Bouchard Tasting

Organised by one of the two main wine vendors in the UAE (African and Eastern). Drank with Vincent Pepin, who I must say has been one of my favourite Sales Directors that I have gotten to meet with.

• 2019 Bouchard Père et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru En Remilly 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  First wine of the dinner, and unsurprisingly the most accessible of the three whites that were served. A note on the terroir: Bouchard owns a very small parcel of vines here, bordering Chevalier Montrachet. Approximately 600 bottles of this made, when averaged out for vintage characteristics. There is a lot to like here. The aromatics and the palate were very harmonious with one another - lots of toffee caramel notes to indicate a slightly toasted character.
  
  The movement of the wine through the palate was interesting because it started off really intense and acid-driven but then had a tendency to fall off pretty quickly and leave the mouth looking for more. As this wine got air, however, this experience became rounder and a distinctive white fruit midpalate emerged. A bottling well worth going after if you can find it.

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• 2020 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Domaine 91 Points

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

  Unfortunately misplaced my notes so having to rely on memory. Youthful example, aromatics were less like Chardonnay and more like a young Riesling. However palate was simply 'good enough' - the size of the vintage and the quality of the plot meant a good showing today was unlikely. However, whatever stuffing was here didn't impress me as much as the others, and this will age into a good (but not great) wine. Like the Corton-Charlie sampled after this, best to wait a few more years to create more character.

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• 2020 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine 92 Points

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

  Compared to the two whites which came before it, no doubt that this was in another class in terms of the balance and texture. What acidity which is here is round, less interested in tension and focus but delivering a promise of future generosity. Palate is very white fruit driven, more like a Puligny Montrachet. Some aromatic restraint here (the lightest hint of reduction), combined with considerable length which makes you immediately recognise that this is the most 'cellerable' of the Bouchard whites. A lot of headroom to grow, just a bit lacking on distinctiveness for the moment. Drink from 2028 onwards.

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• 2020 Bouchard Père et Fils Bonnes Mares 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Absolutely should not have been drunk today, even if there is a lot of strong components here. A peer described this as 'a Bordeaux lover's Burgundy'. Well, if I am in the mood for that sort of wine then just drink Bordeaux. The winemakers of the Napa Valley would have a better claim to this wine that Gevrey-Chambertin.
  
  The tannins here were everpresent, and unfortunately I am not entirely convinced that this particular bottling was able to avoid the challenges of finding the balance between ripeness and acidity. To its credit, this did show some of the Bonnes Mares density, but cannot escape the idea that it was all too much substance and too little style.
  
  Built for the longest of long hauls, and should be cellared as such.

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• 2018 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus 94 Points

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

  This was the big surprise of the tasting, not least because the 2018s I have drunk to this point have been something of a disappointment. However, this showed really well, at least to the style that I like. Nose is not totally pure, some sauvage inflection here but doesn't diminish the overall profile of dark fruits. Palate still shows good primary fruit, but alongside it is a savoury turn of earthiness. Given the growing conditions which took place in 2018, the ripeness is managed here exceptionally well - doesn't taste 'overdone' at all. A wine to recommend to your friends for drinking now, and some way in the future (though not sure it will get too much better from here). Will look out for other vintages of this, such was the positive impression it left.

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• 2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse 88 Points

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

  Another day, another encounter with a 2005 that was not in a good position to drink. Willingness to buy these has gone down to almost zero. Whatever dark fruit there might have been is melting away at a rate of knots but the structure still insists on being unyielding. Does well with a burger, but not really a wine that you can make much sense of on its own. Also the only wine of the dinner that I had no real intention of finishing.

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• 2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Le Corton 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Second Grand Cru of the evening, and the first which had the necessary age to make a full showing. The first thing that I was getting was this tomato note, which others normally associate with some heat damage (but I did not feel that was the case here). Tertiary vegetal character now, and really starts to drive this savoury character. The palate continues the savoury theme, has fully integrated tannins but hasn't picked up much in the way of complexity. There is still some dark red cherry fruit here, but now playing a background role and only doomed to fade further from the fore in the coming years. Very nice to drink now, and might hold for a few years more, but would start getting through these if you have them.

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• 2018 Bouchard Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 94 Points

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

  This has some of the smell that you get with dolma (stuffed vine leaves and molasses, for those who dont know) on the nose. Still has this slight signature oak use in the nose with the sweetness. Nose has some pomegranate and some other light red fruit with a hint of raspberry on the nose. The palate shows the immediate spine of the Clos de Beze, but has a bit of vanilla as well (which, after further research, might have more to do with length of barrel toasting versus a pure percentage of new oak question). No doubt this is still quite primary, but impressive to have seen another 2018 manage to start its reture to form after slumber.

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