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Bouchard / Fèvre / Henriot Tasting
The Wine Cellar Club - Irvine, CA
Tasted March 9, 2010 by Badfish with 1,206 views
Introduction
I was very lucky to get a spot for this tasting after finding out about it a few days prior. This event was hosted at The Wine Cellar Club in Irvine by Envoyer Fine Wines and Luc Bouchard was in attendance to represent the wines. We started off with the Henriot Champagnes which were complex and substantial and a beautiful way to start the tasting. As for the Bouchard flight, Luc had us begin with the reds and then move onto the whites which was certainly unorthodox in my experience. In any case I found the reds to be quite solid with great acidity, complexity, and structure. After refreshing my palate from the reds I moved onto the whites which are clearly great in the 2008 vintage. They are dense and delineated with tremendous texture and focus, especially at the grand cru level. The Bouchard whites were tough to follow but the Fevre Chablis actually held their ground. These wines are so great with their steely density and the value is certainly there when you compare them to offerings from the Cote de Beaune. This was a pretty rare opportunity to taste such a large portfolio in your own backyard and I was very happy with the experience. I have to thank Envoyer Fine Wines for organizing this tasting.
Flight 1 - Champagne Henriot (3 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain
91 points
Very driven and aromatic on the nose with notes of citrus, stones, and smoke. Loads of acidity and autolytic character on the palate, which offers great citrus fruit density. The Pinot seems to give this slightly more fruit than the Blanc.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain
90 points
The aromas are meaty and yeast driven with loads of bread and yellow fruits. The palate is similar but with more elegance to the hearty fruit. Subtle hints of stones, citrus, and salinity round out the dense flavors.
White - Sparkling
1995 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut
93 points
Heady and powerful on the nose with lemon, stones, bread, and apple. Tremendous grip and acidity on the palate with substantially dense yet delicate flavors of yellow fruit, yeast, and minerals. This has great balance and complexity while providing both density and elegance.
Flight 2 - Maison Bouchard Père et Fils Rouges (8 notes)
Red
2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Pinot Noir Bourgogne La Vignée
86 points
Very savory on the nose with aromas of spices, smoke, and cherry. Acidic on the palate with decent sour cherry fruit supported by supple tannins. This offers decent structure and fruit for current gratification.
Red
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse
90 points
Great expressive nose here with lifted berries, cherries, herbs, and flowers. Delicate yet substantial. The flavors are somewhat primary and fruity but there is good lift with approachable yet firm tannins. There is a slight twang of astringency on the finish but this is great for the level.
Red
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Pommard 1er Cru
88 points
Really quite delicate and reticent for a Pommard with notes of raspberry and minerals. The palate yields firm tannins, fresh acidity, and good underlying fruit material. This is quite closed at this point but there seems to be enough of each component to warrant a look in the future.
Red
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot
90 points
Superb aromatics with great purity to the notes of red berries, violets, and plums. The palate offers good density to the red fruit coupled with complicating minerals. The structure is quite sound from the firm tannins and fresh acidity. I would like to see a little more power from this offering so hopefully that emerges with age.
Red
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles
91 points
Very complex and pure on the nose with notes of cherry, earth, peppermint, and flowers. Gorgeous fruit on the palate with a fresh crunchy texture and meaty tone to the flavors. This is quite approachable at this stage with tremendous complexity and balance.
Red
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Le Corton
93 points
This is somewhat closed on the nose with typical dark burly aromas of black cherry, minerals, and earth. The palate on the other hand offers fresh heady fruit in a peppery style. Quite frankly there is loads of everything: great acidity, tannin, persistence, and overall density. There is a long life ahead for this wine.
Red
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
96 points
High toned and delicate yet perfumed on the nose with red and black berries, black cherry, sweet stones, and roses. Really profound on the palate with flavors of raspberry, clay, and crushed stones. Approachable but dense with great acidity and a long finish that fans out with hints of cherry and herbs. The tannins are firm and offer plenty of structure to support the endless character of this wine. The difference here seems to be the delineation of flavors and the density while remaining effortless. Simply brilliant.
Red
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus
89 points
At first this seemed closed on the nose but I revisited it later which revealed red berries, grilled herbs, and earth. The palate never seemed to open up much, just revealing hints of red fruit and spices combined with firm acidic structure. Seems to be hopelessly closed although I have the impression there could be some green tannins peaking out here. 89?
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Flight 3 - Maison Bouchard Père et Fils Blancs (9 notes)
White
2007 Bouchard Père et Fils Chardonnay Bourgogne Blanc La Vignée
87 points
Quite autolytic on the nose with notes of lemon and minerals. Supple but dense on the palate with flavors of citrus, flowers, and stones. This has solid fruit and character for a simple regional wine.
