No upside for 2013 Burgundies despite tight supply

London

PRICES for 2013 vintage Burgundy wines going on sale now are holding steady or declining, relative to the peaks reached in 2012, even as supplies remain tight after cold, wet weather reduced yields for the fourth straight year. Late flowering, combined with rot in some vineyards and hail showers in the Cote de Beaune, contributed to making the vintage difficult for winemakers, said Jasper Morris, Burgundy director for London merchant Berry Bros & Rudd.

Demand for Burgundy remains strong in the US, the UK and Japan, where collectors are drawn to a region whose many small producers and wide variety of vineyards contrasts with the bigger, more commercial Bordeaux estates. While the four Burgundy vintages from 2010 to 2013 have all had yields below average, putting pressure on growers to raise prices, especially for 2012 wine…