Vintage Report: 2014 Whites and 2014 Red

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1 Burgundy & Alsace Vintage Report: 2014 Whites and 2014 Red The 2014 vintage in Burgundy was a very complicated one, although less so than those in 2013, 2012 and 2011, which featured dramatic crop shortages due to shatter, bad fruit sets and hailstorms. In 2014, there were two problems which resulted in crop loss: hail in the Côte de Beaune, especially in Meursault; and poor flowering in some of the hillside vineyards of Puligny and Meursault. The winter temperatures were above average with only 4 days the entire winter below freezing. Rain amounts during the winter months were way above normal in January and February but below average for March and April. Temperatures in March and April were above normal but not extreme. May was slightly below normal both in temperature and rainfall. June was also dry with below average rainfall (.2 inches of rain fell on the 4th, and.67 inches on the 12th), so flowering was much more uniform than in past years. There was no crop loss or rot. Flowering began in early June. By June 6th, flowering was 50% completed and almost entirely over by the 13th. June 6th until the 21st was the warmest stretch of the summer, with temperatures above 86 degrees from the 7th to the 13th. On June 28th, the communes of Meursault, Pommard, Volnay and Savigny were hit twice by a devastating hail storm. These same communes had also suffered hail damage in the 3 preceding years. July and August were unseasonably cool months. There was 65% more rain than the average. There were only 2 days in July with temps above 86º, the highest temps for the remainder of the summer and fall. From August 11th to September, temperatures never rose above 78 and mostly stayed around 72 for the high. It rained quite often in early August. There were no downpours, but it was always grey and damp. Because of the cool weather, the acids were maintained and since it was not too wet, there were few problems with mildew and odium as there had been in September was quite dry. A small amount of rain fell on the 9th, 1.02 inches of rain on the 18th, and finally.39 inches on the 19th. Some growers started harvesting around the 11th of September and had to hurry to get the grapes in before the rain on the 18th. The 2014 vintage has similar acid levels to the 2013s, which were high. Because the acids in the 2014s were 50% malic and 50% tartaric, the resulting wines are richer and more concentrated than the 2013s. Natural alcohols were about a half a percent higher than the 2013s. Because of the high levels of tartaric and the less ripe grapes in 2013, it is a vintage of soil expression with lots of precision. 2014

2 is more of an expression of grapes with lots of juicy, concentrated acidity, refreshing with great body and balance. I really enjoyed tasting the wines. The malos had finished because the winter was so warm, therefore the wines were quite easy to taste and advanced, totally the opposite of The quality was much more heterogeneous than 2013, and quality should be quite high across the board. It disturbs me that some growers are so concerned with premature oxidation that they will harvest slightly underripe grapes in order to keep the acids, and will add a lot of sulphur. Because the wine lacks alcohol, they will compensate by adding sugar, stirring the lees and using new oak. This is ridiculous you cannot make wine because you re concerned about those who want hold the wine for 10 years, and leave consumers who want to drink wines young with acidic, mineral, sour wine. I hope this is only a phase. I would like to put 2014 in perspective in relation to the previous vintages: 2013 Mineral, citric-lemon acids with salt and earth and lots of stony terroir More a vintage style with concentration because of the low yields. Good acids but not at all racy A year of the fruit, somewhat like 2014, but without the density. With texture, but not tremendous length on the palate A great year with perfect balance The last year of the sun, with high alcohol and very ripe wines with high ph and low acidity. What s lovely about the 2014s is that, along with its lush fruit, there are racy acids and the expression of terroir, too. It s rare to get such high levels of acidity with so much concentration, and it s not because of the crop size, but more a reflection of the sunlight hours, which were high without the heat. This allowed the grapes to ripen, and the cool days and nights in August kept the high acids. The fact that there was a lot of wind in September, combined with sunny days and very little rain, made for a perfect harvest window. Even those growers who waited out the few rainstorms in and around the 18th of September were able to let the vineyards dry out and finish their harvest. I am also excited that 2014 should be seen as a vintage that is consumer friendly, with its up front fruit and concentration, and also one for purists where the vineyards intrinsic character is present, too. It is commercial, yet profound. I wanted to briefly talk about pricing for 2014s. Given the tiny crops for white Burgundies in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, you might expect some big price increases. However, the growers have been reasonable with 2014s, mostly keeping pricing the same, with the maximum increase being 10% at one domaine and 0-5% from all my other growers I visited my growers in early June, and am happy to report that the weather was fantastic during my trip and has stayed that way. Flowering, which was over at the end of my trip, took place in only 4 days. It was very hot and dry and this allowed a good crop to form. The fact that flowering finished in such a short time means that the ripening will be uniform and, if the great weather continues, harvest will begin around the 10th of September. If there is no hail, or any other complications, 2015 will be a great vintage both in terms of quality and quantity.

