March 15, 2024 - Having had the 1999 vintage of this same wine a couple of months ago and being pleasantly surprised, I decided to bring the 2002 vintage out for dinner with friends at J.G. Melon in New York City. As is the case with many of the great early 2000s Burgundian vintages, they need proper air time. This bottle was slow oxidised for over two hours before dinner and it needed every minute of it. The nose opened up with an upfront dominated by a vegetal / moss scent before hints of red cherries, tobacco and menthol balanced it out. The palate boasted a lot of fruit as tart raspberries and bright red cherries emerged in the upfront, balanced out by oak, light iron and a pronounced pepper note in the mid-palate. The finish proved to bring out the tertiary components expected with the bottle's age as cedar wood and light earthiness accompanied a long finish on a wine that was drinking younger than its age would suggest. A fuller style of Volnay, but one that Bouchard does a good job with once the bottle is given time.
March 27, 2023 - Immediately after opening there was no aroma at all and it took almost an hour to have some hit of strawberry and red berry notes on the nose. On the palate, tertiary notes was dominant with acidity at first however it developed in to notes of aged burgundy after an hour or so. Please give the wine some time. Quite impressive for a wine with almost twenty-years of age!
September 6, 2021 - dinner with Paula and eric
June 13, 2021 - Second Sunday Group: 1995 Beaune (Eagle Brook CC): Cherry and spice notes on the nose and palate. Mineral tones in the finish. Well-balanced. Drinking beautifully, if still a bit young. 92+ pts.
December 27, 2020 - The strong oak signature that Bouchard reds of this era had when young is beginning to burn off, but still, I would suggest decanting or otherwise giving this wine plenty of air before consuming. Bouchard may have the best plot in Caillerets, and the silky, fine Caillerets texture is coming through here along with red fruits. This wine needs about 5-10 years more to reach its peak, but it should be glorious then, probably about 95 points, or just short of the incredible 1962 I drank at lunch about 8-10 years ago. Cellared since original release.
May 30, 2020 - Une aromatique classique du pinot évolué, légérement musqué, griotté, mais assez floral avec sa violette diffuse. Il n'a pas une énergie énorme, c'est plutôt posé, assagi, velouté: la texture est fine et élégante, bien dans l'idée d'un Volnay (tanins polis). Agréable mais sans magie.
February 20, 2020 - Still decently bright and rounded. Fruit is still lively
I would never had guessed this was 18yrs old
February 7, 2020 - Sadly, another wine for the early 00’s overly-oaked Bouchard hit-parade. At this point just a very generic and woody Burgundy. Not horrible. Just sad for one of Bouchard’s most famous climats. Maybe in ten years this will show some character?
December 30, 2019 - Drinking very well, lush, cherries, violets and terroir that really shows the wines elements, needs a solid 2-3 hour decant.
December 25, 2019 - Properly pale; finessed bouquet, brambles & woodsmoke, fragrant lift; plenty of presence on palate, well built & expressive; needs more time to become fully resolved.