English
Italiano
Deutsch
A vintage no one will forget. Not for its opulence, but for what it has to say.
2024 in Burgundy was a demanding year, a vintage that required attention, sensitivity and precise decision-making, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. And yet, this is where Burgundy once again shows its greatness: from a challenging season emerged wines that are honest, readable, often deeply moving. They do not shout. They do not seduce by force. But they speak clearly.
What follows is an overview of the 2024 whites and reds, interwoven with the philosophy and work of some of the producers who are part of the Chronos Wine Cellar family.
A vintage shaped by water
One word defines 2024: rain. Persistent, regular, wearing. More than the total volume, it was the frequency of rainfall that pushed vineyards to their limits, creating unprecedented downy mildew pressure, especially in the Côte de Nuits.
Flowering was long, uneven, often compromised. Yields in many cases fell to dramatic levels; in some parcels, there was simply nothing to harvest. August, finally brighter and drier, saved what remained: few bunches, but ripe enough to make it to the finish line.
The result? Two vintages in one: a surprisingly successful Burgundy for whites, and a more fragile, yet far from lacking interest, Burgundy for reds.
The 2024 whites – Freshness, energy, definition
If there is one point of broad agreement among critics and producers alike, it is this: 2024 is a great vintage for white Burgundy. Not great in terms of opulence, but for precision, definition and its ability to express place.
The cool, humid conditions preserved high natural acidity (pH often between 3.2 and 3.35) and moderate alcohol levels, generally between 12% and 13%. The wines are taut, saline, linear, often built more for the future than for immediate impact. Many experts have drawn parallels with 2014, 2010 and, in certain respects, 2016: classical vintages defined by finesse and longevity.
Chardonnay showed remarkable adaptability, especially on sloping, well-drained and ventilated sites, translating the cool climate into energy and clarity.
If there is a clear winner in 2024, it is undoubtedly Chardonnay.
Thanks to slightly more favourable flowering, thicker skins and greater resistance to disease, white varieties managed to turn a challenging climate into an ally. The common thread is vibrant acidity, often supported by significant malic acid, and an aromatic profile built around citrus, white flowers and saline minerality.
These are not broad, sunny wines. They are linear, incisive, precise, and often irresistibly drinkable.
Côte de Beaune: balance and a return to classicism
- Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet show a more tensile profile than in recent years: less volume, more nerve. Limestone slopes made the difference.
- Puligny-Montrachet shines for its precision and verticality; the best Premier Crus are true exercises in style.
In this context, the work of producers such as Michel Niellon and Chavy-Chouet fits perfectly: measured vinifications, increasingly discreet oak, and constant attention to fruit purity. Their 2024s speak an essential, deeply Burgundian language.
Chablis and contemporary interpretations
In Chablis, 2024 finds an ideal interpreter in Château de Béru, where the vintage’s natural freshness amplifies an already tension-driven, saline and limestone-focused profile. The wines are straight, vibrant and deeply gastronomic.
Chanterêves, working across the Hautes-Côtes, Chassagne and Corton, approaches 2024 with remarkable clarity: subtle, taut wines, never forced, where natural freshness becomes structure rather than simple lightness. The whites are luminous, energetic and deeply gastronomic.
Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne, with his mineral whites and partial amphora vinifications, shows that even in difficult years, experience, dedication and innovation can produce remarkable wines, shaping a modern Burgundian style increasingly appreciated by critics and wine lovers alike.
The 2024 reds – Lightness, transparency, drinkability
This is a vintage that asks for silence and attention in the glass. The reds do not seek power, but clarity.
Across both Côtes, Pinot Noir shows a classical, restrained profile: crisp red fruit, fine and linear tannins, clear salinity and alcohol levels rarely exceeding 13%. More than concentration, what stands out is the transparency of terroir.
Many producers mention stylistic affinities with 2012 for texture, 2010 for precision and 2016 for overall balance. These are not massive wines, nor are they built to impress immediately. They speak calmly, but with authority.
Pinot Noir suffered. A lot.
Extremely low yields, mildew pressure and weakened vine growth resulted in wines often lighter in colour and structure. But this does not mean they lack interest. On the contrary, at their best, 2024 offers a nearly didactic expression of terroir.
General style
- Moderate alcohol (12–13%)
- Fine, sometimes almost weightless tannins
- Crisp red fruit: redcurrant, wild strawberry, pomegranate
- High drinkability
This is not a vintage for power or extreme cellaring. It is a vintage to drink, to share, to enjoy for its immediacy and natural grace.
