This just in - literally - the 2018 Sauzets are here!
What was it like?
The word in region, at least in public, is that Burgundy 2018 is one of the greatest ever vintages. One local négociant, Philippe Pacalet, compared it to the mythical 1947 harvest and the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB) described the year as ‘ideal’.
2018 was the hottest vintage in Burgundy since 2003, as well as one of the driest ever, with 55% of the average annual precipitation over the last 30 years.
While it was the warmest year on record, when measured across the whole year, it was not extreme during the summer in the way that 2003 was. The second key to the vintage was the size of the crop - 2018 goes down as one of the biggest on record; a key mitigating factor to the summer warmth and drought. Finally, the winter of 2017/2018 was very wet and served to ensure that deep-lying water reserves were adequately filled at the start of the growing season.
To learn more about Domaine Etienne Sauzet, its history, viticulture practices, vineyards, growing season and winemaking practices, visit our 2018 Sauzet article.