3 ALAIN GRAS Domaine Alain Gras is an exceptional domaine located in the small village of St. Romain, which is perched on a beautiful hill between Meursault and Pommard. The St. Romain appellation is small and contains only 100 hectares of vineyards, where excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are produced. Alain Gras is a very well respected vigneron, considered the top grower from the St. Romain appellation, and is friendly with a number of our other producers in Burgundy. Gras attended oenology school with Christian Gouges. Gras has been working passionately since 1979, with a great respect for the exceptional terrior in St. Romain. Today, the domaine extends over 12 hectares, which are primarily located in St. Romain but also in Meursault and Auxey-Duresses, where some of the domaines vines are over 100 years old. Domaine Alain Gras sells about 80% of its production in France, which is a sign of a successful domaine. Danny Haas 2013 SAINT-ROMAIN BLANC The vines have an average age of 50 years. 20% new wood and 80% stainless steel. Nice butterscotch aromas on the nose and on the palate. Easy, generous, well-balanced fruit accented by smoke and minerals. A very nice acid and lemon cream finish. Very commercial. 18/ SAINT-ROMAIN ROUGE The vines have an average age of 35 years. 20% new wood. There is a little bit of toast and honey on the palate. Very pure and well made, the wine is juicy and has nice tannins. It s full of fruit, cherries and raspberries, and is easy to drink and quite saleable. Quite classy for its price. 18/20

4 CHABLIS 2014 In a similar way to 2013, winter 2014 meant humidity and unusual mildness. Cold weather never arrived and neither did snow and the last few days of February brought early spring mildness. March and April were incredibly fine and sunny. The first sap began to run from the pruning cuts towards the end of March and we saw bud break in the first few days of April. It was about 4 to 5 days earlier than the average noted over the last few years and 15 days earlier than in 2013, which was particularly late. We were worried in early May because we had two episodes of freezing temperatures which damaged the vines on the bottom of the slopes, but the damage was nonetheless limited over the whole vineyard. Then in mid-may to early June the climate was very up and down, with chilly days followed by storms and showers. Vine growth was therefore limited. Radical climate change came about on the Pentecost weekend (7 and 9 June) with a period of heatwave: the vines grew almost 50 cm in three days, and flowered in just under a week! The median flowering date was confirmed as 10 June, which gave us a theoretical date to start the harvest of between 15 and 20 September. The month of June continued uneventfully and without rain, and included days of trellising in the vineyards. July brought rain, which on some days became plentiful, and caused erosion damage in some of the vineyards. The rain built up considerably to around 175 mm. Temperatures were nevertheless quite mild. This weather continued until mid-august (on 13th, 65 mm of rain fell on the vineyards). The consequences on the vineyard of this significant amount of rain (250 mm for the two warmest and driest months of the year, a record since the 1950s) for July/August were: - The late arrival of the diseases Mildew and Powdery Mildew, which did not cause significant damage; - A phenomenon of late but visible millerandage in many parcels, affecting future yields; - A slowing of growth and phenological evolution, in particular veraison that was delayed by 4 to 5 days. On 25th August, blue skies returned and September gave us a full month of summer weather warm and fine which allowed the grapes to reach full maturity. For the Domaine, the 2014 harvest was spread between 17 September and 1 October, with a constant effort to achieve the best ripeness, despite having to stop harvesting for several days in order to achieve this target. The results of the 2014 harvest are indeed particularly promising. Guillaume Michel