Côte de Beaune: unexpectedly convincing
In many parts of the Côte de Beaune, reds withstood the season better than those in the Côte de Nuits.
- Pommard stands out as particularly interesting: less affected by the heaviest rainfall, it produced more complete wines than Volnay.
- Beaune itself offers excellent surprises, especially in historic climats.
The work of Domaine A.-F. Gros and Le Puy de l’Ours shows how gentle cellar work, light extractions and restrained oak use were decisive in 2024.
Côte de Nuits: finesse and personal interpretation
Here, variability is extreme, even within the same domaine. Differences between cuvées can be striking.
Producers such as Antoine Lienhardt, Armand Heitz, Jeremy Recchione and La Maison Romane chose consistency over compromise, accepting minimal yields to preserve identity. The best results combine transparency, aromatic finesse and an exceptionally delicate tannic weave.
Independent voices and new readings
Figures like Mark Haisma, Maison Fang and Maison Gautheron d’Anost show how 2024 can succeed when Pinot Noir is guided rather than forced. Subtle, floral wines, often irresistible at the table.
Burgundy 2024: a contemporary reading
2024 is not a loud vintage, nor one built on excess. It is a vintage of restraint, and precisely for this reason, it resonates strongly with contemporary taste. It is a vintage of integrity, rewarding experience, discipline and clarity of vision.
Scarcity is real: many estates report their lowest yields in decades. But reducing 2024 to a question of quantity would be a mistake. What truly made the difference was how each producer responded to pressure: who made the right calls, who accepted losses rather than compromising style, who worked with restraint in the cellar.
In this sense, the wines represented by Chronos tell the story of the vintage with remarkable clarity.
- A.-F. Gros was more impacted by frost than mildew, with drastically reduced yields. The increasing use of Clayver vessels, now central to the domaine’s approach, gives the 2024s an electric, tense profile, especially expressive in top terroirs.
- Michel Niellon and Chavy-Chouet benefited from well-drained vineyards and an unforced style, producing chiselled, saline whites of great precision.
- Antoine Lienhardt interpreted Pinot Noir with extreme restraint, prioritising drinkability and finesse over extraction.
- Armand Heitz, true to his philosophy, accepted minimal yields to preserve purity and identity, crafting wines that are transparent and deeply territorial.
This is a Burgundy that values freshness, acidity and precision, qualities increasingly sought after, and increasingly rare.
How to read 2024
A simple guide to the glass
After several years of sunny, ripe, sometimes overly generous vintages, 2024 marks a clear change of direction.
This is a vintage to approach with different expectations.
- Freshness first: moderate alcohol, lively natural acidity. The palate is fluid, taut and refreshing.
- Crisp, not ripe fruit: redcurrant, citrus, wild strawberry, pomegranate. No jam, no heaviness.
- Salinity and minerality: especially evident in whites, but increasingly present in reds as well. Wines that make you want another glass.
- Classical style: lovers of cooler vintages such as 2010, 2014 and 2017 will find a familiar language, a language that is becoming rarer.
- Gastronomic wines: made for the table, not for technical tastings. Perfect with food, friends and time.
2024 does not seek immediate applause. It seeks attention. And the reward is authentic, everyday pleasure, deeply Burgundian.
A vintage to buy intelligently
2024 should be approached with discernment.
- Whites are the heart of the vintage: taut, mineral, with greater ageing potential than their slender profile suggests.
- Reds require careful selection: strong Villages, well-situated Premier and Grand Crus, and sensitive producers make all the difference.
- Appellations such as Marsannay, Savigny, Santenay and Pommard offer particularly compelling balance between quality and clarity.
It is an ideal vintage to drink while waiting for more structured years like 2020, 2022 and 2023. Like 2021, 2024 prioritises relatively early pleasure without sacrificing depth.
Not an easy Burgundy. But a true one.
2024 is not a classic warm vintage. It is an honest one.
It speaks volumes about Burgundy today: climate change, the fragility of agricultural balance, the need to adapt without betraying core principles. It highlights the best vineyards, the most sensitive hands, the clearest decisions.
For those who seek power and opulence, this will not be a reference point. For those who value freshness, identity, drinkability and precision, 2024 will deliver great satisfaction, especially in whites, but also in carefully chosen reds.
As one Burgundian producer put it: “This year, the wine may not improve much with time. But it will improve with friends.”
And in the end, isn’t that the deepest meaning of wine?