Red Burgundy Vintage Review: 1987

[Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review]

This is a vintage that for a long time provided no great wine, but plenty of excellent wine for drinking. However, the wines are now in decline and should be drunk as soon as possible.

There was little good weather in this year, but the first three weeks of September did provide fine weather – and an old Burgundian proverb says that September makes the wine. Unfortunately, the weather did not hold, and there was rain in the last part of September, during the harvest. However, the rain was at night, and winds from the north prevented the formation of botrytis. The resulting wines, at their best, were not powerful or extremely concentrated, but were nervy and balanced and showed fidelity to their respective terroirs. Unusually, the 1997s never went through a dumb period and were delicious to drink throughout their lives.

But not all of the top producers made the best wines. From Lafarge and Dujac especially, and also Pousse d’Or and Mugneret-Gibourg and Michel Esomonin (father of Sylvie Esmonin), in particular, there were very good wines. On the other hand, Roumier's wines were nothing special, and DRC's also did not stand out.

However, as I stated above, the wines are all in decline now and should be drunk up now – notwithstanding an extraordinary Clos la Roche from Dujac I had a little more than a year ago.

Best regards,

Claude Kolm

The Fine Wine Review

Edited March 23, 2003 by Claude Kolm/The Fine Wine Review (log)

[Craig Camp]

I remember tasting the 87's from barrel and thinking what a great American vintage. Upfront and fruity and very early maturing. I ordered a bunch and no one cared. It just got the wrong press. Too bad - they were pretty wines between 3 and 5 years old. Vintages like this are often called 'restaurant vintages' and why not? There is certainly a place for lovely forward vintages that are not destined for long cellar improvement. Those places are called restaurants. The question is why won't restaurants buy them?

[Jean Fisch]

Claude, I have put my hands on some Drouhin-Laroze Chambertin CdB 87 and this is still very nice.