Writing off any vintage before the wine has finished fermenting is a big mistake. So, nul points to those writers and merchants who dismissed the 2008 burgundy vintage last year. Far from being a titanic disaster, Burgundy’s aptly titled Côte d’Or, or golden slope, has produced tiny quantities of sensationally good, steely, citrusy, minerally ’08 whites and some surprisingly succulent, delicate, yet vibrant, raspberry-perfumed reds — flavours that burgundy hunters pay stratospheric sums for every year.
Broaching this unexpectedly enticing burgundy vintage somewhere between five and eight years of age should be about right. Perfect for impatient, contemporary drinkers without cellars.
To be fair to its many critics, 2008 burgundy had a dire growing season. Just like Britain’s rained-off ’08 summer, it was unseasonably cold