Tasted twice in Beaune with Frédéric Weber, 01 December 2022.
Bouchard Père et Fils
15 Rue du Château
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 24 80 24
www.bouchard-pereetfils.com
More reports with Maison Bouchard Père et Fils
Frédéric on 2022:
“In 2022 we did some green harvesting – it was the rain in June that changed everything certainly compared to, the upto that stage, the similar vintage in 2020 – with plenty of hydric stress. Good volume, clean, healthy grapes and vines. Our first harvesting was in Volnay on the 26th of August and the whites brought in about 38-39 hl/ha – the reds too – small grapes with plenty of thickness to the skins. The white grapes reminded me of 2015 with their golden colours. Of course, some people chose to leave plenty of grapes on the vines but we chose a different route.”
Frédéric on 2021:
“1910 or 1930 – that’s the last time we had such low yields – of course, we only have the writings nobody here can remember. The growth was already exploding in the first week of April as the weather had been so warm before. We have some of the best-exposed parcels – but this year they were also the best exposed to the snow, hence, the historic loss. We averaged 10 hl/ha for the whites. We had only 5 hl/ha in Volnay – parts of Beaune closer to 30 but we still averaged less than 20 hl/ha. There was never really heavy rain but there was consistent rain that followed – we hired extra people to treat by foot as we had no chance to enter the vineyard with tractors – it was just too wet. It was essential to remove some of the leaves of the vines to expose the grapes to ensure good airflow. The triage was essential, we had no alternative but to reject some of the (already) tiny crop. It was important to triage for the grey rot and the second-generation clusters of grapes.”
The wines…
A stellar line-up chez Bouchard in 2021 – almost as good as their range of 2020s when I rated them one of the producers of the year – they are not far behind that accolade again. So many great wines, and at all price levels…
Have started racking now – will finish the wines’ elevage in tank and will probably start bottling in March – for the reds – “But for the whites, I think they need more elevage so bottling will be a little more classic – so nearer June:”
2021 Monthelie
Both width and depth to this graphite accented red fruit. Supple, slowly mouth-filling. A generous wine with a good sucrosity, nicely finishing – that’s a delicious wine to start.
2021 Monthelie 1er Les Duresses
A later harvesting area and a normal harvest here.
A broader nose with higher tones, slightly floral. Extra direct, faintly tannic – a wine that’s a tonic – full of energy and fine dark berry intensity in the finish. I would keep this for a short time – 3-3 years in the first instance. Yum!
Practically 4 ha, south-facing. Also less affected by the frost in this cooler area.
Purer aromatics, more violet flowers. Supple but mouth-filling energy – large-scaled completely delicious wine. Such a great wine here and for a number of vintages too.
Not the full assembly – but close.
A breadth of extra-red fruit freshness – that’s super attractive. Volume in the mouth again – higher toned fruit flavour than the Lavières – framed with a little tannin but no grain. Broad finishing – there’s an extra complexity here than in many years – or it’s more visible at this stage than usual – this wine is a pleasure. A great buy in 21!
2021 Beaune 1er Marconnets
This normally later harvesting but not in 2021 – it was one of the first. ‘The latest area in Beaune – white marnes – yet sits above Clos du Roi which is one of the earliest with not much soil – more stones and sand.’
A breadth of more seamless fruit aroma, faintly smoky. In the mouth too a little of the smoke – stems – fine volume and a little hint more tannic visibility. A larger wine here and slowly rolling waves of finishing flavour. Super.
2021 Beaune 1er Teurons
2.4 ha on the hillside – usually the first harvested in Beaune. ‘One of the earliest vines on limestone but not quite 10 hl/ha’
A more vertical nose – less ready. In the mouth, this is silkier, but has an impressive depth of silky/spice flavour today.
2021 Beaune 1er Grèves
Fresh and perfumed – a combination of two sectors. There is both scale and structure here – faintly wrapped with tannin but ultra-fine-grained. A width of high-toned complexity to finish. Lovely wine.
2021 Beaune 1er Clos de la Mousse
This is a 3.36 hectare monopole next to Les Avaux. Before hitting the mother-rock there’s a deep and dense clay soil that’s rich in lime so needs 5 or 6 days more time to mature compared to Grèves – but it never suffers from drought as there are some springs.
Another fine width of red fruit with a modest spice accent. There’s a cool stance to this wine – width and silk but also concentration – at the same time with delicate red fruits. This is a real honey – it’s absolutely excellent.
Four different plots, vinified separately, with different vine ages – 45 and 65 years old at the bottom and 25 plus 35 years old at the top – that’s one day difference in terms of ripeness – 0.5 ha recently replanted. 3.91 ha.
Another more vertical nose – with deep and high tones but with less width. A wine of extra scale – cool style like the Mousse – engrossing finishing depth and, slowly, length too. Another simply excellent wine with an extra sneaky complexity vs the Mousse too – not the most exciting today but the most complete of the Beaunes.
2021 Volnay 1er Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot
A 3.75 hectares, again in 4 plots. A sunny place so maturity comes very quickly here, so together with Enfant Jesus (Grèves) usually the first to be harvested – just 50 cm of soil before the limestone. ‘The smallest yields here along with Taillepieds – we had the same in 2012 and 2016’
Higher toned aromatics, maybe a hint of pyrazine but here more gentian flower in style. Super width and texture, still that slightly herbed accent but a wonderful wine here. If you are not sensitive to such greens I’d go as far as to say a great wine!
“A bad surprise for us – this is normally a late starting sector but the losses were bad here – red and white.”
Lots of aromatic freshness here too – the spice of the whole clusters rather than of anything green. Again a wine of wonderful scale, cool fruit, supple, a texture of velour. A great finish too – what a great wine – it just needs the nose to become more friendly.
