvest for reds. White wines productions are around 30% less than average.
2024 Wine Quality
Despite the low yields, the wines we tasted were deeply impressive. Producers spoke of "nature's balance" with the vines putting all their resources in to the few numbers of grapes produced, helping to create intense, concentrated fruits.
The white wines, in particular, stood out across the region. Many producers compared the 2024 whites to benchmark vintages such as 2017 and even the revered 2014. They showed remarkable precision, freshness, and depth, hallmarks of great Burgundian Chardonnay.
As for the reds, producers noted that the 2024 reds reminded them of classic vintages from the 1990s, but with a modern twist. Thanks to advancements in vineyard management and vinification techniques, the wines exhibit greater purity of fruit, freshness, and approachability in their youth.
In short, we are confident that the wines have avoided any sort of rot or dilution (partly thanks to the warm, dry harvest conditions) and will delight you when you drink them.
I completely agree with what our Burgundy Buyer, Adam Bruntlett put on his blog: “My notes so far often mention “concentration”, “succulent fruit”, “crunch”, “perfume”; “creamy” and “silky” textures; and “bright”, “zesty” acid profiles. The whites are much more on the citrus end of the spectrum, as opposed to the stone fruit or yellow fruit we’ve become accustomed to. I’ve been charmed by the ethereal and pretty style of the reds. Red fruit and floral notes are to the fore, and the tannins are fine and ripe. This is a vintage that’s likely to appeal to those with a taste for understatement and elegance."
A note on pricing and the 2025 vintage
Given current market conditions, we have strongly urged producers not to use the small vintage as an excuse to dramatically hike prices, leaving the 2024s looking uncompetitive against past vintages. We are pleased to assume that most wines will be priced at a similar level to last year's En Primeur despite the dramatic reduction in availability. Given that prices for the 2023s have remained largely stable, this will represent excellent value, taking into account just how small the 2024 vintage is.
Looking forward, 2025 is also expected to be a tiny vintage, so this really is the perfect moment to stock up on Burgundy, given that supply will remain small and uncertain for at least another year.
Below I also include photos my colleague took last year in Olivier Bernstein's cellars, which show the difference between his abundant 2023 vintage and tiny 2024 vintage. We saw similar in almost every producer's cellar, which gives you an idea of yields to expect.
Spot the difference. Olivier Bernstein's 2023 vintage on the left with four rows of barrels, two of which are double-layered. And then the entire tiny 2024 vintage on the right.