Aubert de Villaine of Burgundy's most famous wine farm, the Domaine de la Romanée Conti, is congenitally cautious. A month or two after the 2002 harvest he was still a bit worried about its quality. As I outlined last week, sugars in the grapes had risen with record speed in the last two weeks of the growing season, but was this too sudden, he wondered aloud to me one clear autumn morning, to allow proper ripeness of the all-important phenolics: the tannins that preserve the wine, the pigments that colour it and the compounds that give it its flavour?
For my part I tend to be sceptical of grandiose vintage claims, but on the basis of the 600 or so 2002 burgundies I tasted in London last month, even I found remarkably little to complain about. Both reds and whites have lovely refreshing acidity, without crossing the line into excess that some 1996s, alas, seem to have done.
Both colours are also remarkably ripe (though not jammy and overripe – a phenomenon we may see in many 2003s). This is a great combination. And the grape tannins in most reds seem fine, present but not uncomfortably assertive. For the moment at least, it truly is difficult to say whether this is a red wine or white wine vintage for so many wines of both colours seem so successful.
Many of the greatest producers, DRC among them, have not yet shown their 2002s. And the selection of domaines on show in London last month is necessarily partial. But of the 130 producers whose 2002s I have had the pleasure of tasting so far, the following seemed to me to be on particularly good form in 2002.
Guy Amiot An exceptionally good year for this old-vine Chassagne estate.
Marquis d'Angerville The late Jacques d'Angerville's final vintage proves a fine legacy. Magisterial, confident Volnays.
Robert Arnoux Arnoux's son-in-law Pascal Lachaux makes wines with wonderfully bright fruit and terroir expression from the heartland of the Côte de Nuits that are so concentrated that they can take all that new oak.
Ghislaine Barthod One of the most successful vintages ever for this conscientious domaine in Chambolle, even at the bottom end of the range.
Bertagna Claire Forestier (who once worked at Chalk Hill in California) is making soft but increasingly intense wines.
Simon Bize The best vintage ever here with white wine quality boosted by Guillaume Bott who used to work chez Etienne Sauzet.
Bret Brothers This inspired new outfit continues to provide Côte d'Or quality at Mâconnais prices.
Sylvain Cathiard Perhaps the 2001s were a smidgeon more exciting and the oak is still a bit obvious in some wines but this is a reliable address.
Robert Chevillon As reliable a Nuits producer as ever.
Francoise et Denis Clair Lively, well-priced red Santenays.
Bruno Clavelier Some great vineyards around Vosne-Romanée and now an extended cellar to ease winemaking practicalities. Very winning whites that need no effort to appreciate.
Confuron Cotetidot Less exaggerated with each vintage, Yves Confuron (who also makes the much surlier Pommards of Domaine de Courcel) made many successful 2002s at the family domaine.
Vincent Dancer Another run of first class white wines from a reduced crop here which he maintains was much higher in sugar than acid and needed no chaptalisation.
Drouhin Laroze Philippe Drouhin is slowly transforming the wines of this domaine into a first-rate address. The Latricières Chambertin is particularly fine.
Dujac Père et Fils Domaine Dujac which spawned this négociant business is only just showing its impressive 2001s but the 2002s from bought-in grapes are absolutely delicious – and keenly priced.
René Engel As usual, extremely arresting with their power and consistent quality.
Frédéric Esmonin Very impressive range of Grands Crus round the village of Gevrey-Chambertin which has been blessed with great wines in 2001 and 2002.
William Fèvre Surely the best vintage yet from this important Chablis producer, revitalised by Beaune negociant Bouchard Père et Fils whose own 2002s look pretty smart too.
Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin domaine currently on a winning streak thanks to new generation Jean-Marie with some excellent vineyards.
Jean-Noel Gagnard Some pretty red wines as well as the usual range of grand whites.
Gagnard Delagrange Some really exciting Premier Cru white Chassagne Montrachet.
Vincent Girardin A brand new winery in Meursault seems to have resulted in even higher quality across the board, reds and whites, for this, one of the hardest-working of the new breed of negociants.
Jean Grivot Hallelujah! Etienne Grivot, apparently engaged in a life-long experiment in vineyard and cellar, has made 2002s that are even more approachable than his 2001s. His best vintage ever.
Hudelet Noellat A spread of superb vineyard holdings and, now, superb winemaking. Powerful yet entrancing Côte de Nuits reds.
Patrick Javillier Hard-working Meursault grower and winemaker produces whites of real intensity and longevity even in humble appellations.
Vincent et Francois Jouard Steadily improving Chassagne-Montrachet white wine domaine. Clos des Lambrays The renaissance continues.
Lucien Lemoine An extraordinary micro-negociant run by a Lebanese-Israeli couple from cellars in Beaune. Very serious quality.
Thibault Liger-Belair You spend years without a Liger-Belair and then suddenly two come along... This is the promising cousin with some very fine St Georges.
Vicomte Liger-Belair The first-rate new DRC neighbour about which I wrote at length last year.
Martelet de Cherisey Great performance from this fledgling white wine domaine in Blagny.
Hubert de Montille Certainly slightly more 'modern' that the old-style de Montilles, but no sacrifice of quality. Young Etienne de Montille also makes the wine at the steadily improving Château de Puligny-Montrachet.
Marc Morey Reds as well as whites seem beautifully delineated, just as successful as his 2001 whites and no silly prices.
Pousse d'Or The Volnay domaine where negociant Nicolas Potel grew up is now truly back on form.
Prince Florent de Mérode Rejuvenated domaine with some great Corton vineyards.
Georges Roumier Great value top reds.
Armand Rousseau Famous name does not disappoint. Not yet released but looking superb.
Jean Tardy Son Guillaume has been working hard to lift this farmer of some Meo-Camuzet vineyard, with success.
