2014 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Jean-Marc Boillot had a bigger crop in 2014 than in 2013, averaging about 40 hectoliters per hectare. The wines, he said, “have good acid structure and tension, with solid density of material.” And, he added, they’re more for aging than “the relatively open 2013s.” Boillot was still stirring the 2014 lees weekly at the time of my visit. He explained that this process gives the wines a wider range of aromatics, and that the oxidative particles in the wines are “neutralized” by the reductive lees. As his wines go into barrel very clear--that is, with almost no lees--he can stir them "without getting off aromas, just glycerol."

Boillot now ages all of his wines in about 25% new oak, with 85% of his barrels purchased from Damy. He requests a long medium toast and finds the barrels very consistent.