5 DOMAINE WEINBACH VINTAGE One of the earliest bud breaks on record started the very first days of April following a milder and dry winter. The beginning of spring was warm, and the drought continued, as we enjoyed warm and sunny days in May. Sunshine and high temperatures at the beginning of June favored flowering, which started in the beginning of June. Some plots here and there suffered from the drought but, fortunately, heavy rainfalls in July (100mm) served to compensate for the hydrous deficit of the spring. A green harvest was conducted at the end of July in some plots of Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer. Sunny and dry weather returned the last week of August until end of September, accelerating the maturation process and preserving acidity levels. Harvest started on September 23rd under nice sunshine, with our earlier ripening plots of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Sylvaner, Riesling, Gewurztraminer from the Clos and Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence were picked between September 25th and 30th. Malic acid levels in most of the Rieslings were proportionally high mid-september and it was key to wait until October when they started to drop. The Riesling Cuvée Colette, a tribute to our dear mother and grandmother, was harvested on October 2nd from old vines at the bottom of the Grand Cru Schlossberg (previously known as Cuvée Sainte Catherine). Some plots of the Riesling Schlossberg, along with the Pinot Gris and the Muscat, were picked the following days. After quite heavy rainfall, we waited until the grapes dried out to pick the last Rieslings Schlossberg on October 14th and 15th. In memory of our dear Laurence, we decided to produce a Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence in her image, deep, elegant and subtle. Therefore, we incorporated with the cuvée the grapes picked from our Altenbourg and Grand Cru Furstentum plots on October 16th, last day of harvest. The 2014 harvest is known to have been a challenging one which saw, beside some rain, the occurrence of many fruit flies which heavily damaged our red grape varieties such as Gewurztraminer, red Muscat and to a lesser extent, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Therefore, great care in the vineyards and a strict selection of the grapes was of the utmost importance. We were happy to have booked a large crew of 42 pickers in order to be able to harvest swiftly within the driest days, as the search for excellence is never to be compromised at Domaine Weinbach. With a very low average yield of 27hl/ha (all grape varieties) and even lower in Gewurztraminer (15hl/ha), 2014 produced elegant and well-balanced wines thanks to a structuring and vibrant acidity. They offer a great aromatic finesse, focus, length and a good ageing potential. Cathy Faller

6 It has been a very tragic last year at Domaine Weinbach, with the loss of Laurence in May of 2014, followed by her mom Colette s death in February of This leaves Cathy by herself in the running of the Domaine. I will never forget the joy and energy that filled the room when all three were alive. I have so many memories that not a day goes by when I don t think of the three wonderful, dynamic women that have had such a huge effect on my life over the last 30 years. Laurence and Colette are buried in the vineyards, alongside Théo Faller, and are a constant reminder of the greatness of this family and also of the sadness. Going forward, Cathy will carry on the pursuit of perfection that both Laurence and Colette embodied and life will go on without them. The Domaine has furnished their vintage report and here are my tasting notes. Danny Haas 2014 SYLVANER RÉSERVE A citric, floral nose; also quite floral on the palate. Quite dry, with only 3.8 grams of residual sugar. Notes of smoke, earth and a bit of mint and salt, too. This wine has a nice balance of fruit and acidity, with a tangy, varietal minerality and a bit of hazelnut on the finish. 18/ PINOT BLANC RÉSERVE 13.3 natural alcohol; 4 grams residual sugar. Only 25 hectoliter/one and a half tons per acre produced. They are allowed to produce almost 5 tons by law. 70% Pinot Auxerois 30% Pinot Alsace. Apple skin aromas on the nose. A very full-bodied wine with richly-textured fruit, quite thick for this varietal which is often subtle. Very juicy, but more soft than acidic. Rich and ripe with no alcohol burn. There is a little bit of rum butter on the palate. This is mostly round with a little bit of bitterness and some fresh acid on the finish. 18.4/ MUSCAT RÉSERVE natural alcohol with 4.1 grams of residual sugar. This wine has a nose of eau de vie alcohol and lots of perfume which one associates with Muscat. On the palate, Mirabelle plums along with meringue. Notes of soil and spice with some tropical pineapple fruit. Quite thick on the finish. A beautiful balance. 18.6/ RIESLING RÉSERVE PERSONELLE 12.8 natural alcohol; 5 grams residual sugar. On the nose, very floral, which carries over onto the palate. Quite creamy and viscous with good varietal character, but not the petrol quality you sometims get when the grapes are not ripe enough. Very fine baby acids with sweet and sour fruit. There are lots of lemon and herbal overtones which make for a very mineral-styled wine. A lovely Reserve Personnelle. 18.6/ RIESLING CUVÉE THÉO 13.2 natural alcohol; 4.6 grams of residual sugar. This is more ripe on nose than the Reserve Personnelle. Very citric, too, mainly of lemons, which is also evident on the palate. This is creamy, too, like a fruit paste, with sugar and salt. It shows lots of minerality with its high-toned acidity, which is quite candied and racy at the same time. Dry, more sour than sweet. There is a little grape skin bitterness, but it adds to the complexity. Very expressive, with a burst of lemony acids on the finish. 18.8/20

