2002 Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte Grand Cru

As is the house's practice, Bouchard was among the first to harvest in 2003, attacking the pinot noir on August 21 and the chardonnay (specifically, their holding in Meursault Perrieres) the following day. Winemaker Philippe Prost chilled the musts to about 45oF for the debourbage and was able to get lees with a less yellow color. The wines were lightly acidified for the fermentations, and certain wines received additional acidification later on. Except for the grand crus, the 2003s had been racked at the time of my visit. Director Bernard Hervet, incidentally, expressed the opinion that the 2003 has yielded some monumental red Burgundies, with 1947-like aromas-an opinion I heard later the same day from Jacques Lardiere, the winemaker for Jadot.

The 2002 white wines showed great flavors ever since the wines were pressed," managing director Bernard Hervet told me at the beginning of June. It's a vintage you can taste with pleasure at every level of quality; even the generic reds are very strong in 2002. Even the middle villages like Santenay and Maranges, which produce irregular quality from vintage to vintage, are very strong." The domain carried out a leaf-pulling during the second half of July, and yields in chardonnay were down 5 to 7 hectoliters per hectare from the previous year, with Meursault production even more sharply lower. According to winemaker Philippe Prost, the premier crus begin their elevage in about 20% to 25% new oak, but most of the wines were to have been racked into used barrels in mid-June.