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Burgundy, in terms of viticulture and vinification, has changed significantly over the last few decades. The wines, however, have retained their charm, seductiveness, diversity and mystery, that keep wine lovers fascinated and intrigued. Clive Coates MW, writing in his 2008 revised edition of The Wines of Burgundy states “Burgundy is the most fascinating, the most complex and the most intractable fine wine region in the world.” An attempt to document the numerous changes in the most complex wine producing region of the world is a difficult task, but the implications of these changes will be of fundamental interest to lovers of the world’s best expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Many of the changes have improved the quality of the wines dramatically, particularly in lesser vintages. Over the last few decades unexciting, drab, poor quality, dilute vintages have been rare. In today’s competitive marketplace, there is no hiding-place for mediocre wines. Happily the reputation for Burgundy has improved considerably and the region is considered by many connoisseurs as the epitome of fine wine, combining both modernity and tradition by resisting the convergence of styles that has been a characteristic of some other regions. The existing Appellation Controlée laws have maintained many traditional practices and there has been an increase in certain regulations such as increasing quality control assessments and maximum permitted yields aimed at improving quality.

One of the major changes has been the increase of domaine-bottling, a trend that began in the 1970s with an increasingly larger number of domaines bottling their wines rather than selling them to négociants. This has increased the quality of many wines, as growers have more control over the final product. In 1979, 74% of the Burgundy harvest was sold by the négociant houses; by 1997 the proportion of domaine-bottled wine had increased to 40%. There has also been an increase in vineyard holdings and investment in wine-making facilities by the large négociant firms in order to take advantage of the consumer preference for domaine-bottled wine. Some growers have become similar to négociants themselves by buying wine or must from smaller growers. As a result the traditional distinctions between growers and négociants have become somewhat blurred in recent times.

Burgundy has been at the forefront of the proliferation of organic and biodynamic viticulture. The aim of these producers is to retain the natural balances and micro-organisms in the local ecosystem and reverse the damage done by excessive use of industrial pesticides and fertilizers, which reduce soil acidity due to high levels of nitrogen and potassium and discourage the development of deep root systems. The recent return of traditional ploughing leaves soil less compacted and cuts shallow root systems, encouraging deeper roots and improving the quality of Burgundian soils. Many of the top domaines have embraced organic or biodynamic viticulture. Lalou Bize Leroy at Domaine Leroy has been using the biodynamic principles developed by Rudolph Steiner and his followers since 1989, and Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet since 1997. A list of other proponents reads like a “who’s who” of famous Burgundy producers; Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Comte Armand, Domaine Michel Lafarge and Trapet to name just a few. Other factors in the vineyard have also helped improve the quality such as lower yields, better clones, improved drainage and better canopy management practices.

In wine-making terms many new techniques have become widespread on the Côte d’Or over the last few decades. Clive Coates MW wrote “the last 30 years have seen a revolution in the cellar and in the understanding of winemaking”. Methods such as a cool pre-fermentation maceration have been adopted by some producers who believe that this enhances the colour, aroma and flavour of the wine. Critics argue that this method requires heavy use of sulphur dioxide in order to delay fermentation, which is detrimental to the wine over the long term. Much capital has been invested into modern equipment, with many domaines installing sorting tables to eliminate sub-standard fruit, stainless-steel tanks with temperature control rather than using the traditional wooden vats and automatic pigeage systems.

Must concentration techniques, such as reverse osmosis and vacuum evaporation, especially in poorer vintages, have been employed by some domaines in order to concentrate the sugars and flavours in the must before fermentation. Traditionally fermentation was started by naturally occurring yeasts. Critics of this method argue that some of these wild yeasts, such as Brettanomyces, can impart rustic flavours (although some winemakers think that at low levels these actually have a beneficial effect on the flavour profile). Today, many domaines use cultured yeasts which provide more consistency in the winemaking process. The use of enzymes is another recent development. These are used in some vintages by a number of domaines in order to aid extraction and clarification. The diversity in techniques used by different producers in Burgundy is vast, and some prefer to stick with tried and tested techniques, whereas others are looking to technological innovations. The most successful seem to be using a combination of both traditional and modern techniques.

The individual vineyards and terroirs of the Côte d’Or in Burgundy have largely remained unchanged for centuries. The publication of Dr Lavalle’s History and Statistics of the Cote d’Or in 1855 included an informal classification of the best vineyard sites and was the basis for the Cru system enshrined into law by the adoption of the AC system in the 1930s. Changes resulting from the adoption of modern techniques both in the vineyard and winery, combined with successful traditional practices have undoubtedly improved the quality of the wines. There are consistently many more excellent wines, with intense fruit purity and ripe, silky tannins balanced by well-integrated use of oak. The perfect balance between tradition and progress is reflected in the elegant, opulent and harmonious wines that are being produced by the vast majority of domaines in the Cote d’Or in the 21st-century.