Tasted in Meursault with Philippe Bouzereau, 17 May 2023.
Domaine Philippe Bouzereau
7 Place de la République
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 20 32
www.philippe-bouzereau.com
More reports with Philippe Bouzereau
Philippe on his recent vintages:
“The old tasting room here is now a wine bar – there’s a new professional tasting room and cuverie too. The 2021s are in bottle since Easter. We lost about 80% of the production in 2021 – We gained 4°C with the candles we used in some places, unfortunately, the temperature was nearly -9°C so not much help… We already have a problem with a warming climate so I was anyway unhappy warming the air – so I won’t do it again, I’ll try to work the plots and prune much later… If I compare that to 2022, the last vintage was good for the reds but still with quite modest volumes for the whites – but we love the quality – roughly with 2019 volumes…”
The domaine was certified ‘organic’ in 2022 and has been trialling biodynamics in some places since then. Soon there will be new cuvées from the Hautes Côtes and from Bouzeron.
The wines…
The first wines were rather modest but once we got to the Bourgogne Côte d’Or things were starting to become more interesting. The higher wines were full of interest and delicious flavours.
2021 Bourgogne Aligoté
All barrel elevage – 228s mainly but also 30% of the volume in Foudres – vines in the bottom of Meursault… Made exactly the same way as the more expensive wine – this the last vines to be picked.
An airy, slightly compact nose. The palate is direct and becomes more intense in the finish – holding well too – that’s a nice wine.
2021 ‘Chardonnay’
Actually Coteaux Bourguignone – the vines next to the aligoté
Nice aromas – a little more definition than the aligoté – it’s a delicate nose. Bright, showing more width and direct intensity. I like the intensity here.
2021 Bourgogne Blanc
Made with bought fruit…
Hmm – this is aromatically a little more exciting, floral and with hints of fine agrume – lovely. Mouth-filling with yellow-citrus energy and a growing intensity – Lovely!
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or
‘This is from 3 Meursault lieu-dits, the largest being Pellanns a mix of our own young and old vines.’
Directly more yellow-fruited depth of aroma with some faint ginger-spice. A subtle reduction and a more fluid delivery of flavour – fine energy – this is a good step-up…
2021 Auxey-Duresses Boutonières
The same terroir as Meursault but now turned to the north – so later ripening.
More supple, plenty of concentration – this is a very fine wine. The finish holding beautifully – Yum!
2021 Meursault Grands Charrons
Biggest appellation of the domaine with 2.5 ha – part in the family for 4-5 generations. A little extra minerality to this nose. More direct, more mineral – I love the texture. Extra vibrant in the finishing flavour – slightly floral – that’s a simply excellent Meursault villages…
2021 Meursault Clos de la Croix Noir
On the border with Monthelie, west-facing so one of the later harvested vines – used to sell the production from here – 80k bottles was already enough – but since brother joined the domaine Philippe keeps it now. ‘My brother is in the winery and I’m in the vineyards…’
A little more compact but also floral nose. Hmm – more mouth-filling, a more generous but still a wine with energy and structure – I really like this finish – lovely…
2021 Meursault, Clos de Château de Citeaux
1.5 ha in the centre of Meursault.
A fuller nose than the last – supple ripe yellow citrus. A panoramic wine on the palate – properly Meursault in style with a modest spice. The finish clean and broad – this is very classy Meursault.
2021 Meursault Les Narvaux
A more airy nose – faintly accented with creamy oak. Mouth-filling – open, well-structured wine – the barrel is an obvious accompaniment so wait 2-3 years and you will be happy (- I will be happy) the finish holds very well – despite the oak today, this is absolutely delicious. ‘Yes we normally make 15 barrels but had enough for only 3 and only one was new but it had quite some effect.‘
The domaine normally has 4 Meursault premier crus – all in small quantity – but in 2021 there simply wasn’t enough to make the individual cuvées – so:
2021 Meursault 1er Cru
Depth and clarity – even a slightly peppery style – a fine 1er cru nose. Hmm – extra concentration, with lots of width – vibrant, mineral but packaged with beautiful texture. Not a large finish but a super finish – cool, complex, mineral and a beautiful thing!
2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Morgeot
A contract in Petit Clos…
More direct, slightly compact at the same time – airy though becoming floral. Wide, the Chassagne combination of modest richness but structure too. A lovely, mouth-watering, vibration of finishing flavour – super.
Les Reds:
“All destemmed in 2021 – I kept a few stems in 2019 but not 2020 as I didn’t like the ripeness of those stems – I did one cuvée in 22 that was all whole cluster – it’s a small cuvée but it worried me – it’s more complicated to do the winemaking but my brother does the reds well:”
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or
From Meursault Les Durots – near Volnay.
Modest colour. A more chocolate aromatic complexity, almost a hint oxidative too. In the mouth much more interesting than the nose – tasty wine but the aromas were not for me
2021 Meursault Rouge
Les Criots – near Santenots – old vines, the oldest from 1920 though with some replacements every year…
Hmm – that’s a much more attractive nose – airy, complex and inviting. Much more volume and a nice attack – the flavours fading in a nicely direct style. Very fine tannin and a delicious wine – lovely.
2021 Beaune 1er Teurons
Hmm – nice width again – a cushioned red fruit. A small grain of tannin that fades to nothing. Broad and a growing intensity in the finish – a hint structural but a fun wine, deliciously finishing – simply lovely!
2021 Pommard
A bought wine – just the ageing done here after the pressing.
A little extra colour. A purity of slightly cushioned, direct, red fruit. Hmm – more structural – architectural – a little extra tannin too. Direct and intense finishing…
2021 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Duresses
The new wall up to the trees above – a large parcel.
A broader nose – some extra stony-cored red fruit. Larger-scaled in the mouth – a larger wine than the Pommard. Plenty of finishing bitters but with fresh and lip-smacking flavour – that’s a very engaging finish.
2021 Corton Bressandes
Higher on the hill, near Renardes
This is more perfumed – there’s some whole bunch perfume here – the sulfur was added only after the malo. More imposing in the mouth – architectural but so finely grained tannin. The finish is slowly fading and not large scale but this is a very fine bottle…