FEATURES ARCHIVE

A look back at the legendary work of winemaker Henri Jayer would be incomplete without an examination of vintages.  Here, Charles Curtis, MW gives an overview of each year, with quoted material sourced from the admirable work Ode aux Grands Vins de Bourgogne by Jacky Rigaux, ably translated into English by James Finkel as A Tribute to the Great Wines of Burgundy. This book is an invaluable resource in the discovery of the style and philosophy of Henri Jayer. Further information on this subject can be found in Allen Meadows’ The Pearl of the Côte and Anthony Hanson’s Burgundy.

1970: A very large crop of good wines. Not a poor year, but certainly few concentrated wines were produced, and only exceptional growers such as Henri Jayer produced vin de garde.

1976: Very sunny, very dry, and hot.  “A good vintage…”, 1976 is perfect for someone with such unparalleled skills in the winery as Henri Jayer. Producers who picked carefully and managed fermentation temperatures made extraordinary wines.

1978: Little sun in the summer, but a perfect autumn “An exceptional vintage,” Henri Jayer recognizes it as “one of the most beautiful vintages I vinified. Undoubtedly, one of the best in the century.”

1979: A fairly large crop, 1979 was fruity and forward for most producers. Vosne was devastated by hail, but the fruit that survived made wonderful wine at Jayer.

1980: A late year with a roller-coaster growing season, the vintage was initially dismissed by the cognoscenti. Today, however, 1980 is coming in for a renaissance as collectors praise its elegant balance. Vosne was one of the top appellations, and these wines are lovely today.

1982:  Another large crop, the secret in an abundant year such as this is to master the yield. A year with temperatures that were warm, sunny, and mild, those courageous enough to drop fruit made lovely wines for aging.

1984: Cool and damp, this was not the strongest year in Burgundy. If you are searching for affordable, pleasant surprises, however, Jayer is the place to look.

1985: Late to flower, late to harvest, 1985 was sunny and dry throughout July and August, and the year had an exceptional September; “A great vintage” according to Henri Jayer, and one for great wines for aging.

1986: 1986 was a wonderful year for much of the growing season – in spite of a late start, the bulk of the growing season was very fine. Late August saw serious rainstorms, so it was important to maintain the vineyards well to combat rot. The weather cleared prior to harvest, however, and the year ended well. Selection is the key, and this is known as much better in the Côte de Nuits.

1987: Although the buds arrived early in 1987, the flowers arrived late due to difficult weather, limiting yield. The summer alternated wet and dry weather, but the year was saved by a beautiful September, and top domaines produced beautiful, fresh wines that are still charming and youthful.  

1990: In the words of Henri Jayer: “First Class. The cool and unsettled June weather made flowering very long…a guarantee of small, quality grapes with low yields.” He goes on to note that “In spite of such high sugar content, the acidity was remarkable. The harvest was ‘cooler’ than 1989 so it was easier to vinify.”

1991: An “interesting” vintage, whose “only fault was that it came after 1990.” Hot and dry, with a spell of torrential rain in August, the year featured another beautiful September, helping the grapes along to full maturity.

1992: A “good” year with “pleasant” wines, 1992 produced a high yield and gave wines with soft acidity, very attractive now.

1993: Better for reds than for whites. Hot prior to flowering, there was significant rain early in the growing season followed by fine weather, another wet spell and then a perfect September for the harvest. The wines are tannic, structured, and long lived

1994: A perfect year spoiled by rain in September. Good results were had with careful sorting and control of yields.

1995: A fine year with a rather disappointing September, overcast and cool. Good results possible with low yields and careful sorting.

1996: An extraordinary year in Jayer’s view, giving both a lot of fruit and extraordinary concentration. He compares 1996 to 1934 and 1959. This dry and somewhat cool year gave wines of good ripeness with firm acidity and tannin, producing wines that will age gracefully for decades.

1997: “A good year that should be enjoyed for its fruit.”

1998: “A good vintage, rescued from water and frost.”

1999: By anyone’s account, 1999 is a superb year. Jayer notes, “One has to go back to 1934 to find a similar association of quantity and quality.” This is due to the exceptionally mild weather that prevailed throughout the season. The weather was so generous that yields had to be reduced in the vineyard to improve the concentration of the fruit.   

2000: “A good winegrower’s vintage.”

2001: “An excellent vintage for laying down.”