2003 saw the earliest harvest on record and this amongst scorching heat.  Both red and white Burgundy ar very high in alcohol and show low levels of acidity.  Total production was very low as yeilds were restricted by severe spring weather which interupted flowering and berry set. 

The white wines will be big fleshy examples of Chardonnay and lack some of the finesse and character expected from the top appellations like Puligny and Chassagne.  Chablis produced big blousey wines with very little of that piercinggrapefruit and  green river-rock mineral appeal that the region is so famous for.

Red Burgundy is a different animal. You should have already bought these wines.  They are distinctly ripe, rich and opulent and have more grip and concentration at the village level than most Premier Cru or Grand Cru wines from average to good vintages do. Red Burgundy These wines have it all, ripe tannins, ripe fruit, and a true sense of place is coming through as they age, and age they will. Look for the wines from top producers to improve through 2018 or longer. 

VINTAGE REPORT CHABLIS GRANDS CRUS 2003. Exceptional sunshine hours and lack of rain characterized the period between February and late September. This was a year of amazing records. Severe frosts (up to minus 8°C) struck early in April. As the buds were well advanced this year, the ensuing damage was greater than usual. Flowering was very precocious, taking place early in June under extremely warm weather. This resulted in some excessive vigour which caused hens and chickens and some coulure in the bunches. Between June and September, drought and heat prevailed with average temperatures above 30°C. In early August, there were 9 successive days at over 40°C setting a historic record for Chablis of 41,7°C. No Chablisien had ever seen this since temperature records began in 1873. Most grape bunches exposed to the sun were burnt and dried out by harvest time. Frost, hens and chickens, coulure, drought and sunburn have combined to produce a crop well below normal volume levels. Some plots have yielded only half the usual crop. Harvest was declared open on August 25th, a month earlier than the usual date. Picking in the Grands Crus finished on September 5 the...unbelievably early!The older vines, protected by their deep root system, did not suffer unduly from the drought and will produce exceptional wines. The younger vines had more problems getting sufficient nourishment to their fruit, and this could well produce uneven quality. Early tastings show impressive richness, with unusually fragrant wines that are reminiscent of very ripe citrus fruit and mangos. The mouth feel is powerful, unctuous and full-bodied. 2003 is an exceptional year in every sense of the term. It can be placed alongside mythical vintages such as 1947, 1959 or 1976, where the wines that showed balance are truly marvelous