7 2014 RIESLING SCHLOSSBERG GRAND CRU natural alcohol; 3.7 grams residual sugar. A very ripe nose, super sweet and creamy on the palate. Sweet and sour fruit with pungent acidity. Very smoky and mineral with a candied crème caramel nuance. Quite lemony with flavors that linger on the palate; very refreshing yet powerful, too. Easy to drink, yet bursting with racy acidity on the finish. 19.1/ RIESLING CUVÉE COLETTE This wine replaces Cuvée Ste. Catherine and Cuvée Laurence and will now be produced each year to honor Colette natural alcohol; 4 grams of residual sugar. Eggnog aromas on the nose and also on the palate. along with rum butter notes. This is richer than Schlossberg, more full-bodied with less acidity and more power, and nice acidity to balance that power. Fat and oily, with thick texture. Golden raisins and brioche pastry on the finish. 19/ RIESLING SCHLOSSBERG GRAND CRU CUVÉE STE. CATHERINE 13.5 natural alcohol; 3.6 grams residual sugar. Ripe butterscotch on the nose. On the palate, baked apple and skin lots of thick, juicy fruit. Very long on the palate, it seems sweet, yet it is dry; powerful yet extremely elegant. Features smoky, herbal elements, along with some apricot. Powerful and refreshing; very varietal with a finish of golden raisins and melon. 19.4/ PINOT GRIS CUVÉE STE. CATHERINE natural alcohol; 12.5 grams residual sugar. very mineral smoky nose slight bitterness on the palate that you often get from both Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer but nice balance with the residual sugar some hazelnut and almond cream lively acids also butterscotch crème brûlé and candied apple on the finish. 18.8/ PINOT GRIS ALTENBOURG natural alcohol 21.5 grams residual candied nose reflective of the higher residual sugar but far less residual than in years past on the palate ripe apricot and butter on the palate very thick and oily texture some vanilla bean some rum raison a little bitter apple skin lots of racy acids on the back palate to balance the oiliness very powerful candied finish. 19/ GEWURZTRAMINER RESERVE PERSONNELLE alcohol; 22 grams residual sugar. This shows the varietally-typical floral nose of rose petals, and the usual oily richness you expect from Gewurztraminer. Finishes with a little bit of lychee nut quite classy for entry level Gewurztraminer and not at all heavy. 18/ GEWURZTRAMINER CUVÉE THÉO natural alcohol; 23 grams of residual sugar. Much racier than Réserve Personnelle, which makes for better balance on the palate; more power and class as well. The wine shows a very varietal character with its rose perfume. It doesn t have the heavy oily character it might, because it has such racy acids. Sweet and sour with lovely balance on the finish. 18.3/20

8 2014 GEWURZTRAMINER CUVÉE LAURENCE A blend of the regular cuvée, along with grapes from Altenbourg, Furstentum and Mambourg. Because the crop was so small, all 3 parcels were blended together rather than making the individual cuvées a first in the history of the domaine. The average production was less than one ton per acre natural alcohol with 37 grams of residual sugar. Very varietal on the nose, and quite mineral for this varietal. On the palate, lots of buttered honey, cantaloupe and rum raisin fruit. Very fragrant and quite sweet but not cloying. Lychee nut and rum raisin ice cream, all with a lovely elegance. The finish is very varietal, ending with rosewater note. 19/ RIESLING GRAND CRU SCHLOSSBERG VENDANGES TARDIVES natural alcohol; 90 grams of residual sugar. Sweet and sour on the nose and palate, with exotic botrytised fruit. Vanilla bean and pineapple along with great acidity super pure and profoundly elegant. A candied fruit and sugar paste bomb, just amazing. 19.7/ GEWURZTRAMINER GRAND CRU MAMBOURG VENDANGES TARDIVES natural alcohol; grams of residual sugar. Minerals on the nose, with high-toned acidity. Very classy and elegant which is a bit unusual for a Gewurztraminer. Racy and candied, oily but not heavy. A lush finish. 19.6/ GEWURZTRAMINER GRAND CRU SCHLOSSBERG SÉLECTION DE GRAINS NOBLES alcohol and grams of residual sugar. A very ripe, botrytised nose; not particularly varietal, masked by the botrytis and residual sugar. Very oily in texture withcandied fruit sweet but not overly so with heavy buttercream and brioche on the finish. 19.7/20