Celebrating 240 years of Bouchard Pere & Fils: master class and dinner

Bouchard Pere & Fils, Beaune
Tasted Saturday, November 14, 2015 by PanosKakaviatos with 564 views

Introduction

This was an amazing event over the 2015 Hospices de Beaune weekend. Each year Bouchard Pere & Fils holds a dinner, and I sometimes get invited. It was great to attend this year, even though the ambiance was bittersweet. Much joy over the 2015 vintage - and some excellent 2014s, particularly the whites. But just the evening before this tasting and dinner, terrorists struck Paris with bullets and bombs: attacks that have killed 130 people. The auction itself was almost canceled, and you can read more about that on this page from Wine-Chronicles.com, which includes a video of auction participants singing the French national anthem La Marseillaise: http://www.wine-chronicles.com/blog/burgundy-hospices-2015/.

The Bouchard master class featured the 2014 vintage, and I will soon publish a story about that vintage, as I had tasted many over the weekend and the Thursday before. But for now, a focus on Bouchard, as participants enjoyed a superlative dinner following the master class.

Read on!

Flight 1 - The first part of 2014 reds (4 Notes)

I was running a bit late, so did not take as much time as I should have to evaluate these, but they were all very good, especially the Volnay.

Flight 2 - The second part of the 2014 reds. (4 Notes)

For me the number one highlight was the Clos Vougeot.

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Le Corton 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    Once again, I get the impression of a red that is very elegant and vivacious but wonder about the concentration. In any case, certainly a refined red, and one that should be tasted again over time.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

    This is one of my favorites from the Bouchard red stable and it does not disappoint in 2014: deep and elegant. A mix of dark and red fruit, with quite a bit of layers on the palate and a long finish, with lift. Nice job indeed!

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Clos Vougeot 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

    Funny, illustrious fellow tasters - let us begin with Michel Bettane for example - preferred the Clos de Beze to this. But I really liked the Clos Vougeot in 2014. Fermented in 50% whole cluster and aged in 40% new oak, this wine comes across with loads of grip, fine ripeness and finesse. Really a lovely overall expression with the energy of the vintage matched by concentration.

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

    This has a rather brooding character and seems to have much "going on" - there is an excellent palate feel of volume and density - but it was not coming across quite as elegantly as the Clos Vougeot tasted before. Perhaps I am misjudging it, as it comes from such a great terroir. But it seemed a bit expressionless to me, in comparison to the Clos Vougeot tasted just before.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 3 - As fellow taster Michael Apstein remarked, the 2014 whites were excellent ... part one. (3 Notes)

One really appreciates the quality in this first flight with the third wine, the Clos Saint Landry Premier Cru.

Flight 4 - A marvelous second flight of 2014 whites (5 Notes)

Where to begin? I just adored the two Meursault Premiers Crus, leading to an amazingly intense Montrachet.

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Domaine 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    Wow! Such lovely complexity with various flavors and aromatics, particularly for me herbal and chamomile tea, with a sense of opulence framed by lifting acidity. There is a breadth as well as length to this wine that beguiles. Great stuff!

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    I did not think it could get better than the Genevrieres but it did. Well, let us say that the stylistic differences give every winelover a great choice for either (why not buy both?). This comes across as more precise, with greater verve, and just as much flavor. I suppose time in bottle may give the edge to the Perrieres hence a just slightly higher score.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

    A magnificent Corton Charlemagne, such precision and focus, such freshness, if coming across a bit reductive, but this is going to be very special - give it time in bottle.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Domaine 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    Here we have a gorgeous combination of airiness and intensity. White stone fruit, wet stone, floral elements, you name it, it has got the grand cru white profile, along with density on the mid palate ending with a long and lifting finish. Great wine.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet Domaine 96 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    Quite a bit of intensity here, almost too much! But no, it is a baby and what I liked about it was its combination of opulence and precision. There is much juicy fruit, vivid layers of flavor and a sap filled mid palate that seems to tickle you to death with deliciousness, but the finish - long and intense - comes across almost rather forebodingly, as if a red wine. Something special for your cellar, if you can afford it...

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 5 - Dinner flight (4 Notes)

A fantastic dinner, prepared by Michelin chefs Nicolas Isnard and David Lecomte, was matched by amazing wines. The 1959 was truly special.

  • 2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    Combining both yellow and white stone fruit aspects, this wine has energy and richness, in fact more vivacity than I was expecting from the vintage. And a gorgeous match for a creamy squash velouté prepared with the savory Lardo di Colonnata from Italy.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2001 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

    Even better than the previous white, as it provided for an amazing - simply amazing - match with a serving of scallops in a smoky sauce, a kind of emulsion, with black truffle. This 2001 Chevalier Montachet La Cabotte, which gave off a smoky aspect as well, and a pulp of grapefruit freshness and impressive concentration and length. The food was prepared by Dijon based Michelin star chefs Nicolas Isnard and David Lecomte. A heavenly combination actually worthy of 100 points.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1971 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

    For food and wine combinations, it doesn't get much better (even if it was not quite as dreamily amazing as the preceding scallops and Chevalier): this proved to be a fresh and deep red from a vintage just after the Beatles broke up. I looked up vintage conditions on decanter.com for this vintage and discovered not necessarily ideal for reds. Although buds had burst early due to mild spring weather, the crop was reduced by a cold and damp June. A hot July followed, but August saw unsettled conditions, with storms and some hail in the middle of the month. Given such conditions, this was really good stuff. Anyone who thinks Burgundy cannot age is nuts. Served with a superb roasted Iberian pork, mushrooms, truffle and chervil.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1959 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 97 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

    As I write this, I do not recall the cheeses served, but they were certainly very good. What I do remember is what great pleasure this wine brought - and how I wanted more and more. Coming from magnum bottles, this marveled all participants. With aromas and flavors of fresh tobacco leaf and mocha, the palate exhibited remarkable freshness. Some bottle variation. But all good. The richness of the vintage - a top one for Burgundy - enchanted the senses with eau de vie of cherry as well. This was bottled several years before the Beatles hit it big. Who says Burgundy cannot age? Amazing wine.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Closing

Many thanks to Henriot for the kind invitation, and it was so wonderful to meet friends old and new for such a marvelous event.

×
×