“It’s a question of scarcity—short harvests (2012, 2013, 2014) or less crop than expected (2010, 2011, 2015),” explains Jasper Morris, the Burgundy buyer for U.K. merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd.  “Some growers may be greedy, but mostly they’re trying to stay afloat.”

Despite weather problems, there are good wines in all the past five vintages: 2010 is excellent for reds and whites; 2011 is a definite notch down, with light, fruity, and charming wines; the best 2012s are rich and luscious, while complicated 2013 produced juicy, pure reds and whites for drinking now. In 2014, whites are the stars. The 2015s look stunning, but prices will be very high.  

Merchants see all this as a perfect storm.

In the U.S., David Kunicki, a vice president of importer and distributor Martin Scott Wines, worries that savvy American buyers may not be willing to keep paying high prices. “Now,” Kunicki says, “I’m looking for value.” In London, some merchants buy only Burgundies they can sell as futures. Sebastian Thomas, of London’s Howard Ripley Wines, warns,  “There are a lot of midrange Burgundies from recent vintages stuck in the pipeline. If customers see wines increase by over 100 percent in three years, they vote with their feet.” (And with Brexit looming, and the pound dropping against the euro, they will be more expensive than ever.)

So what’s the answer for a Burgundy lover?

Buy strategically. Go for basic Bourgogne rouge and blanc from famous names, and buy village level Burgundies, especially those labeled vieilles vignes (old vines), and less expensive premiers crus from small negociants such as those in my list below. Other good up-and-coming producers include Chantereves, Sylvain Pataille, and David Moreau.

For Americans, the strong dollar against the euro helps—at least for now.

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