Tasted in Meursault with Philippe Bouzereau, 7 July 2020.
Domaine Philippe Bouzereau
7 Place de la République
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 20 32
www… not currently
You will know that there are a number of Bouzereaus in Meursault and all are cousins. All have been associated with the vines, and for many generations – though one of Philippe’s grandmothers was from Chassagne-Montrachet!
Philippe cultivates about 17 hectares of vines from Chassagne-Montrachet all the way to Aloxe – but principally from Meursault. You may link Philippe to the Château de Cîteaux – now a hotel – and its associated Clos (Meursault Vieux Clos) in the centre of Meursault. Both were bought in 1995 by Philippe’s father who replanted the Clos but the hotel was later resold – “You can really only do hotels or wine, not both!” says Philippe who has been responsible here since 2006.
The domaine exports about 50% of its production – “Although it’s quite complicated at the moment,” says Philippe, “Though our shop works well here in Meursault and it’s been here nearly ten years now, so that helps.”
No sulfur is used until the malos are done here. Philippe has some new foudres in the cellar, some 300-litre barrels too, otherwise, the elevage generally uses standard 228-litre barrels.
Philippe on 2019:
“It was a hard year when you consider the heat the vines had to bear and there was some oïdium too, but the end result was very pleasing, and with such a good acidity too.”
The wines…
The 2019s showed really very well indeed – the oak is not really visible in Philippe’s 2019 elevage and I see clarity, minerality and a fine energy. The reds start relatively easy, but there is much to admire here too. An address to keep following…
The following were tasted from barrel but they will be moved to tank before the 2020 harvest as there’s not enough space in the cellar to stock two vintages in barrel. They will probably bottle sometime around February 2021:
2019 Bourgogne Côte d’Or
The harvest volume was quite good, not 50 hl/ha but approaching that. This is from 3 Meursault lieu-dits, the largest being Pellanns a mix of young and old vines averaging about 25
Depth of aroma that’s quite perfumed too. A little mineral, quite mouth-filling, quite incisive too – persistent, long… This finishes very tastily. Excellent Bourgogne.
2019 Auxey-Duresses Boutonières
This nose is a little reductive. More open in the mouth though, more attack, more vibrant, shimmering in the finish – this gets better and better in the glass. Event better than the Bourgogne!
Officially one of the ‘Au Village’ locations in Meursault.
Hmm, that’s nicely perfumed. Hmm (again), very Meursault, the flavour melting over the palate, modestly ginger-spiced, super cliché Meursault, very, very pleasing – bravo!
2019 Meursault Grands Charrons
A wider nose, of greener fruit and there’s some minerality to see (smell!). A little more structural shape, very well balanced, more density more intensity, this needs to unfurl but there’s lovely material here and it’s long finishing too. Excellent again.
2019 Meursault Les Narvaux
Ooh fine – minerally smokey, beautifully Meursault. More direct, mineral very classic for Narvaux – I love this tension. Excellent!
2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Champgains
‘Similar altitude to the Narvaux, the stony ground is similar too. It’s an area that ripens quite late, this and the Auxey ate usually the latest to be harvested.’
The ground may be similar but this is aromatically more direct than the Narvaux – such a super nose, such an invitation of clarity mixed with the mineral impression. Very intense, mineral and growing gall the time with intensity. This is really, really excellent, I love this!
2019 Meursault 1er Poruzots
A little wider, a little more ginger-spiced. Wider in the mouth too, but vibrant – the structure of Poruzots but not too much. Beautiful acidity, nicely balanced concentration. An excellent Poruzots.
A core of yellower fruit, the nose almost a little textured. Wide, very mineral, more than expected, growing in size in the mouth, even growing more in the finish. Bravo – really!
2019 Meursault 1er Charmes
A nice nose with a depth of faintly reductive mineral aroma – agrumes too. Lovely acidity accentuated by a touch of gas. Depth of flavour, indeed layers of flavour here. More an ingraining quality to the flavour vs the energy and intensity of the previous wines. Great finishing!
2019 Meursault 1er Perrières
At the bottom next to Lafon.
A little aromatic agrume reduction. Very faint gas in the mouth too. Hmm, super minerality again. A wine that’s lightly accented with the same agrume reduction on the nose.A wine that needs more elevage than those that came before.
Of course, the domain is principally white but there are reds too:
2019 Beaune 1er Teurons
Modest colour. Warm, soft red fruit – quite open. In the mouth too, open easy yet with a serious structural aspect if you go looking for it. Fine finishing – yum!
2019 Chassagne-Montrachet
From Bouchon de Corvée in the plain
More colour here. Perfumed ripe fruit – almost crunchy fruit – very inviting. More structural but a wine that shows nicely layered and energetic flavour. That’s very easy to drink – like the Teurons – appealing wine.
There’s also a Meursault rouge but that was still in malo.
The new wall up to the trees above – a large parcel.
Here is a very attractive and perfumed nose – yes! Hmm, this is great – easy but with clarity of flavour, incisive without being sharp. Really an excellent wine, modestly touched by tannin on the end of the tongue in the finish.
2019 Corton Bressandes
Not destemmed, no added sulfur before malo.
A big perfumed nose, the rose-petals obvious from the stems. Concentrated, a faint gas, a little bitters in the flavours – but what complexity of flavour! This is very perfumed wine. Long, mouth-filling flavour, but seriously mineral with an almost graphite impression in the finish.