White
2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
91 points
Fresh, high toned, and expressive in the glass with aromas of mint and apple. The palate has fresh acidity with minty complexity to the citrus flavors. This lingers really well on the finish with a supple inviting texture.
White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos St. Landry Blanc
92 points
Remarkably great on the nose with loads of complexity and freshness. Aromas of flowers, red berries, white currant, flint, and musk. The palate yields superb minerality in great contrast to the fresh yellow and white fruits. Really great fruit density with a supple mouthfeel and supporting acidic structure. This is a really unique white and one of the better values from this portfolio in my opinion.
White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Domaine
93 points
Subtle and restrained with delicate aromas of white flowers, melon, citrus, and stones. An elegant entry to the palate leads to explosive citrus and floral fruit. Very dense and long with bracing minerality and effortless texture. You have to love the floral elegance and beautiful texture of this wine.
White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
92 points
Very stony and expressive on the nose with notes of lemon curd and stalk. The palate is delicate yet substantial with stone and herbal character to the flavors of melon and green fruits. Great acid density to support the lingering fruit. Not quite as effortless as the Genevieres, this has a touch more edge and green tone.
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White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine
95 points
Dense and complex aromas just pour out of the glass with notes of yellow fruits, sweet stones, fresh spring water, flowers, and pine. The citrus flavors are heady yet supple across the palate lingering brilliantly on the finish. This may not have the edge of some of the other offerings but it makes up for it with dense complex flavor.
White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Domaine
95 points
Extremely heady and high toned on the nose with notes of citrus, minerals, fresh flowers, herbs, clay, and sugar cane. In the mouth this yields heady sweet fruit flavors of lemon preserves, pineapple, and crushed stones. So supple and glossy across the palate yet vibrant as the flavors and tension build on the persistent finish. Truly superb texture and fruit density.
White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte
97 points
As good as the ‘basic’ Chevalier is, this ratchets it up another notch. Really great delicacy but exhibiting even more density and power with aromas of honeydew, pear, citrus, and minerals. Wow this is amazing on the palate with powerful initial sweetness and minerality building to tremendous density of fruit flavors such as citrus and melon. A salvo that is so dense and persistent while remaining effortless in texture, structure, and balance. One of the most delineated yet harmonious wines I have experienced, this is profound.
White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet Domaine
97 points
I really like the sweet fruit and mineral interplay of the aromas here. High toned notes of crushed stones, spearmint, fresh grilled herbs, along with yellow and white fruits. Restrained yet substantial, this kills you with delicacy on the nose rather than with power. Wow the palate is a different story, this balloons with acidity but the fruit is just as dense with layers of citrus and other yellow fruits combined with tremendous minerality. A wine that starts deceptively slow but really builds for an explosion of lemon juice and stones. Not as exuberant as the La Cabotte yet slightly more cohesive and noble, you just know this is a sleeping giant.
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Flight 4 - Domaine William Fèvre (6 notes)
White
2008 William Fèvre Chablis Champs Royaux
89 points
Fresh and minty on the nose with high toned aromas of flowers and minerals combined with restrained fruit. The fruit is also subtle on the palate but sweet and dense enough to match the structure. This is quite good for the level.
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White
2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
92 points
Very fresh and driven on the nose with minerals, flowers, mint, and citrus. The palate offers great citrus fruit with herbal and mineral nuances. Very heady and dense but well structured from the acidic spine. Clearly offering more stuffing and structure at this level.
White
2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent
93 points
Similar on the nose here with more cinnamon spice tone to the stony, floral, and tangerine driven aromas. Heady density, edgy minerality, and fresh acidity all give the palate tremendous presence and structure. I think this shows a touch more complexity with much of the same qualities as the Vaillons.
White
2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
94 points
This starts off quite closed with elegant fruit, stones, and mint. The palate starts off soft but the heady fruit quickly builds with gobs of stone, citrus, pineapple, and melon. The density of the fruit and minerality is quite special in this wine. More reticent and closed than the premier crus but you can feel the power and complexity in the mouth. I can only imagine what this wine has in reserve. 94+
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White
2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
95 points
Also somewhat closed on the nose but opening up with time in the glass, this offers delicate yet complex nuances of melon, sweet stones, and fresh herbs. Crunchy and firm in texture with superb focus from the minerals and acidity. The concentration of the fruit is very apparent from the length on the finish. This is like drinking freshly squeezed fruit juice that has been macerated in crushed stones. I really love the steely density these wines exhibit; they have a lot of potential barring premox issues of course.
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White
2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
95 points
There is more fruit apparent in this aged sample. The nose is complex and radiant with aromas of stone fruits, citrus, apples, and underlying minerals. Supple and restrained in texture on the palate with great fruit density and complexity. The flavors consist of stones, lemon curd, stalk, and even some meaty tones towards the finish. The mellowness and additional character really show even though there is still plenty of tension to the wine.