How does a wine "die"? Many ways, but one is when it oxidizes faster than it should– a term called "premox."
As a wine ages, it changes in smell, taste and color. It's normally a gradual process that in the instance of White Burgundy can extend 40+ years.
Due to unknown circumstances, the wines from the mid 90s to as early as 2012s taste older than they should. The tumultuous era starts around 1995.
Ask any winemaker and you'll likely get a different answer as to why. Some say it's climate change, some say it's the introduction of a new grape press used in the area, some say it's that there is more organic farming nowadays... jury's still out.
