In the world of wine, Burgundy is a showcase for the highs and lows of the environmental and climatic changes we are experiencing throughout the world today. Senior vignerons, such as Paul Pillot, look today at the new generation with a certain degree of envy. They could only dream of having a flight of “années solaires” such as those which have dominated recent vintages, never having to worry whether the grapes would ripen or not. On the other hand, they are also hugely sympathetic to the peaks and troughs of freak weather conditions that are now a recurring problem: frost, hail, drought, thunderstorms, and heatwaves, almost without warning, each bringing their own individual dangers.

The soil itself has also brought new challenges for the current generation of vine growers. Decades of over-treating both soils and vines following the Second World War have taken their toll. The land’s nutrient make-up became unbalanced, making the vines in turn less disease-resistant and even more vulnerable to climatic variations. These issues have driven the decisions for more natural farming. Today, many growers in the Côte d’Or have converted to either organic or, further still, biodynamic practices. Burgundy has unquestionably been a leader in both movements this century.