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Bouchard Père & Fils

Founded in 1731, Bouchard Père & Fils remains an important producer, alongside the likes of Drouhin and Louis Jadot. Winemaker Frédéric Weber mentions the misconception of Bouchard as a large négociant, when in fact it is smaller in size than others and a large proportion of their portfolio is from their own vineyards. In fact, Bouchard Père & Fils are the largest owners of vine in Meursault. Since Joseph Henriot acquired Bouchard in 2005, they have produced some excellent wines that have shone in blind tastings, a reminder that trendy artisan growers do not implicitly offer the finest wines.

“In general, it’s a good year for yield and quantity,” Weber told me. “It was cold in January. The temperature was below freezing for three weeks, and that was good for relieving disease pressure later in the season. So after that, the mildew pressure was low. It wasn’t a difficult year in the vineyard. The end of March was hot and the bud-break was quick, close to 2011. May was nice, with alternating rain and hot days. Flowering was at the end of May and finished on June 6 - quick and homogenous. The summer was generally hot with some periods of dryness, especially in Meursault and Volnay. There were storms, but not too violent, and with no hail problem for the first time in five years. We anticipated good yields in the vineyard. Choosing the date for the harvest was important. It was hot at the end of August and some berries were dry, but there was not full maturity because hot temperatures had stopped the evolution. On August 20, when I analyzed the grapes, I found 1.5gm/l more total acidity compared to 2015. It was important to wait. After 15 to 20mm of rain on September 1, the vines’ cycle restarted and the balance came back between high potential alcohol and acidity. But when I was in the Montrachet vineyard at the end of August, I saw so many people picking!”

“We started the harvest on September 4 with the Côte de Beaune Pinot Noir, the Chardonnay on September 8 and the Côte de Nuits September 12–20. It was a long harvest, as there were a lot of differences in maturity between appellations, though generally the grapes were in great condition. The yields are close to 2010 and 2011. The natural degree of alcohol for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is between 13° and 14.5°, a high maturity level but balanced by the acidity. We conducted a five-day cold maceration, followed by 20 days’ cuvaison, but I reduced punching down the cap because the skins were quite thick and the quality of seed tannin was a little green. The malolactic fermentation came quickly and was finished by March. All the reds are in barrel. Most of the whites are in stainless steel tank. The balance really came for the whites during the ageing. I reduced the length of pressing and declassified all the last parts of the vin de presse to retain freshness and balance. The alcoholic fermentation started in tank at 17° to 18° Celsius maximum and after two weeks, I racked into barrel, where the fermentation finished. In 2017 I waited until the alcohol fermentation had completed before transferring into barrel.”

As I mentioned to Weber after the tasting, the 2017s from Bouchard Père & Fils do not seem to follow the pattern of vineyard status – i.e., some of the Grand Crus are surpassed by the Premier Crus. In a couple of cases, within one appellation I have a preference for their négociant cuvée instead of one from their own vineyard – for example, Clos de Bèze and Chapelle-Chambertin compared to the domaine-owned Chambertin. Perhaps it is one of the anomalies of the growing season. However, Bouchard’s 2017s are studded with excellence: a regal Le Corton, the consistently impressive Beaune Grèves Vignes de l’Enfant Jesus and Volnay Les Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot. Amongst the whites, Chevalier-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte meet expectations and are always fascinating to juxtapose, and I often prefer this knightly pair over the Montrachet. Generally, Bouchard’s Meursault wines convey a little more charm than the Puligny-Montrachets. I do have reservations about some of the cuvées, though that applies to practically all producers with comprehensive portfolios; after all, you cannot excel in every single vineyard with such a wide range of holdings. Overall, these are well-crafted wines and many will give medium-term pleasure.

From 2017 Burgundy: A Modern Classic (Jan 2019) by Neal Martin

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2017 Beaune 1er Cru Clos Saint-Landry Blanc 1er Cru

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Bouchard Père & Fils

2017 Beaune 1er Cru Clos Saint-Landry Blanc 1er Cru

2017 Beaune du Château Blanc 1er Cru

2017 Bourgogne Chardonnay Réserve

2017 Chassagne-Montrachet En Remilly

2017 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

2017 Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte Grand Cru

2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

2017 Meursault Les Gouttes d’Or 1er Cru

2017 Meursault Charmes 1er Cru

2017 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru

2017 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru

2017 Meursault Les Clous

2017 Meursault Village

2017 Montrachet Grand Cru

2017 Pouilly-Fuissé

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Village

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain 1er Cru

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru

2017 Beaune Clos de la Mousse 1er Cru

2017 Beaune du Château 1er Cru

2017 Beaune Les Teurons 1er Cru

2017 Beaune Les Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus 1er Cru

2017 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Réserve

2017 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

2017 Chambertin Grand Cru

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