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Cailles
1 ha here
A narrow but finely vertical and high-toned nose. Direct, beautifully silky, vibrantly, complex flavoured. Slowly broadening in the red fruit finish. Beautifully shaped and textured wine.
2021 Clos de Vougeot
Half a hectare is owned in 2 equal size parcels; one next to Grands-Echézeaux – Plant l’Abbaye – and a lower parcel which has been replanted, but there’s no harvest for now. This the 4th vintage ‘alone.’ ‘This higher part has much more elegance than the bottom part used to show. The only place in the côte de Nuits with a close to normal harvest volume. 100% whole cluster here’
Actually quite perfumed airy wine – lovely. Direct, cool there’s structure but nothing hard – it’s an architectural wine, slowly widening over the palate with cool fruit and minerality. Narrow but juicy finishing too – and so sneakily long. Not a big Clos de Vougeot but a delicious one.
Chambolle side, red soil. Old vines that average 2.5 barrels per year
Breadth – I’m fully absorbed by this – despite a tiny reduction which enhances the visibility of the stems. Fuller, so impressive – such cool fruit complexity – the stems really quite visible here but properly floral rather than gothic. Powerful, perfumed, really great wine. Wait 10 years, better 15+…
2021 Clos de Bèze
Almost 1 ha under the forest – so higher vines. Last parcel harvested.
There’s extra width here – a very floral aromatic. Mouth-filling. Silken style, mobile, mouth-watering – holding its width into the finish and fading so very slowly. This is a beauty!
Les Whites
Fred explains – “We waited a little for maturity in the whites. We did have some places with oïdium but in the late dry weather they dried and dropped to the ground – even the end of the press was fine and very aromatic – we kept a lot of the lees and all fermentations were in barrel with no racking. I’m really pleased with how the whites keep improving with elevage – because of that I’m in no rush to complete their elevage:”
From Prevolles – the 3rd vintage – was pinot, the roots now over-grafted with shoots from Charlemagne ‘this was previously in red but we were never satisfied so it was over-grafted in 2017’
A fine depth of clean, pure, ripe citrus. Open and mouth-filling – growing in juicy style. Broad, well structured – juicy – very easy to drink – Bravo Beaune for two consecutive vintages!
A later growing place – ‘We made 30 hl/ha here – from 6 hectares – all our lower vines delivered more like 3 hl/ha…’
Yes! Fresh – direct, incisive – yes again! A wine of structure and purity but there’s depth here too – slightly citrus accented white flowers. That’s a great wine.
2021 Beaune 1er du Château
10 ha from 5 1ers – each with separate elevage. In foudre – this is the definitive blend.
A broader nose with a little wood spice. Also direct, cool, mineral in style. Juicy finishing with a little ripe citrus and stones. Really lovely – a hint of the wood-spice in the flavours too.
2021 Beaune Clos St.Landry
‘A 2 hectare Clos – yellow marne here, practically the only place in Beaune. Even in the 13th century, it is written that here in Beaune was planted chardonnay – it has always been planted to white as far as anyone knows.’
Yes! Vibrant – energetic aromatics – such a great invitation. Some gas. But here is a more concentrated core of fruit flavour, slowly melting over the palate. Fine intensity in the middle and finishing flavours – really broad finishing and fresh, citrus almost a hint of apricot freshness.
2021 Meursault 1er Genevrières
2.65 hectares from two plots; one from above the road to Chassagne which is a steep slope of old vines. The second is from a more stony plot that brings freshness and minerality. ‘We’re lucky to have large parcels – here 2.6 ha – but still only 6 hl/ha – at least we didn’t have to blend the parcels!’
Not fully open in the top notes but the middle and lower ones are already very attractive! Supple but with a beautiful shape/structure – broadening over the tongue, melting and becoming more accessible. That’s a great finish, faintly, warmly, spiced – classic!
2021 Meursault 1er Perrières
From 3 different plots totalling 1.2 hectares. Normally, with separate elevage but blended together at the end.
Here the top notes are much more open and mineral. Broad, structural and cool – never hard, melting over the palate like the Genevrières but with growing intensity. Really has an extra vibrancy of finishing flavour with even some floral accents too. A great, great finish!
300m height, 3.85 hectares at the top of the hill, just above their Les Corton, east oriented with rows planted north-south, the intention being to preserve freshness. ‘It’s important to wait for the maturity here.’
Broader, not deeper but what precision of aroma – yes – perfumed too – double yes!! Such impressive scale in the mouth yet a wine that’s completely open and hiding any structure – ethereal yet so mouth-filling. Slowly becoming supple and broad – ultimately with clarity and growth of finishing flavour – grand vin!
2021 Chevalier-Montrachet
There’s no Cabotte in this vintage – all was assembled. All four terraces were harvested and assembled on the same day.
Not as open as the Charlemagne today but there’s still a fine width of more cushioned, guarded, aroma. Directly more cool and mineral after the Charlemagne – gorgeously textured, even faintly tannic – the flavour of more ripeness – but you can never have too much of this thing. A finish that sustains, a little warmer flavoured – simply beautiful.
0.89ha bought in 1838, with only 4 (known) owners in centuries. Not quite 20 hl/ha but after the 5 hl/ha of Chevalier, they were thankful. 600 candles per hectare were required.
Ooh – now here’s a clear extra aromatic complexity. Rounder but still admirably fresh – the complexity is to die for here – clearly the greatest wine – it’s only about personal taste if you prefer the more mineral direct style of either the Charlemagne or the Chevalier – but if you are captivated by this expression – and I am – it’s going to cost you more. By a large margin this is the most complete wine.