When to drink a Bourgogne?

Burgundy · indicative values: the producer, the vintage and storage conditions come first.

Map: where Bourgogne is. Burgundy region, France.

Red

Recommended ageing: 2 to 6 years after the vintage.

For example, a 2020 red Bourgogne drinks best between 2022 and 2027, with a peak plateau around 2024-2026.

White

Recommended ageing: 1 to 4 years after the vintage.

For example, a 2024 white Bourgogne drinks best between 2025 and 2028, with a peak plateau around 2026-2027.

Vintage by vintage

A great year outlives an average one: the window moves with the vintage. The most recent rated years in Burgundy, applied to the ageing for red Bourgogne given above.

Vintage	Rating	Drink
2023	Good	2025–2029
2022	Great	2024–2029
2021	Average	2023–2026
2020	Great	2022–2027
2019	Outstanding	2021–2026
2018	Great	2020–2025
2017	Great	2019–2024
2016	Great	2018–2023
2015	Outstanding	2017–2022
2014	Great	2016–2021
2013	Good	2015–2019
2012	Great	2014–2019

The full history, back to the older vintages: Red Burgundy.

How to read this window

Before the window opens, the wine is in its youth: fruit dominates, tannins or acidity can feel stern. During the peak plateau, everything falls into balance: this is the moment ageing prepares. Beyond it, the wine slowly declines: nothing unsafe, but the emotion fades. These are general benchmarks for the appellation, not a verdict on your bottle.

Curious where these numbers come from? The method is published in full: five levels from the estate down to the grape, corrected by the vintage and the bottle format.

Which dishes?

The classic pairings where Bourgogne is one of the safe bets:

From the same region

Other appellations in Burgundy, each with its own window:

What about your bottles?

Caviste computes this window for every bottle in your cellar: photograph the label, the sheet fills itself in (estate, vintage, appellation) and the app tells you when a bottle reaches its peak. Discover Caviste.