Description

For Burgundy, the 1961 vintage was very good and some excellent wines were made.

Both winter and spring were relatively moderate, although both saw a considerable amount of rainfall and the bouts of heavy rain slightly delayed both budburst and flowering. Summer eventually came delivering some fine weather, although temperatures never reached searing highs and cool nights helped the grapes retain essential acidity and aromatics. Both August and September delivered the ideal conditions for an easy harvest.

The vintage was smaller than usual and, as the growing season had been relatively slow to begin and much of the weather was lackluster, some of the grapes lacked in concentration and some of the resulting wines were underwhelming in character. Despite the difficulties, some excellent wines were made, particularly in the appellations of Beaune and Aloxe-Corton. The best examples were elegant and aromatic with a strong capacity to age.

Overall, the 1961 vintage was good and some excellent wines were made, some of which showed considerably better after some time in the cellar having softened with age. However, careful research is still advisable.