Generalisation is always dangerous, and never more than in Burgundy, where there are so many opportunities for exceptions!

Nevertheless, I thought it might be helpful to at least some of you if I set down my experiences of the different vintages in recent years. I have restricted myself to the commercially relevant vintages – that are of some interest and may actually be still worth drinking, so we start with 1957.

If you have an interest in older vintages then I commend to you the Allen Meadows / Doug Barzelay book “Burgundy Vintages, A History from 1845”.

1961

Lorem ipsum…

1960

Another wet vintage, the wines lack body and are often tainted with rot. A Monty Python candidate for “laying down and avoiding”.

1959

A highly reputed vintage, with a large production and good ripeness. They can still be good – rich and concentrated – but in my experience are seldom magical.

1958

A very wet vintage, and most unlikely to be alive, let alone rewarding.

1957

On the whole, not a good vintage, with early frosts reducing the yields. Whites were in short supply and not of any great repute, but some surprisingly good reds were made. Good bottles of the longer-lasting Grand Crus such as Corton and Clos Vougeot can still be very enjoyable.